Work Stress
Work stress is an extremely common phenomenon and is on the verge of becoming one of the top issues faced by modern day civilization. Nearly all professions, from cashier to doctor to businessman, have been targeted by this disorder.
Work stress is a result of extensive work that leads to a negative effect on a person’s body and mind. The term, “I perform better under pressure” is quickly wearing out. It is true, however, that people initially perform better under certain pressures, but after a while the person’s body and mind starts showing signs of strain, which eventually leads to poor performance in the workplace and can also result in debilitating effects for the individual. Therefore, it is important to understand and identify the problem as soon as it begins.
Every person handles work stress differently, and thus the symptoms vary from person to person. As a result, it is critical to not neglect the symptoms of one person while another’s are being treated. Any hint of work stress should be looked into immediately and handled on a case-by-case basis. Remember that what worked for one individual may not work for another.
Some common symptoms of work stress are:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Loss of concentration
- Substance abuse
- Increased frustration and anger
- Physical illness such as stomach problems, heart disease, migraine, head and back pain.
There are a wide variety of situations that can lead to work stress. Again, the cause will be different from person to person. It all depends on how an individual handles a particular situation.
Some common causes of work stress are:
High performance demand
The need to excel puts many people in a stressful situation. Increased workload, longer work hours, and pressure to perform in order to attain peak production levels can leave many employees feeling physically as well as emotionally drained. In addition to this, longer work hours and increased time away from home can result in unnecessary family problems arising.
Job insecurity
Organizations are forever in a state of change and transformation as a result of powerful economic alterations and pressures. Mergers, takeovers, reorganizations, downsizing and other such changes play a powerful role as stressors for employees. Companies need to do this in order to stay competitive and survive in their market. The stress on the employees is an unfortunate side effect of this phenomenon.
Technology
Many times, work stress arises due to an inability to deal with the ongoing changes in technology. Computers, the Internet, pagers, cell phones, and fax machines are always progressing and every employee is expected to keep up with relevant changes so the technology is familiar. There are increased expectations for higher efficiency, speed, and performance as a result of using new technology.
Workplace culture
This often occurs when someone is first starting a new job. It can be stressful adjusting to the many regulations and codes of conduct concerning communication, dress code, chain of command and other rules of the organization. If an employee is unable to adjust properly, this can lead to conflicts with co-workers and bosses, which will ultimately lead to increased work stress.
Personal problems
People who are experiencing personal or family problems have a tendency to carry their anxiety and fears to their job. The individual is often unable to devote enough attention and concentration towards their work. The result is a decrease in performance, which can lead to problems with job security.
Even though work stress can be divided up into separate categories, it is rare to find someone suffering from only one of them. In most cases the sufferer is dealing with several, or even all, of the work stress categories, which compound the amount of stress incurred and makes it more difficult to manage.
It is important to recognize, and deal with, each work stress category separately. The solution for relieving work stress in one area will not always work in another.
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