Work Related Stress
Saturday, 29 May 2010 07:33 | 
Written by Mark Walters |
Working can provide our lives with structure, satisfaction and financial income, however, it can also be a cause of stress and worry. While some pressure at work is necessary to make our work fulfilling and to make us more productive, stress happens when the pressure is excessive and / or continuous and we do not have adequate recovery time. Work-related stress is one of the main causes of sick leave and research has shown that one in six people feel that their job is very or extremely stressful.
While going to work may give us income, structure, and a sense of pride, it can also cause a lot of worry and stress. We all need some pressure in our working lives, as it makes our work satisfying and helps us to meet deadlines, but too much pressure, without the chance to recover, causes stress. The primary cause of employee exercised sick leave is often work-related stress. In fact, studies have demonstrated that as many as one in six individuals indicated their jobs were exceedingly stressful.
Although work-related stress can be triggered by sudden, unexpected pressures, it is often the consequence of a combination of stressful factors that build up over time. There are a number of factors that can make you feel stressed at work, including poor working conditions, long working hours, relationships with colleagues, lack of job security, mismatch between the requirements of the job and your own capabilities and needs, too much or too little responsibility.
Work-related stress is responsible for both physical and psychological health problems. Physical symptoms can include headaches, backache, tiredness, sleep problems, digestive problems and sweating. You may become disinterested in sex, lack motivation, have difficulty concentrating, feel overwhelmed, irritable, experience mood swings and shifts in emotionality, as well as difficulty eating or eating too much. All of these can indicate work-related stress.
You cannot just eliminate stress from work completely. You must learn to cope with your work-related stress appropriately and properly. If you are going to have a job, you will have stress. If you are trying to learn to deal with stress on the job, consider these three strategies...
- Learning to change how you react to a stressful event
- Reducing the way stress affects our body
- Changing the way we cope with stress
If you cannot get your work-related stress alone, then you will need to see a professional, who may be able to find individualized methods for you to cope. Seeing a specialist is not a sign of weakness or an admission of defeat; it merely indicates that you realize that you have a situation that you want to improve. Your physician should be able to determine the physical symptoms of stress that you are experiencing, help you identify the specific cause of your work-related stress, advise you about some relaxation exercises, and recommend a counselor if necessary.
If you believe your stress at work is being caused by someone harassing or bullying you, you will need to report this to your personnel or human resources department. You should not have to be the victim on the job. That is not a good situation. Most companies have policies outlining appropriate behavior, which specify the measures to take in these situations. These policies restrict the treatment of their employees and demand that everyone be respected. Remember that the law is on your side so even if your manager does not take action then you can take it without their permission.
While going to work may give us income, structure, and a sense of pride, it can also cause a lot of worry and stress. We all need some pressure in our working lives, as it makes our work satisfying and helps us to meet deadlines, but too much pressure, without the chance to recover, causes stress. The primary cause of employee exercised sick leave is often work-related stress. In fact, studies have demonstrated that as many as one in six individuals indicated their jobs were exceedingly stressful.
Although work-related stress can be triggered by sudden, unexpected pressures, it is often the consequence of a combination of stressful factors that build up over time. There are a number of factors that can make you feel stressed at work, including poor working conditions, long working hours, relationships with colleagues, lack of job security, mismatch between the requirements of the job and your own capabilities and needs, too much or too little responsibility.
Work-related stress is responsible for both physical and psychological health problems. Physical symptoms can include headaches, backache, tiredness, sleep problems, digestive problems and sweating. You may become disinterested in sex, lack motivation, have difficulty concentrating, feel overwhelmed, irritable, experience mood swings and shifts in emotionality, as well as difficulty eating or eating too much. All of these can indicate work-related stress.
You cannot just eliminate stress from work completely. You must learn to cope with your work-related stress appropriately and properly. If you are going to have a job, you will have stress. If you are trying to learn to deal with stress on the job, consider these three strategies...
- Learning to change how you react to a stressful event
- Reducing the way stress affects our body
- Changing the way we cope with stress
If you cannot get your work-related stress alone, then you will need to see a professional, who may be able to find individualized methods for you to cope. Seeing a specialist is not a sign of weakness or an admission of defeat; it merely indicates that you realize that you have a situation that you want to improve. Your physician should be able to determine the physical symptoms of stress that you are experiencing, help you identify the specific cause of your work-related stress, advise you about some relaxation exercises, and recommend a counselor if necessary.
If you believe your stress at work is being caused by someone harassing or bullying you, you will need to report this to your personnel or human resources department. You should not have to be the victim on the job. That is not a good situation. Most companies have policies outlining appropriate behavior, which specify the measures to take in these situations. These policies restrict the treatment of their employees and demand that everyone be respected. Remember that the law is on your side so even if your manager does not take action then you can take it without their permission.
