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Just Thinking About Work May Trigger Stress

Posted by michael on from the common-sense dept.

Ant sent in this article about measurements of stress hormones on Monday mornings. "While on-the-job stress is a well known and widely felt presence, new research suggests that even thinking about Monday morning may send people's stress hormones upward." Clearly the lesson to be learned is: don't think.

16 comments

  1. Re:The Almighty Mind by Valdrax · · Score: 2

    If you think about work you get stressed. If you think about food you create saliva. If you think about water you start needing to pee. But what if you aren't thinking?


    Then you're probably trolling on Slashdot.

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  2. Re:Work satisfaction by OmegaDan · · Score: 1

    YEEEES, work SHOULD provide satisfatcion,,,,,, and pride ....

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  3. Re:It affects a biofeedback easy enough. by monkeyfamily · · Score: 1

    hells yeah - I'm off to smoke a doobie on the roof of the engineering building right now

  4. Work satisfaction by billcopc · · Score: 1

    I'm no corporate shrink, but my personal belief is that the problem with work-related stress isn't the actual work burden, it's just that most jobs are just seen as a chore and bore. Maybe it's caused by poor camaraderie in the workplace, or a reality-challenged boss, or an excessively light workload leading to daily boredom (my situation), or maybe you're just working at Walmart, but the bottom line is that if people get jittery when they think of Mondays, maybe they should look for work elsewhere. Work should provide personal satisfaction and pride, not just a paycheck.

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    -Billco, Fnarg.com
    1. Re:Work satisfaction by Rogerborg · · Score: 1

      Work should provide personal satisfaction and pride, not just a paycheck

      When you find that perfect job, let me know - I'll send you my resume.

      Ideally I'd make longbows for a living, but not until I've paid off my mortgage. Until then, I'll climb the corporate ladder and hope that one day I'll receive a stock offer that's worth more than the paper it's not written on. ;)

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  5. Its not work by perlyking · · Score: 1

    For me it's not work that stresses me out, its the idiots I have to work with.. :-)

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  6. Re:Next study by Vuarnet · · Score: 2

    Stay tuned for the next study, "The effect of thinking about thinking about work". I'm stressed already.

    I wonder... if thinking about work causes stress, does thinking about stress causes work?

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  7. What causes this stress? by Water+Paradox · · Score: 3

    I used to come in to work and lie all the time. When I got home, I was in a fit of denial. I was only doing what everyone around me was doing. Then one day I discovered what was happening, and I sought a way out of this attitude of CYA, hiding what I was actually doing from my boss, and so forth. The solution took years, but now when I come to work, I try real hard not to lie. Stress level way down. I really enjoy my job. I think the Monday morning stress thoughts come from the fact that you know you have to go back to lying again on Monday. So quit it, willya. Sleep better.

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  8. Re:I thought this was already well-known by eris_crow · · Score: 1
    Speaking of dread, What is it that Rastas dread? Locks? If they dread locks so much, they shouldn't get into trouble in the first place!

    You've misheard that. It's not "locks", it's "lox". Rastafarian's dread lox. They live in mortal fear of smoked salmon! This is why you never see any Rastas in Jewish delicatessens - it's all the bagels and lox that keep them away.

    But seriously, this study seems to be one of those everyone-knows-its-true-but-we-have-to-measure-it- to-call-it-science type studies.

    Of course I dread coming to work. How could I not? I come in and spend eight hours behind a computer screen in a room where

    • it's too cold, because there are 3 servers in the room with me.
    • the lights glare in my eyes when they are on.
    • its too dark when the lights are off.
    • my "window" gives me a wonderful view of the pipes and ducts of the building AC (the pipes are 1 foot away from the window).
    • I only see other people when I get leave the office to use the restroom.

    It's really a depressing place, so...yeah...it's stressful.

    Eris

  9. It affects a biofeedback easy enough. by lonemonk · · Score: 1

    The mere thought of work will automatically make a biofeedback meter begin to increase. It continues to do so until one learns to remain relaxed.
    The stress is registered before the body has even begun to react. Sure sign of a uniquely human neurosis.

    Smoke pot and live longer.

  10. I thought this was already well-known by Muad'Dave · · Score: 1

    I remember reading about this years ago. Apparently the incidence of heart attacks is greatest around 3:00am on Mondays due to the 'dread' of going to work.

    Speaking of dread, What is it that Rastas dread? Locks? If they dread locks so much, they shouldn't get into trouble in the first place!

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    1. Re:I thought this was already well-known by Muad'Dave · · Score: 1

      You've misheard that. It's not "locks", it's "lox". Rastafarian's dread lox.

      Come to think of it, it could be LOX (liquid oxygen) they dread. I've never seen a Rasta around a rocket, have you?

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      Tiller's Rule: Never use a word in written form that you've only heard and never read. You will end up looking foolish.
  11. It isn't the work I dread by Dancin_Santa · · Score: 2

    It's the waking up in time to get there. The stress levels aren't so high, but Man, dragging myself out of bed in the A.M. is just torture.

    Of course I only work one day a year, but you know where I'm coming from.

    Dancin Santa

  12. Next study by limboman · · Score: 1

    Stay tuned for the next study, "The effect of thinking about thinking about work". I'm stressed already.

  13. Wait a minute.... by Mossfoot · · Score: 1

    I work on the internet... ergo I must be thinking about work. AAUGH! I'M STRESSED!

    But seriously, while I agree that this happens, its also because we let it happen. It's all in the attitude, and if one has a job that is highly stressful (and unenjoyable) then it only stands to reason that the very thought of it will cause stress as well, dread of having to do the job. If one enjoys what they do, then the stress is easier to manage, and no doubt the thought of it won't cause nearly as much distress.

    It's such a shame that most people insist on keeping jobs that pay well, but they hate.

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  14. The Almighty Mind by Cheese_isgood · · Score: 1

    If you think about work you get stressed. If you think about food you create saliva. If you think about water you start needing to pee. But what if you aren't thinking?

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