Coaches Corner

Eliminating Stress From Your Environment

If your living and working environments are badly organized then they can be a major source of stress. If your environment is well organized and pleasant then it can help to reduce stress and increase productivity. Remember, while it may be important for people under stress to have a calm environment, others may enjoy the raised levels of arousal associated with the 'buzz' of a busy office.

While the points listed may each contribute only in a small way to creating a more pleasant environment, taken together they can have a significant effect in reducing stress.

This section explains how you can reduce stress in your environment by improving:

• Air Quality
• Lighting
• Decoration and Tidiness
• Noise
• Furniture and Ergonomics
• Personal Space
• Exercise

This month I will talk about the first three factors.

Air Quality

Poor air quality can make life unpleasant. The following factors can contribute to the problem:

• Smoking
• Air conditioning
• Heating
• Ionization by electrical equipment
• Overcrowding
• Pollution
• Solvents in carpets and furniture
• Excess humidity or dryness

You can do a number of things to improve air quality and reduce the stress caused by it:

• Ban smoking
• Open windows
• Use an ionizer. This helps to freshen the air by eliminating positive ions created by electric motors powering computer fans
• Use dehumidifiers where humidity is a problem
• Introduce plants where the air is too dry. Evaporation of water from the plant pots or from the plants themselves will help to raise humidity. Plants also raise the amount of oxygen in the air and reduce stuffiness

Lighting

Bad lighting can cause eye strain and increase fatigue as can light that is too bright or light that shines directly into your eyes. Fluorescent lighting can also be tiring.

Few will realize that the quality of light may also be important. Most people are happiest in bright sunshine - this may cause release of chemicals in the body that bring a feeling of emotional well-being. Artificial light, which typically comprises only a few wavelengths of light, does not seem to have the same effect on mood compared to sunlight.

Try experimenting with working by a window or using full spectrum bulbs in your desk lamp. You will probably find that this improves the quality of your working environment.

Decoration and Tidiness

If your environment at work or home is dirty, uncomfortable or neglected, then this can cause stress. Similarly, if your living or working area is untidy and chaotic, then this can be distracting.

It is important, however, not to be dogmatic about tidiness: while it is very difficult to successfully co-ordinate many tasks in an untidy work area, it is perfectly possible to work on one task successfully. The recent trend of 'clear desk' thinking arrogantly ignores one of the most important lessons about human beings: that people work in different ways.

Next month I will conclude this Coaches Corner with the remaining four factors in the list.

If you have a subject that you would like covered or comments, please e-mail me at gord@scarboroughfencing.on.ca

"All For One And One For All"

Gordon Fong, Head Coach
Scarborough Fencing Club