When stress at work is interfering with your ability to do your job, handle your personal life, or negatively affects your health, it is time to act. When work-related and workplace stress threatens to overwhelm you, there are simple steps you can take to take back control of yourself and your circumstances. There are various steps you can take to lower both your overall stress levels and the stress you experience at work and at work.
No matter what you do for a living, what your aspirations are, or how stressful your work is, there are a number of things you can do to lower your overall stress levels and restore your sense of control in the workplace. Whatever your work demands, there are steps you can take to safeguard against the harmful effects of stress, increase job satisfaction, and strengthen your wellbeing both on and off the job. You are probably going to face pressure at work at some point during your career, so it is important that you equip yourself with the proper tools to deal with and handle stress effectively. In addition to potentially having negative effects on your mental health, stress in the workplace may affect your work performance.
In addition to impacting employees mental health, workplace stress causes many problems for employers. According to the World Health Organization, workplace stress is especially prevalent in situations where employees are asked to do things beyond their knowledge, abilities, and ability to handle, and where they lack sufficient support from peers and supervisors to bridge this gap. Regardless of the amount of stress that the work involves, the employees tolerance of stress and coping skills may be crucial for both performance at work and personal health. Working on a stressful task for a long period will result in both job performance and personal health being affected.
They also develop a sense of mastery of their job duties, which may contribute to managing their stress levels. Give employees performing high-stress tasks assignments that differ depending on stress levels, so that they can manage their workloads through rotations in tasks. Allowing employees to work on a flexible schedule will allow them the time they need to care for people they love, which, in turn, allows them to be more present in the workplace when they are there. It might seem counterintuitive to introduce diversions to the work environment, but allowing employees to unwind throughout the day will help them manage workplace stress, as well as increase productivity and employee morale.
Stress and Shift Work Working nights, early mornings, or rotating shifts may affect sleep quality, which may, in turn, impact your productivity and work output, leaving you more susceptible to stress. Random shift changes, a rotating work schedule, all of these things contribute to stress, as workers are in constant limbo as far as the balance of work and life is concerned. Stress may stem from limited-time events, like pressure from exams or deadlines, or from constant situations, like demands from families, uncertainty about work, or lengthy commutes. Some stressors can be subtle sources of stress, such as a discomfiting work environment or a long commute.
Whether the higher or higher levels of stress are caused by heavy workloads, demanding leadership, a lack of work-life balance, the uncertainty of the economy, health concerns, or the challenges of adjusting to remote or mixed working environments, stress at work, when left untreated, can contribute to more serious mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression. Chronic work-related stress may also contribute to insomnia, elevated blood pressure, anxiety, and a compromised immune system. Having to deal with the stress of a job all the time can lead to headaches, trouble sleeping, aches in the stomach, difficulties with concentration, short temper, and much more. Employees suffering from job-related stress may result in lower productivity, lost days and higher employee turnover.
Feeling overly stressed at work will cause employees to seek less stressful, more appealing positions elsewhere. When job stress becomes chronic, it will eventually impact your mental and physical wellbeing. Long-term exposure to unmanaged stress can have devastating effects on both your body and your mental health, and recent studies have suggested that there is a potential connection between job-related burnout and depression and anxiety. About one-in-two workers at lower-paying jobs say their work has an adverse impact on their stress levels, and roughly four-in-ten at middle-paying and higher-paying jobs say the same, according to multiple sources cited by Happify Health, a New York-based company that helps employees build skills to lower their stress.
Recent studies show there is a large proportion of Americans feeling stressed in their jobs, and the proportion is only getting higher over time: A survey conducted with over 2,000 U.S. full-time workers ages 18-79 shows more than half find themselves in stressful situations at work 60% of the time. For many, the workplace stress is really about difficulty fitting in life events — like pregnancy, family deaths and illnesses, and child care — around their jobs. Uncertain roles and boundaries at work, or conflicts over them, may contribute to stress, as does having to answer to someone. Managers who are critical, demanding, unsupportive, or bullying generate stress, while the positive social aspect of work and good teamwork mitigate stress.
If a well-respected manager is able to stay calm during tense work situations, then his or her employees will find it far easier to stay calm as well. Your newfound ability to keep your cool under pressure is generally well received by colleagues, managers, and subordinates, and this can result in better relationships on the job. As you learn how to handle job stresses and improve work relationships, you will gain greater control over your ability to think clearly and behave appropriately.
A good way to significantly reduce your stress is to learn to handle work stress through prioritization and organization. Avoiding, or even mitigating, stress at work might not be an option for all employees, but there are some things workers can do to manage stress in their routines better.