Feeling stressed or anxious? Your mental health matters!
Did you know that medical research has shown that as much as 90 percent of all illnesses and diseases are related to stress? Feeling frustrated or anxious at work is common, but if left unchecked, it can have negative impacts on your health and other areas of your life. Many people feel overwhelmed by the pressures of their job, even when they enjoy what they do and the people they work with. Making tough decisions, conflicts with others, and feeling overworked are just some of the many things that can cause even the strongest people to feel stressed at work. Add in trying to balance work with home and family life, and these struggles can become too much and sometimes lead to other issues. While there will always be worries and tough days, learning how to handle stress is one of the most valuable things we can do for ourselves, our families, friends and coworkers.
When you feel stress creeping in, it is important to remember that you are not alone in it. Individuals deal with stress in different ways, like finding time to do their favourite activities and hobbies, relaxing or spending quality time with people they care about. Sometimes even our best efforts to destress can fail, and that’s when it’s a great idea to reach out to someone to talk about how you’re feeling. Your Teamsters shop stewards and business agents are there to support you, and they can point you to a number of mental health resources and supports available to you through your employer or the union. They can also explain how your Teamsters 987 collective bargaining agreement protects you if you need to take time away from work to feel better.
One of the best times to learn more about coping with stress is when things are going well. Taking the time to read about tools to destress and feel your best mentally can be helpful the next time things get difficult at work or even at home. The same goes for talking to a trained mental health professional. Experts in mental health can not only provide you with many ways to calm the mind and relieve stress, but can help you to better understand your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. They are also the only people who are qualified to tell you if your stress is related to something more serious, like an anxiety disorder or depression.
Ready to learn more? The Canadian Mental Health Association has information to understand what causes stress and how to relieve it. This website also has articles on dealing with loneliness, anger, substance use and other difficulties of life that many people face.
If you need support right away, get in touch with the Alberta Mental Health Help Line. It is confidential, free to contact, and you can get advice from a mental health professional 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling 1-877-303-2642. This service is available anywhere in Alberta.
Looking for additional support or information about how Teamsters Local 987 can be there for you in times of stress, contact your shop steward or business agent today
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