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Does your heart rate increase when your boss asks if you've "done X yet?" Well, you're not alone. In fact, this and many other phrases can increase employees' heart rates as much as 84%!
The Knowledge Academy conducted an experiment that reveals the workplace phrases that raise employees' heart rates the most. In this gallery, not only do we list the phrases, but we also share tips on how to manage levels of anxiety at work.
Click through and see which workplace phrase makes your heart rate increase the most.
The study looked at the workplace phrases that raise employees' heart rates the most.
The Knowledge Academy asked 807 members of their staff to take part in the study.
Staff wore a heart rate tracker every working day for six weeks. During this period, senior staff were asked to say 16 common workplace phrases randomly (listed in the following slides).
The staff were not told the nature of the study, but were told they would be asked to write down their heart rates (BPM) at random times. It just so happened that those "random times" were after the phrases were said.
A typical heart rate usually ranges between 60-100 BPM. The calculations and results were based on an average heart rate of 80 BPM. Next, let's look at the phrases that increased employees' heart rates the most.
Average Recorded Heart Rate BPM: 91
Average Heart Rate Increase: 14%
Average Recorded Heart Rate BPM: 93
Average Heart Rate Increase: 16%
Average Recorded Heart Rate BPM: 96
Average Heart Rate Increase: 20%
Average Recorded Heart Rate BPM: 99
Average Heart Rate Increase: 24%
Average Recorded Heart Rate BPM: 101
Average Heart Rate Increase: 26%
Average Recorded Heart Rate BPM: 103
Average Heart Rate Increase: 29%
Average Recorded Heart Rate BPM: 105
Average Heart Rate Increase: 31%
Average Recorded Heart Rate BPM: 111
Average Heart Rate Increase: 39%
Average Recorded Heart Rate BPM: 118
Average Heart Rate Increase: 48%
Average Recorded Heart Rate BPM: 123
Average Heart Rate Increase: 54%
Average Recorded Heart Rate BPM: 127
Average Heart Rate Increase: 59%
Average Recorded Heart Rate BPM: 130
Average Heart Rate Increase: 63%
Average Recorded Heart Rate BPM: 131
Average Heart Rate Increase: 64%
Average Recorded Heart Rate BPM: 138
Average Heart Rate Increase: 73%
Average Recorded Heart Rate BPM: 143
Average Heart Rate Increase: 79%
Average Recorded Heart Rate BPM: 147
Average Heart Rate Increase: 84%
Ian Hurst, co-founder of mental health non-profit We are Hummingbird, shared a few tips on how to keep calm at work. They are as follows...
It's important to get things off your chest. Open up about your worries with a friend or a trusted colleague.
There are multiple ways you can do this, such as the 5-4-3-2-1 Coping Technique.
This can have a powerful effect when it comes to relieving feelings of anxiety. Choose one and stick to it.
Sometimes we make more sense of things when we write them down. This can really help you determine what your worry really is, and what you can and can't do about it.
Hurst notes that dealing with difficult people is usually the main cause of stress at work.
As working from home becomes more and more common, a simple request for a video call can indeed become a stressor.
Sources: (The Knowledge Academy) (The European Business Review)
See also: How and why you should separate your identity from work
Phrases that spark the most anxiety in employees
One particular phrase can raise an employee's heart rate by 84%
LIFESTYLE Work
Does your heart rate increase when your boss asks if you've "done X yet?" Well, you're not alone. In fact, this and many other phrases can increase employees' heart rates as much as 84%!
The Knowledge Academy conducted an experiment that reveals the workplace phrases that raise employees' heart rates the most. In this gallery, not only do we list the phrases, but we also share tips on how to manage levels of anxiety at work.
Click through and see which workplace phrase makes your heart rate increase the most.