Psyche Stress is extremely contagious to our fellow human beings

Why not take stress home?

For many people, stress is part of everyday life. Appointments, anger, pressure to work, overtime, constant accessibility and private conflicts are just a few common triggers that many know only too well. If someone has stress at work, it can affect the relationship and health of their partner, as Australian scientists recently found in a study. A better work-life balance (work-life balance) could reduce this risk of infection.

The research team led by Professor Paula Brough of Griffith University, Australia, has shown in his study that work-related stress can be transmitted to the life partner at home. Brough has been doing research for over 20 years to improve the mental health of workers. In the study, about half of the participants reported significant stress effects on their relationship. These findings are based on a major study on workplace bullying and have recently been published in the journal "Australian Journal of Psychology".

Stress in the workplace is not only a great psychological burden for one, but can also be transferred to the life partner. (Image: Kaspars Grinvalds / fotolia.com)

Stress at work strains the relationship

"In our study, we were able to find that stress transmission really takes place and the relationship suffers," says Professor Brough in a press release on the study findings. It is irrelevant whether the couples already have children or not. Apparently, there is a phenomenon of "stress transmission" in which partners of stressed people also feel more stress, even though they are not directly exposed to it.

Stress triggers are often at work

"Stress can be the work environment, superiors or employees," says Brough. It happens again and again that the stress of a colleague also has a negative effect on his environment. Brough says there are a lot of stressors coming from outside the work environment, but the factor "work" seems to have the most influence on the health of life partners. "This results in a negative impact on health and a weakening of overall wellbeing," explains Brough.

Importance of work-life balance

The researchers propose clear rules for the relationship between working time and leisure time, commonly referred to as work-life balance. This should ensure that work does not make mentally ill. "Good employers recognize the importance of helping their employees transition between different stages of life," explains the expert. This could, for example, be the case with the birth of a child or the care of a sick relative.

Health effects of stress

Permanent negative stress is associated with a variety of health risks. Constant stress overload, for example, can lead to stomach problems, bowel problems, back pain, high blood pressure and heart disease. Recently, another study showed how stress hurts our body. And stress leads to inflammation even without germs, so the result of another work.

Targeted reduction of stress

There are many ways to counteract everyday stress. Well-proven methods of stress reduction are autogenic training and progressive muscle relaxation. Also Far Eastern relaxation methods in the form of yoga, Qigong, Tai Chi or meditation show success in reducing stress. In naturopathy, an "anti-stress cure" with Schüßler salts is often used, in particular, the salt number five (potassium phosphoricum) is used. (Vb)