Reviewed by Dr Jessica Gunawan and Physician Brandon Yew

Calculate Your Work-Related Stress and Learn Tips to Manage it

Published February 4, 2023| 5 min read

Work stress can lead to short and long-term health problems. Proper stress management will keep you fit and focused so you can perform your best at work.

Group of people walking up and down an outdoor staircase.

In Malaysia, work stress is a major workforce concern. A recent survey showed that 51% of employees suffered from at least one dimension of work-related stress.

In addition, 53% of employees got less than seven hours of sleep daily. 20% of employees, meanwhile, attributed their stress to continuous bullying at their workplace.

The Detrimental Effects of Work Stress on Your Health

Woman looking disinterested as she stares at her desktop while sitting at an office table. — Work-related stress can cause you to feel demotivated and procrastinate on pending tasks.

Being overwhelmed by work can hamper your self-confidence and cause you to feel withdrawn, or become angry or irritable. It may also see you experiencing other symptoms, such as:

Fatigue

Difficulty sleeping
Trouble focusing
Stress rashes
Muscle tension or headaches
Loss of interest in performing your work responsibilities

Digestive disorders: Gastritis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and weight gain or loss
Reproductive disorders: Irregular periods, fertility issues in men and women, and low libido

Over time, unmanaged stress increases your risk of:

Cardiovascular diseases
Workplace injuries
Musculoskeletal disorders in the upper and lower back
Psychological disorders, such as anxiety, depression or burnout syndrome

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) states that stress compromises the immune system and exposes it to external pathogenic factors.

“Cold, Fire, Wind, and Dampness can break through the skin and provoke an onset of rashes. These pathogens are also responsible for internal imbalances in the Heart, Liver, Lungs, and Spleen. As a result, it can lead to phlegm, blood clots, Damp-Heat, and Qi (vital life force) Stagnation.”

Real Health Medical Senior TCM physician Brandon Yew.

Liver Qi Stagnation impairs circulation in the Spleen and stomach. Subsequently, your digestive system will malfunction, resulting in various eating disorders.

How to Cope with Work-Related Stress

A combination of relaxation techniques and alternative remedies can prove useful during stressful situations at work.

Progressive muscle relaxation

Sit comfortably with your eyes closed. Next, tense and relax each muscle group, starting from the legs.

While inhaling, hold the tension for 10 seconds before slowly releasing it within 20 seconds.

Mindfulness

Keeping your attention fixed on the present with curiosity, openness, and acceptance helps decrease activity in the amygdala. Associated with emotional processes, the amygdala may shrink with continuous meditation, and become less reactive to stressful stimuli.

The Stress Breath method

First, inhale deeply to allow sound to vibrate at the back of your throat. Hold your breath and lower your chin to your chest.

Count in descending order from five. Exhale loudly through your nose as you slowly lift your head. That’s one cycle. Do 12 consecutive cycles, once in the morning, and again at night.

Herbal medication

Generally, a licensed TCM practitioner will prescribe rose flower buds for stress. The flower induces a calming effect and promotes a smooth flow of qi. Steep a handful of buds in a teapot of boiling water for five minutes and drink the tea when it’s warm. Essence of chicken, too, can be used to recharge your mind and body, especially when you feel drained from work.

Several herbal ingredients may also be used to treat a stress rash. These include:

Burdock (niu bang zi, 牛蒡子)
Belvedere fruit (di fu zi, 地肤子)
Chrysanthemum flower (ju hua, 菊花)
Lithospermum root (zi cao, 紫草)
Mulberry twig (sang zhi, 桑枝)

Weeping forsythia (lian qiao, 连翘)
Dahurian Angelica root (bai zhi, 白芷)
Densefruit Pittany root-bark (bai xian pi, 白鲜皮)
Fineleaf Schizonepeta spike (jing jie, 荆芥)
Tuber Fleeceflower stem (shu wu teng, 首乌藤)

You can also use herbal medicine to address stress-induced pathologies. Cassia seeds (jue ming zi, 决明子) and lotus leaves (he ye, 荷叶) can dispel toxins to relieve abdominal bloating. Radix Bupleuri (chai hu, 柴胡) and Nutgrass Galingale Rhizome (xiang fu, 香附) help relax your mind by soothing Liver qi.

Acupressure point stimulation

Located half way between the top and bottom of the tragus and level with the tip of the tragus.

Shenmen image — Applying pressure to the shen men acupoint can also be helpful in lowering the risk of myocardial infarction.

An illustration of the qu chi or LI11 acupoint as one of the acupressure points to relieve a runny nose — When the elbow is flexed, the point is in the depression at the lateral end of the transverse cubital crease, midway between chi ze (LU5) and the lateral epicondyle of the humerus.

An illustration of tai chong acupressure point for teeth health in pregnant women. — Located about two finger widths below the spot where the skin of your big toe and second toe join together.

yu ji — On the radial aspect of the 1st metacarpal at the midpoint of the bone at the junction of the red and white skin.

xue hai — To locate Xue Hai (SP10), flex the knee and press the spot 2 fingers-breadth above the superior medial border of the patella on the bulge of the medial portion of quadriceps femoris.

An illustration of zu san li acupressure point for teeth health in pregnant women. — Zu san li point is about 2-3 inches below your knee cap, right between the two bones of your lower leg.

Acupressure point stimulation for three to five minutes, two to three times daily, can help eliminate stress. It may also suppress your appetite and ease a stress rash.

The points that can be worked on are:

Ji’e dian (Hunger Point, 饥饿点)
Shen men (HT7, 神门)

Qu chi (LI11, 曲池)
Tai chong (LR3, 太沖)
Yu ji (LU10, 鱼际)
Xue hai (SP10, 血海)
Zu san li (ST36, 足三里)

Stress and meditation balls

Squeezing a stress ball may help stimulate and contract your muscles and nerves, making them stronger. Apart from building strength, it’ll also enable you to manage stress better by improving the nervous system and regulating different hormones.

Meditation balls (also known as Baoding balls) are believed to alleviate stress and improve brain function while exercising your hands. Hold them in one hand and roll them in your palm. With regular practice, your hands will eventually learn to manipulate their movement without touching each other.

It’s undeniable that work stress can be the silent killer of an employee’s health and productivity. It’s important to assess the root of the problem and take appropriate management steps. Be mindful that traditional remedies should only be considered after speaking with a licensed TCM practitioner. Share this quiz and article to inspire family members and friends to be proactive in managing their stress levels.