According to the Associated Press, roads and planes aren’t the only venues for releases of rage these days. Long hours and an increase in workplace stress are giving rise to a phenomenon known as "desk rage," according to a recent study by Integra Realty Resources Inc.

Ten percent of those surveyed said they’ve witnessed physical violence in their workplaces and 42 percent reported yelling and other verbal abuse where they work. Another 23 percent said stress in the office has reduced them to tears.

Sean Hutchinson, director of New York-based Integra, a real estate advisory firm, said desk rage is spurred by overcrowded, dismal and unsafe offices, unrealistic deadlines, the replacement of offices with cubicles, ill-mannered co-workers and excessive workloads.

Of the 1,305-working adults surveyed, 62 percent complained of workplace-related back or neck pain and 38 percent said their hands hurt by the end of the day. To alleviate the mental and physical toll of office work, 28 percent of the respondents suggested telecommuting.

Other recommendations included: taking more breaks throughout the day, drinking less coffee, having a good daily laugh and improving surroundings with plants and better lighting.

Transforming tomorrow

In the midst of your hectic life, here is a short list of things learned from children that you should know in dealing with your todays and transforming your tomorrows: Smile and relax for a minute.

1. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way.
2. Legos will pass through the digestive tract of a four-year-old. Duplos will not.
3. ‘Play dough’ and ‘microwave’ should never be used in the same sentence. SuperGlue is forever.
4. The WWF can teach us many things we don’t want to know.
5. No matter how much Jello you put in a swimming pool, you still can’t walk on water.
6. Pool filters do not like Jello.
7. Garbage bags do not make good parachutes
8. Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving.
9. You probably don’t want to know what that odor is.
10. Always look in the oven before you turn it on.
11. Plastic toys do not like ovens
12. The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms dizzy. It does, however, make cats dizzy.
13. Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.
14. Quiet does not necessarily mean ‘don’t worry.’
15. The fire department in San Diego has at least a five-minute response time.

Published: March 28, 2001

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Kathy Lamancusa is a trend strategis, professional speaker and author who tracks the forces that impact our lives. Over 1.6 million copies of Kathy's books are in print, and she has appeared on numerous television and radio shows including Oprah! She is a public speaker who can offer organizations entertaining and enlightening peeks into what is coming and what is shaping change so that they can better reach their own customer bases.