Eine aktuelle Umfrage von ICM Research unter rund 2000 europäischen Bürokräften zeigt dramatisches: 83 Prozent kennen Kollegen im unmittelbaren Umfeld, die ihren Spaß an der Arbeit verloren haben und dafür steigenden Stress bemängeln. Und 63 Prozent der Befragten halten die Mikropolitik im Büro und den damit verbundenen Ärger (“office rage”) dafür ausschlaggebend. Schlechte Manieren, rüde Umgangsformen, kalte Führungsmethoden – das alles lässt Eifer und Elan rapide schrumpfen. Jeder Dritte ist deshalb frustriert im Job.

Aber auch die Büroarchitektur selbst trägt offenbar zur miesen Laune bei:

“60 percent of respondents felt that office layout increased stress levels, with 19 percent feeling it “significantly” increased stress. This was most startling in Spain, where 79 percent of respondents felt their office layout increased levels of stress. 41 percent office workers in Spain felt their offices lacked natural light, while 57 percent Germans think their offices have insufficient air conditioning. Printer downtime in particular was found to anger more than half of German workers (53 percent) and half of workers in Turkey.

Die britische Psychotherapeutin Lucy Beresford vom Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) gibt auch gleich ein paar simple Tipps gegen den Bürofrust:

  1. Keep a sense of your own boundaries. Know what you can achieve, and what might over-load you.
  2. Don’t be afraid to say No.
  3. Relax. Being able to take time out of the day to maybe go for a brisk walk, look around some shops, listen to your iPod, or read a novel, helps your mind to switch off from everyday concerns. Some people make a point of going to the gym or a yoga class; exercise releases the body’s endorphins (good mood substances).
  4. Don’t skip lunch. And don’t make lunch a five minute sandwich at your desk. A break in the middle of the working day (see above) helps you to switch off mentally and physically from work. And eat sensibly. Too much sugar in the diet causes mood swings, and can trigger further craving for unhealthy food.
  5. Make sure you get enough sleep.