work stress

There's always going to be a certain level of stress at a job and there are plenty of reasons why people consider their jobs stressful: low pay, instability, office politics, and not being challenged. Even if your job has these certain stress factors, do you think it qualifies as one of America's most stressful jobs? Here's a roundup of CNBC's top 10 most stressful jobs in America:

1. Enlisted Military Solider: Makes about $35,580 a year.
2. Firefighter: Makes about $45,250 a year.
3. Airline Pilot: Makes about $103,210 a year.
4. Military General: Makes about $196,300 a year.
5. Police Officer: Makes about $53,540 a year.
6. Event Coordinator: Makes about $45,260 a year.
7. Public Relations Executive: Makes about $91,810 a year.
8. Senior Corporate Executive: Makes about $165,830 a year.
9. Photojournalist: Makes about $40,000 a year.
10. Taxi Driver: Makes about $22,440 a year.

You might scratch your head at some of the occupations listed, because being an event coordinator or senior corporate executive sounds like the type of job people would dream to have. However, the grass is always greener on the other side, and there are plenty of downsides. For example, event coordinators have to deal with the pressures of bridezillas and other perfectionists, and corporate executives are responsible for the conduct and activities of a big group of people. Do you have a stressful job?

If the daily grind is getting to you, slacking off (even though it might sound counterproductive) will reduce the stress from work, according to a study by the Journal of Applied Psychology. That means that if problems are popping up at work, sleeping on it or avoiding the issue would be beneficial for your mental health. The researchers say that "disengaging from stressful roles temporarily, may actually help."

Personally, the longer I put things off, the more stress I feel. That's because I put more pressure on myself to mentally remind myself to do certain tasks and I'm constantly fearful of forgetting. The to-dos linger in my mind as I'm dozing off to sleep, which is why I find that penning a do-not-do list is extremely handy!

Stress is no good for the immune system and can make you vulnerable to upper respiratory viruses, aka the common cold. One common source of stress is work, and a new study found that men were more likely to catch colds while dealing with workplace stress than their female coworkers.

The study followed 1,241 workers after assessing their stress levels based on demands of the job, job control, and social support. The men who reported stress at the beginning of the study were much more likely to report colds than women. There was no "significant association" between women's stress levels and their developing colds. A couple of months ago we learned that women tend to be more resilient than men after traumatic injury, which scientists believe is a product of evolution. Not sure if that is the answer here, but is this your experience? Do you see a correlation between work stress and colds in the men in your life?

I can't exactly unwind with a bubble bath at work, so when I'm feeling a little stressed at my desk, I like to take a few minutes to listen to some music or take a few deep breaths. My friends recommend taking a quick moment to watch some hilarious YouTube clips, and they will often share them with me. I admit, there's nothing like a laugh to relieve my stress. Do you have any savvy ways of preventing yourself from feeling overwhelmed on the job?