Stress at work is as bad as secondhand smoke - CNN

Stress at work is just as bad as secondhand smoke

By Elizabeth Cohen, Senior Medical Correspondent

Updated 0227 GMT (1027 HKT) September 4, 2015

Think you're being super efficient by tackling four tasks at once? Chances are you're not -- and it's only decreasing your productivity while increasing your stress.
Photos: Surprising reasons for stress
Multitasking – Think you're being super efficient by tackling four tasks at once? Chances are you're not -- and it's only decreasing your productivity while increasing your stress.
Hide Caption
1 of 15
Even reacting to stress by eating junk food or skipping your workouts can actually make your stress worse.
Photos: Surprising reasons for stress
Reacting to stress – Even reacting to stress by eating junk food or skipping your workouts can actually make your stress worse.
Hide Caption
2 of 15
Even if you have a blissfully happy relationship with your live-in partner or spouse, you're both bound to do things that get on each other's nerves.
Photos: Surprising reasons for stress
Your significant other – Even if you have a blissfully happy relationship with your live-in partner or spouse, you're both bound to do things that get on each other's nerves.
Hide Caption
3 of 15
We're told not to sweat the small stuff, but sometimes it's the little things that have the biggest impact on our mood, like the 20 minutes you lose looking for a parking space.
Photos: Surprising reasons for stress
Everyday annoyances – We're told not to sweat the small stuff, but sometimes it's the little things that have the biggest impact on our mood, like the 20 minutes you lose looking for a parking space.
Hide Caption
4 of 15
Stress can be contagious. You can also experience stress when someone you know is affected by a traumatic event, like a car crash or a chronic illness.
Photos: Surprising reasons for stress
Other people's stress – Stress can be contagious. You can also experience stress when someone you know is affected by a traumatic event, like a car crash or a chronic illness.
Hide Caption
5 of 15
Learning about stressful situations in your friends' lives through social media can add to your worries, but frequent social media use in general can be associated with negative body image and prolonged breakup pain.
Photos: Surprising reasons for stress
Social media – Learning about stressful situations in your friends' lives through social media can add to your worries, but frequent social media use in general can be associated with negative body image and prolonged breakup pain.
Hide Caption
6 of 15
When you're so busy thinking about something else that you can't enjoy what's going on around you, that kind of distraction can be a recipe for stress.
Photos: Surprising reasons for stress
Distractions – When you're so busy thinking about something else that you can't enjoy what's going on around you, that kind of distraction can be a recipe for stress.
Hide Caption
7 of 15
You may not think as much about drinking several cups of tea at once, or chowing down on a bar of dark chocolate—both of which can contain nearly as much caffeine as a cup of coffee, which is going to make stress even worse.
Photos: Surprising reasons for stress
Tea & chocolate – You may not think as much about drinking several cups of tea at once, or chowing down on a bar of dark chocolate—both of which can contain nearly as much caffeine as a cup of coffee, which is going to make stress even worse.
Hide Caption
8 of 15
If things don't go the way you expect and you get upset, rather than rolling with the punches, your stress could create a pessimistic mindset.
Photos: Surprising reasons for stress
Expectations – If things don't go the way you expect and you get upset, rather than rolling with the punches, your stress could create a pessimistic mindset.
Hide Caption
9 of 15
Watching sports can trigger the body's sympathetic nervous system, releasing adrenaline and reducing blood flow to the heart. Your body can't determine between "good" or "bad" stress.
Photos: Surprising reasons for stress
Watching your favorite sport – Watching sports can trigger the body's sympathetic nervous system, releasing adrenaline and reducing blood flow to the heart. Your body can't determine between "good" or "bad" stress.
Hide Caption
10 of 15
Spending too much time virtually socializing can make real-life interactions seem extra stressful.
Photos: Surprising reasons for stress
Digital devices – Spending too much time virtually socializing can make real-life interactions seem extra stressful.
Hide Caption
11 of 15
Even people who are in good shape worry about their bodies, diets and fitness levels.
Photos: Surprising reasons for stress
Your health – Even people who are in good shape worry about their bodies, diets and fitness levels.
Hide Caption
12 of 15
If too many of the household chores are falling on your shoulders, that's just more stress on the pile.
Photos: Surprising reasons for stress
Housework – If too many of the household chores are falling on your shoulders, that's just more stress on the pile.
Hide Caption
13 of 15
Stress can be defined as any perceived or actual threat, says Yeager, so any type of doubt that's looming over you can contribute to your anxiety levels on a daily basis.
Photos: Surprising reasons for stress
Uncertainty – Stress can be defined as any perceived or actual threat, says Yeager, so any type of doubt that's looming over you can contribute to your anxiety levels on a daily basis.
Hide Caption
14 of 15
No matter how much you love your furry friends, there's no question that they add extra responsibility to your already full plate.
Photos: Surprising reasons for stress
Your pet – No matter how much you love your furry friends, there's no question that they add extra responsibility to your already full plate.
Hide Caption
15 of 15
08 surprising stress reasons09 surprising stress reasons01 RESTRICTED surprising stress reasons02 RESTRICTED surprising stress reasons03 surprising stress reasons04 surprising stress reasons05 RESTRICTED surprising stress reasons06 surprising stress reasons07 surprising stress reasons10 surprising stress reasons11 surprising stress reasons12 surprising stress reasons13 RESTRICTED surprising stress reasons14 surprising stress reasons15 surprising stress reasons

Story highlights

  • A new study finds workplace stress is as bad as secondhand smoke
  • Long work hours increased the chances of early death by almost 20%
  • Fear of losing a job increased the odds of having poor health by about 50%

(CNN)Workplace stress isn't just annoying -- it's as bad for your health as secondhand smoke, according to a new study by researchers at Harvard Business School and Stanford University.

"When you think about how much time individuals typically spend at work, it's not that surprising," says study co-author Joel Goh, an assistant professor of business administration at Harvard Business School.
    The report compiled evidence from 228 other studies, and found that high job demands increased the odds of having an illness diagnosed by a doctor by 35%. Long work hours increased the chances of early death by almost 20%.
      By far the biggest stressor was the worry that you might soon lose your job; that increased the odds of having poor health by about 50%.
      Goh said he hopes his study will help companies think about the way they manage their employees. He said it might seem like demanding faster work or longer hours would increase productivity, but that might not be the case.
      Read More
      While employers might do their part to reduce stress, here's what the rest of us can do.
        Keep a work stress journal
        The experts at the Mayo Clinic advise writing down when you feel stressed. Was it during conversations with a particular person, for example? It may not be your job, but an individual who's causing problems, and you need to think about better ways of dealing with him or her.
        Do a reality check
        As the Harvard study showed, the biggest stressor is the worry that you might lose your job. Ask yourself if your job is really in jeopardy, or if it's just something you've concocted in your head. Asking fellow employees for their perspectives could help.
        Ask yourself, do I really like my work?
        Joanna Lipari, a psychologist in Los Angeles, has found that patients who love their work deal with stress much better than those who don't. "People who believe in what they're doing handle stress better than those who don't," she said. If you don't love your work, it might be time to think about finding work that really does make you happy.
        Think through the worst-case scenario
        Afraid you're going to lose your job? What would you do if you did? Lipari advises taking those steps now. If you think you would write a new resume or reach out to former colleagues to see if they're hiring, then do that now.
          Set limits with your boss
          If your boss wants you to work 10-hour days instead of eight-hour days, tell him or her you can't, but then go on to explain all the work you complete in your eight-hour day. "Make it about being project-oriented, not time-oriented," Lipari says.