Some jobs are more stressful than others. Who hasn’t
sympathised with health and care workers during the pandemic? But whatever your
job, you can experience work-related stress.
In short bursts, stress can help you stay alert and perform
at your best. But once stress becomes ongoing or excessive, your mental health
can suffer.
So too, can organisational performance. Workplace stress can
lead to reduced productivity and job satisfaction and increased absenteeism,
accidents and staff turnover.
You may start to feel excessively stressed if you:
- work long hours, work through breaks or take work home
- have low control over how you do your work
- don’t receive enough support from managers and/or co-workers
- are poorly managed, subject to bullying or discrimination, or have poor relationships with colleagues or bosses
- have job insecurity.
Signs of work-related stress
According to Beyond Blue, prolonged or excessive stress
contributes to the development of anxiety and depression, or may cause an
existing condition to worsen.
Would you know if you were stressed? Look out for the
following signs:
- physical signs such as chest
pain, fatigue, high blood pressure, headaches, nausea, muscle pains, appetite
changes, sleeping problems, and slow reactions
- non-physical signs, such as
difficulty making decisions, forgetfulness, irritability, excessive worrying,
feelings of worthlessness, anxiety, defensiveness, anger, mood swings, and
social withdrawal.
What you can do
Identifying what is contributing to your stress can help you
find the right strategies to manage it.
Talk over your concerns with your employer or human
resources manager and think about the changes you need to make. Some you will
be able to manage yourself; others will need cooperation from workmates or your
boss. Other things that may be helpful:
- Learn to identify your triggers.
Once you know what these are, you can aim to avoid them or calm yourself down
beforehand. These might include late nights, deadlines, seeing particular
people, or hunger.
- Establish routines. Predictable
rhythms and routines can be calming and reassuring. These can include regular
times for exercise and relaxation. Exercise can reduce the level of your stress
hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, as well as stimulate endorphins,
which are natural mood elevators.
- Spend time with friends and
family. Don’t take out your stress on loved ones, instead, tell them about your
work problems and ask for their support.
- Seek help from a psychologist or counsellor.