Stress is often present in any kind of job, and although it can have some degree of effect on all levels within the organization, it is usually reasonable to experience it from time to time. However, stress that is excessive and ongoing is a whole other issue, and the worst thing that can happen is that it can seriously affect one’s physical and even mental health.
Understanding Workplace Stress
Job stress is one of the major stressors pointed out by American adults over the past few decades. In fact, feeling helpless and overwhelmed by increasing demands at work has been linked to a rise in the incidence rates of heart attack and other disorders. While it should seem easier to pinpoint through causative factors why a person acquires stress, this information may only be of little importance.
Since stress is a subjective phenomenon, it can vary greatly for individuals even in identical situations. For example, an employee juggling a lot of tasks at once may thrive well in a situation where most of us may feel overwhelmed. Meanwhile, a person with an assembly-line work may feel stressed out by the routinary nature of their job.
Although it is a highly personalized experience, stress can be easily spotted within teams and employees.
Behavioral signs. A person under stress can show significant behavioral signs, such as being easily irritable or aggressive or withdrawn or isolated. These employees may become more difficult to work with in the office and less cooperative during tasks.
Aside from that, they become more prone to accidents as they lose their focus. Physically, stressed individuals may eventually neglect their personal appearance and change their eating habits.
Physiological symptoms. Stress can cause terrible physiological effects on a person, which you may see in employees who often report sick or are just unwilling to work. This can be because of physical symptoms such as headaches, migraines, high blood pressure, stomach disorders, muscle spasms, changes in sleep patterns, and pain in the neck, back, or shoulders.
Psychological symptoms. Being under stress does not just affect one’s mood. It can also affect one’s mental health entirely, especially when it is not properly managed for a long time. One can spot anxiety, irritability, pessimism, and discouragement in a stressed employee, and these emotions may lead to depression and cognitive difficulties such as lack of concentration and poor decision-making skills.
What Employers Can Do
When certain measures are not done, stress in the workplace can lead from one problem to another. Too much pressure at work can urge an employee to retreat to unhealthy practices to cope with the stress.
Where long hours and a highly stressful job nature are present, employers should come up with programs and initiatives that highlight work-life balance among employees. Memberships in health clubs or gyms encourage employees to keep an active lifestyle.
Talking about employee concerns also helps employees decompress and unload any emotional burden they are carrying. When employees can verbalize their thoughts and engage in a healthy discussion, they are better able to understand their feelings and identify what they can do to solve their problems.
Health Is Wealth, After All
Work-related stress can take its toll on everyone, but with the right support and intervention, it is completely possible for people to get back on their feet. Work stressors should be addressed directly if employers want to see satisfaction and productivity among their workers.
