Everyone who has ever held a job has, at one time or another, felt the pressure of work-related stress. Any job can have stressful elements, even if you enjoy what you do. In the short term, you may be under pressure to meet a deadline or fulfill a difficult obligation. But when work-related stress becomes chronic, it can be overwhelming and detrimental to physical and emotional health.
Unfortunately, this kind of long-term stress is all too common. In fact, the APA’s annual survey on stress in America has consistently found that work is cited as a major source of stress by a majority of Americans. It’s not always possible to avoid the tensions that arise at work. However, you can take steps to manage work-related stress.
Common sources of work-related stress
Certain factors tend to go hand in hand with work-related stress. The most common stressors in the workplace are
- low wages
- Excessive workloads
- Little opportunity for growth or advancement
- Work that is not interesting or challenging
- Lack of social support
- Lack of control over job-related decisions
- Conflicting demands or unclear performance expectations
Effects of uncontrolled stress
Work-related stress doesn’t go away when you go home for the day. When stress persists, it can damage your health and well-being.
A stressful work environment can contribute to problems such as headaches, stomach aches, trouble sleeping, lack of drive and difficulty concentrating. Chronic stress can lead to anxiety, insomnia, high blood pressure and a weakened immune system. It can also contribute to health problems such as depression, obesity and heart disease. To compound the problem, people under excessive stress often manage it in unhealthy ways, such as overeating, eating unhealthy foods, smoking cigarettes or abusing drugs and alcohol.
Taking steps to manage stress
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Keep track of your stressors.
Keep a diary for a week or two to identify the most stressful situations and how you react to them. Record your thoughts, feelings and environmental information, including the people and circumstances involved, the physical setting and how you reacted. Did you raise your voice? Did you grab a snack from the vending machine? Did you go for a walk? Taking notes can help you find patterns among your stressors and your reactions to them.
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Develop healthy responses.
Instead of trying to fight stress with fast food or alcohol, do your best to make healthy choices when you feel the tension rising. Exercise is a great way to combat stress. Yoga is an excellent choice, but any form of physical activity is beneficial. Make time for your hobbies and favorite activities too. Whether it’s reading a novel, going to a concert or playing games with your family, make sure you set aside time for the things that give you pleasure. Getting enough good-quality sleep is also important for effective stress management. Adopt healthy sleep habits by limiting your caffeine intake at the end of the day and minimizing stimulating activities, such as computer and TV use, during the night.
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Set limits.
In today’s digital world, it’s easy to feel compelled to be available 24 hours a day. Set boundaries between your work and your private life. This can mean making it a rule not to check email in the evening, or not to answer the phone during lunch. While everyone has different preferences when it comes to the degree of work-life balance, setting clear boundaries between the two areas can reduce the risk of work-life conflict and the stress that comes with it.
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Take the time to recharge your batteries.
To avoid the negative effects of chronic stress and burnout, we need time to recharge our batteries and return to our pre-stress level of functioning. This recovery process requires “disconnecting” from work by scheduling periods when you don’t participate in work-related activities and don’t think about work. That’s why it’s essential that you disconnect from time to time, in a way that suits your needs and preferences. Don’t waste your vacation days. Whenever possible, take time out to relax and unwind, so you can come back to work refreshed and ready to give your best. If you can’t take time off, give yourself a little boost by switching off your smartphone and focusing your attention on non-work activities for a while.
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Learn to relax.
Techniques such as meditation, deep breathing exercises and mindfulness (a state in which you actively observe present experiences and thoughts without judging them) can help melt away stress. Start by taking a few minutes each day to focus on a simple activity, such as breathing, walking or eating a meal. The ability to focus on a single activity without distraction will strengthen with practice, and you’ll find that you can apply it to many aspects of your life.
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Talk to your supervisor.
Employee health is linked to productivity at work. So it’s in your boss’s best interest to create a work environment that promotes employee well-being. Start by having an open conversation with your supervisor. The aim is not to draw up a list of complaints, but rather to develop an effective plan to manage the stressors you’ve identified, so that you can perform at your best at work. While some parts of the plan may be designed to help you improve your skills in areas such as time management, other elements may include identifying employer-sponsored wellness resources you can call on, clarifying what is expected of you, getting the necessary resources or support from your colleagues, enriching your work to include more challenging or meaningful tasks, or modifying your physical workspace to make it more comfortable and reduce tension.
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Get support.
Accepting help from trusted friends or family members can improve your ability to manage stress. Your employer may also make stress management resources available to you as part of an employee assistance program, including online information, available counseling and referral to mental health professionals, if needed. If you continue to feel overwhelmed by stress at work, you can consult a psychologist, who can help you better manage stress and change unhealthy behaviors.
References
American Psychological Association. (2014, July 14). Coping with stress at work. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/topics/healthy-workplaces/work-stress
