Today we’re going to create and embrace the human being’s most desired state … a mind at Peace. Our subject is the opposite state of being we’re all quite familiar with … Stress. We know what it means to be stressed. Looking into April commemorations, we begin by examining ‘stress awareness’ to see if we can lift it off of our shoulders. Here’s how AI describes it:
“April is Stress Awareness Month, recognized annually since 1992 to raise awareness about the causes and cures of our modern stress epidemic. It focuses on recognizing symptoms—such as fatigue, irritability, and physical aches—and adopting healthy coping mechanisms like exercise, proper sleep, and counseling to manage, rather than eliminate, daily stressors.”
Stress is a very broad subject. When we look for what causes stress, we can easily come up with lots of causes… everything from poor health to not enough money to a storm on the horizon to the freeway traffic to the global ‘news’ threatening nuclear war. Basically, stress is triggered by fear thoughts and fear messages. Nowadays we’re inundated with negative news. One solution can be to turn off the news reporter. Sometimes that’s the best choice.
Stress at Work = No Injuries
The stress-free environment in an AMS warehouse has to be safe, with no threat of injuries to our associates. AMS has operated for years with a strong focus upon safety in our warehouses and offices, and because of our training and precautions we very rarely see injuries.
Some of our associates have to lift heavy objects from time to time. Our associates tasked with that job, are specifically trained in how to lift a heavy object without musculoskeletal strain of the back, shoulder and neck. Safety is #1.
Our walkways in the warehouse are closely monitored to avoid slips, trips and falls due to spills or clutter. We also give new associates extensive training on avoiding injuries caused by forklifts, conveyors and other industrial equipment. At the AMS warehouses there will be no items falling from high shelving due to poorly stacked pallets. Not at AMS.
In other words, we care about our associates, and we absolutely take every step we can take to make sure they don’t have to deal with work-related stress. In fact, we hope that their time and duties at work serve to relieve stress. And finally, we hope the traffic, in the drive to and from work, just moves right along… no worries, just a comfortable flow.
AMS Benefits
We are told that exercise triggers a happy feeling due to endorphins, and we’re encouraged to utilize natural supplements and essential oils. Other recommendations in dealing with stress include deep breathing and soothing music. These things help, and at AMS we encourage healthy living. And… we go the extra step to make sure there is more help available if needed.
AMS has a free Employee Assistance Program (EAP). This program gives every associate and their entire household access to licensed mental health professionals 24/7. This is such a valuable benefit and we know that benefits really matter. Employees want to stay in good health and have access to what they need, and we want this for them. The EAP provides access to a therapist, and a phone number that gets answered day and night.
Symptoms of Stress
Let’s look at what the Internet tells us are the symptoms of Stress: headaches, rapid heart rate, anxiety, and trouble sleeping. We can add to that our ‘fear’ thoughts.
The first method of relieving stress has to be 100% common sense… let go of situations you cannot control. We mentioned everything from poor health to not enough money to the storm on the horizon to the traffic to the global ‘news’ threatening war. We can’t control the weather, so storms will come and go and we’ll make it through. We also can’t control the global ‘news’ threatening war.
Here is what AI says are commonly recommended stress management tips:
“Manage What You Can: 1) Let go of situations you cannot control. 2) Practice Self-Care: Focus on the “Big Three” — regular exercise (walking/swimming), nutritious diet, and proper sleep. 3) Connect: Discuss problems with friends, family, or a professional counselor. 4) Relaxation Techniques: Utilize techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, or yoga to calm the mind.”
We wholeheartedly agree with these suggestions. Self-care matters a lot and we encourage utilizing the meditation and breathing methods of calming the mind. We also encourage use of the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to help out if the stress gets to be a burden. And, if the stress creates the need to take time off work, we encourage our associates to request paid time off (PTO).
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Please feel free to visit amsfulfillment.com and learn more about us. We’ve been doing eCommerce fulfillment for more than twenty years and we are a highly respected third-party fulfillment service (3PL) with many satisfied and successful clients.
