Statewide Iowa — While many Iowans have a big stretch of time off during the holidays, all sorts of people will be working every single day, whether it’s firefighters and police officers, hospital staffers, retail and restaurant workers, or journalists.
Stress levels can be particularly high now for those folks, according to Steve Courtright, a professor of management and entrepreneurship at the University of Iowa, who studies stress at work. He says all of us are fighting the clock.
Research finds the typical person’s stress levels bound 30 to 40-percent during this time of year. Many of us see potentially stressful situations as either threats or opportunities, and Courtright suggests rethinking our points of view.
No matter how bad off things may be, someone else is always in worse shape, and Courtright says it may be helpful to shift our perspective, seek out someone who needs a hand and offer it.
Volunteerism can also be an excellent form of changing one’s perspective and disposition. While stress may be weighing heavily during the holidays, there’s also plenty of positive emotions, he says, feelings of love and connection. Courtright says not to focus on the negatives, but rather the things that bring you joy.
