Survey Finds 75% of Workers Are Stressed

Stressed out by work? You’re not alone. According to Everest College’s 2012 Work Stress Survey conducted by Harris Interactive, nearly three-fourths of American workers admit to having at least one thing about work that causes them stress. Among the top culprits are:

• pay

• annoying co-workers

• commuting

• an unreasonable workload

• working in a job that isn’t their chosen career

• a poor work-life balance

• lack of advancement opportunities

• the boss

Perhaps the most interesting thing to ponder about these results is that roughly a quarter of the respondents claim not to have any work-related stress (and, yes, they are employed). It might be worth noting that more than a third of these no-stress people come from households with an income of more than $100,000. There also was a direct correlation that showed stress going down as age went up.

For those of us not fortunate enough to be in that stress-free category, managing feelings is key. Earlier this week, workers offered some creative ideas on how they personally deal with stress. (Anyone else think breaking cheap garage-sale plates sounds awesome?) Here are a few more strategies, courtesy of certified life coach Joumana Nasr:

• Watch your favorite comedy of all time. It doesn't matter if it's I love Lucy or The Hangover. Watch it and enjoy it. Laughter is a great stress reliever.

• Don’t consume news at night. It will affect the quality of sleep you get and add to your stress.

• Walk barefoot on the grass/earth or sit with you bare feet planted in the grass/dirt. The earth has huge healing powers, and if you practice this for about 20 minutes a day, it will have a great calming effect on you.

What is your go-to stress reliever? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

Image courtesy of Thinkstock/Jupiterimages.