How do you cope with stress?!

[john]

Stress at work over the last few months has driven me to the point of leaving education and possibly IT entirely.

I have to agree with your richard, I am feeling very very much like that, my family have said I should go see the doctor but I know he will either give me happy pills or sign me off and that wouldn't look good when applying for jobs elsewhere stating that i've been signed off work due to stress so would rather avoid that. So my method is to sit down and cry in a corner at home and try and sleep, sleep is a strange thing I get only a few hours a night as I have so much going on in my head I can't sleep, banging my head against a brick wall is more fun at times than trying to sleep! All this mess is my thinking behind jacking it all in and leaving the job and giving up and rethinking my life, not that I could do anything else really as IT has been my life for years.

[sidewinder]

I personally dont let it bother me, I always remember that 90% of the time, the 'massive crisis' that is occuring at work means nothing at the end of the day.
Not to say I dont take my job seriously, because I do, but I always stay quite light hearted and I dont let ranting teachers etc get me down.

Im also one of those people who make sure to leave their work at work. Well not strictly true as I am on Edugeek in my own time talking about work but you know what I mean
When I am out of the office door, everything is out of my mind till the next morning, theres no point at all in ruining your evening worrying about things

[beeswax]

You might want to try this link

[apoth0r]

I get home have some dinner, sit down for half hour or so and then hit the weights and have a jog. Nothing like working out your stress through a bit of exercise. Cures me completely.

[_Bat_]

I get home have some dinner, sit down for half hour or so and then hit the weights and have a jog. Nothing like working out your stress through a bit of exercise. Cures me completely.

Agreed. Exercise, while I don't do it anywhere near enough and sometimes you have to force yourself to do it (especially if you feel depressed or worried), once you have finished you feel an awful lot better. It obviously does you a lot of good too, so kills two birds with one stone

[Halfmad]

Stress at work over the last few months has driven me to the point of leaving education and possibly IT entirely.

I have to agree with your richard, I am feeling very very much like that, my family have said I should go see the doctor but I know he will either give me happy pills or sign me off and that wouldn't look good when applying for jobs elsewhere stating that i've been signed off work due to stress so would rather avoid that. So my method is to sit down and cry in a corner at home and try and sleep, sleep is a strange thing I get only a few hours a night as I have so much going on in my head I can't sleep, banging my head against a brick wall is more fun at times than trying to sleep! All this mess is my thinking behind jacking it all in and leaving the job and giving up and rethinking my life, not that I could do anything else really as IT has been my life for years.

I could almost have written the exact same thing, more or less sums up how I feel. I don't want to be signed off but things aren't going to change at work - I've more or less been told this by the SMT. No money for a technician etc and won't be for at least two years.

[laserblazer]

Beware of going to the doctor. I had my blood pressure measured at our library and they said it was high and I should see the quack. He tested it and it was fine but gave me a self-test sheet to use for a week morning and evening. The results were fine. However, our annual travel insurance came up for renewal and the question was asked, have I been to the doctor? They weren't interested in the fact that I was ok. Because I had been for high blood pressure, they loaded the premium. I've changed to a more expensive policy but they were prepared to investigate and cover me fully. If you had been to the quack for stress related illness, went on hols and had some for of breakdown, chances are you wouldn't be covered. Even worse case, they could turn round and say it was stress that caused you to fall and break a leg

[Friez]

Actually SCRAP what I just said earlier. I'm looking for another job. Senior Management have just proven to me that they are a bunch of liars. My boss is going to be most upset when he returns from his holiday too.

Their latest decision is irrational and crazy and will make life difficult for virtually everyone, staff and student alike, and talking to them is like talking to a brick wall.

[Andie]

How do I cope with stress? Well I just read this:

I'm on my own, 400 clients, 5 servers, 35-40 projectors and a heap of other responsibilities that range from creating/managing the websites to setting up projectors for assemblies and even making up word templates for staff to use.. I also manage our budgets and have running arguments with SMT about what we should be buying.

and realised that what I'm having to cope with is nothing!!

Seriously, your workload must be illegal! Is there any way you could make use of students as volunteers? There must be one reponsible individual there. Sort of work experience and you'd give them a good reference, etc..? Even just setting up the projectors for assemblies and making up word templates might make a difference. But then, I guess you wouldn't have the time to train them...!

[tazz]

When I reached the same point as Halfmad (I've actually started not caring) it was prozec for me - worked a treat. Skipped it over the summer but going back to the docs tonite to see if I can have them again - sad isn't it?

If only I had more staff - AV, Phones, Email, Laptops, Workstatons, Sims, Servers - it's all down to me and one young inexperienced technician. Been promised more staff since May - still no sign.

[tech_guy]

When I reached the same point as Halfmad (I've actually started not caring) it was prozec for me - worked a treat. Skipped it over the summer but going back to the docs tonite to see if I can have them again - sad isn't it?

If only I had more staff - AV, Phones, Email, Laptops, Workstatons, Sims, Servers - it's all down to me and one young inexperienced technician. Been promised more staff since May - still no sign.

Wow, your doc actually prescribed prozac for you - lucky you - my doc told me to take up jogging as a way of dealing with the stress. I think I'd rather have the pills please 8O

[bizzel]

I get home have some dinner, sit down for half hour or so and then hit the weights and have a jog. Nothing like working out your stress through a bit of exercise. Cures me completely.

Oh yeah, there's nothing quite like a good, hard run to de-stress! I feel more energised at the end of a long day if I run, even if I was completely drained before.

[ICT_GUY]

Take care with meds, some for stress have very bad and fatal side effects.

I was on Seroxat (paroxetine) for a while, whoa did it make my head a strange place to be.

Also brother inlaw commited suicide whilst taking the same stuff, one of the side effects is that symptoms get much worse going on and coming off the stuff. He was just starting to take it.

Personally if the work is too much start complaining and keep a log of the complaints. Keep a job list on the wall, make a deal of putting new jobs at the bottom when people come in. If they complain about the time scale then tell them why you cant do it straight away.

As for time management, my golden rule is, if its a five minute job, it gets done straight away. this makes me and the person involved happy. I never make someone wait until I have completed a long job. Often this involves a short break and a walk hoth of which make me happier.

[ninjabeaver]

Wow, I never realised so many of us were getting stressed. I, stupidly, thought it was only me.

I come in most morning nervous about what's going to fail on me this time, who I'm going to be arguing with because they won't follow procedures I have in place to keep most things running smoothly etc. Butterflies on the way to work every morning. I can feel the adrenaline in my arms all the time.

I might just start to learn to program again. Work from home or something. Oh, and who ever made the portable stress reliever, thanks. Works a treat.

[kingswood]

Stress. Yes.

I train in martial arts and am studying a degree- so lots of things outside work mean I am distracted. Try and find something outwith IT to enjoy- nothing techie related. That's why the people who exercise are relieving so much stress- letting out some physical response will always trump drinking or tablets. The body releases chemicals that relax you naturally. Plus you lose weight etc. Not a bad thing.

I am currently training to take part in our national Karate championships so when I get home work takes a very deep back seat. Work is for work. Outside is for living. Get out there and enjoy something (or someone

Paul