The Second Most Stressful Job?

According to CareerCast.com, an online database of jobs in the U.S. and Canada, job-related stress is on the rise. The company fielded a survey to determine which are the most (and least) stressful jobs of 2011.

The second most stressful job (after commercial airliner pilot)? PR officer.

I was surprised! It’s hard to think of any job that isn’t stressful these days … what with the need to produce more, faster and with fewer resources in order to keep both your clients and your management happy. But virtually all human beings — including PR practitioners — are born with the power to convert bad stress to good stress.

When the brain perceives stress — whether it’s physical or psychological — it directs the release of cortisol, epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine into the body. Your heart beats faster, blood pressure and blood sugar levels increase. Your senses become more acute and you have more energy.

Chronic bad stress is corrosive. It can be a factor in developing hypertension, cardiac disease and depression, among other conditions. But positive stress (also referred to as eustress) stimulates us, enabling us to perform tasks more efficiently. It can even help improve memory. Some examples of good stress include making a presentation, working out at the gym, getting a promotion or watching a scary movie.

According to Hans Selye, a pioneer in the study of stress, “Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one.”

It’s all about exploring potential gains. How can I turn a bad situation into an advantage? What’s the silver lining in this cloud? As public relations professionals, we have all the analytical, intellectual and creative skills necessary to find and unleash potential opportunities in a stressful situation. We do it for our clients all the time, and we love it! Positive pressure often keeps us in the job!. We just have to get better at managing stress for ourselves!

1. Commercial airline pilot
2. PR officer
3. Corporate executive
4. Photojournalist
5. Newscaster
6. Advertising account executive
7. Architect
8. Stockbroker
9. Emergency medical technician
10. Real estate agent