Effective ways to handle medical practice workplace stress

It may seem to you that there is little or nothing that you can do about the stressors you face in your medical practice. There is always so much to do. Working with patients who are anxious or frightened, short-staffing, emergencies, a crowded appointment schedule-all of this can make for a stressful work environment. Fortunately, there is quite a bit that the medical practice employee can do to reduce and manage his or her own stress. This article defines workplace stress and explains the difference between a workplace stressor and a challenge. It identifies the most common sources of workplace stress and how employees who work in a medical practice can use journaling to pinpoint their own particular stressors and stress responses. It describes the relationship between stress and health, and lists common physical and emotional responses to stress. Finally, this article provides recent statistics about workplace stress and offers 25 specific techniques and strategies that medical practice personnel can use to reduce and manage their own workplace stress.