By Esteban Parra
Gannett News Service

Workplace stress is often unavoidable, and employees are feeling more of it as shrinking staffs tackle unchanged workloads.

"Stress has become the emotional toothache of the workplace," said Frank Kenna III, president of the Marlin Co., based in North Haven, Conn., which publishes motivational and educational materials. "It leads to serious impairment that can cause big mistakes and serious injuries."

HOW TO COPE

Tips on reducing stress, from The American Institute of Stress: • Remember that stress differs for all of us. Things like bungee jumping that are distressful for some may be pleasurable for others. Similarly, no stress-reduction technique works for everyone. Jogging, meditation or yoga are great for some but can actually prove stressful when arbitrarily imposed on others. Find out what works for you. • Don't automatically assume that your headaches or other complaints are stress-related just because you have a stressful job. A physician should always be consulted if you experience new symptoms, or if past problems seem to be getting worse, because they may be due to something else that is much easier to treat in its early stages. • Finally, although stress is difficult to define, the feeling of having little control is always distressful. Anything you can do to gain more control over your daily activities will provide powerful stress reduction rewards.

The downturn in the economy has forced many American companies to cut costs and lay off millions of workers. Not only are employees stressed about possibly losing their jobs, but people who kept their jobs are doing the work of those who left, adding further stress. And as the economy slowly recovers, some companies continue to hold back on hiring more employees.

More than one-third of workers reported an increase in their personal workloads during the past six months, according to a recent online survey of 1,400 employees by CareerBuilder.com. Employees also reported staying at work longer hours, regardless of whether they arrived on time or earlier. Even lunch breaks have been affected, with about half of those surveyed reporting they spent 45 minutes or less for lunch and 35 percent taking just 30 minutes to eat.

Experts said employers should find ways to reduce pressures of the workplace. And they said employees also should find ways to limit the effects of stress before it spills over into their personal lives and begins to affect their health.

Stress overload is something executives should take seriously, experts said, because increased pressures can cost companies in the form of accidents, absenteeism and low retention of employees.

"Business leaders should be concerned because an overly stressed employee cannot perform at their best," said Marianne Carter, director of the University of Delaware's Employee Wellness Center. "Stress can sap your energy."

The physical response to stress is complex, involving various hormones that make the body react by tensing muscles and increasing the heart rate, Ms. Carter said. Some effects of stress include headaches, irritability and sleeping disorders.

The National Sleep Foundation has estimated that the direct cost of lost productivity in the American workplace is about $18 billion.

According to the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, more than half of the 550 million working days lost every year in the United States from absenteeism are stress-related, which the agency estimates costs U.S. companies an average of $602 per worker per year.

Increased absenteeism is a sign of stress that bosses can look for, said Arlene Weissman, a senior consultant for Mercer Human Resource Consulting in Philadelphia. Other signs include higher turnover, low motivation and lower production. "These are some indicators for employers that should send up red flags," she said.

Employers interested in reducing workplace stress should review benefits available to workers and remind the workers of them, Ms. Weissman said. She also recommended that bosses not approach workers by themselves. Managers can be a source of stress, so workers might not be as honest in talking about their work pressures.

When stress becomes unbearable for Robin Smith, 41, an administrative assistant in the office of the Delaware secretary of state, she says a prayer at her desk. If that doesn't work, she occasionally plays a game of "Collapse" via the Internet. Ms. Smith acknowledged that her bosses probably don't directly approve of that approach, but she said it helps her calm down.

Experts said there are numerous ways to deal with stress, including humor, meditation and exercise.

"There are lots of little ways to manage stress such as taking a walk, calling a friend to vent, listening to music, etc.," Ms. Carter said. "We always strongly recommend physical activity, which is a wonderful stress reliever - you can almost feel the stress leaving your body when you are engaging in activity."