Stress On the Job | Symptoms, Causes and Treatment of Stress

It’s not uncommon for people to experience work-induced fatigue. If not properly taken care of, work-related stress can affect your performance at work and your overall wellbeing. Dr. Bih Tambi, founder of Bellevue Psychiatric Urgent Care in Jacksonville Florida, has been helping people overcome the effects of work stress and are recognized as one of the leading psychiatrists in Florida.

Dissecting the root cause of work stress and its effect on employees is very important. About 94% of US workers reported facing stress at work, according to 2019 research. This means that only 6% are working at full capacity while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Stress not only affects the employee, but the productivity level of the entire organization is also at risk. If one or more employees do not feel motivated to do the job or are physically incapable, this causes a lag in the processes which could affect the overall efficiency of the company. Therefore, employers need to be mindful that the work environment is not inducing stress into the lives of its employees.

Causes of workplace stress

So many factors might lead to workplace stress, a few of the common ones are;

1. Long work hours: Staying too long at work can cause stress because as humans, our bodies naturally require rest to function optimally.
2. Too much workload: Even though it is necessary to get your work done and on time too, excess work can cause you to feel tired.
3. Difficult Boss: Being micromanaged or working under extremely toxic conditions can cause stress. An unpleasant boss makes you tired even before you start the job.
4. Short deadlines: Tight deadlines will have you overwork yourself to meet up. This can also induce stress.

Other common factors at work that lead to stress are:

• Boring job
• Insufficient staff
• Low pay
• Lack of necessary equipment
• Lack of organizational structure

Symptoms of work-related stress

Stress at work affects all areas of our life and the symptoms can be physical or even psychological. If you think you might be experiencing work stress, here are some things to look out for.

Physical

• Muscle pains
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Fastpaced heartbeats
• Insomnia
• Diarrhea

 Psychological

• Sadness
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Forgetfulness
• Irritability

Effects of work stress

Stress not only affects your overall well-being but every aspect of your life. Slowly it begins to affect your behavior and how you relate with others.

1. Bad work performance: When you are stressed, you become less motivated to work. This could affect your general performance at work, causing you to relax and underperform. It won’t be long before it becomes noticeable to your coworkers and employer, this is why it is important to deal with stress heads on.
2. Aggressive behavior: Stress tends to make you snap at people around you. You might snap at your boss especially when a new project is given to you. Aggression makes you less approachable at work and could even lead to you losing your job.
3. Absence from work: You might witness a lot more sick days, causing you to be absent from work more frequently.
4. Isolation: Depression induced by stress can cause you to be isolated and less friendly. This might affect your relationships with your loved ones and colleagues.

Overcoming work-related stress

If you notice that you might have stress caused by factors surrounding your current job, you should try to do the following;

• Reorganize your work schedule: See if you can adjust your work routine, spend lesser hours working, reduce multitasking and focus on your primary role. Try not to have too many projects on your plate that could leave you feeling exhausted.
• Talk to your boss or employer: Usually, stress is passed down from management to you. Talk to your direct boss about how their behavior might be affecting your performance and health. You can also talk to human resources if our boss is uncooperative or refuses to listen to you.
• Eat Healthily: Eat good food and drink a lot of water. This can help build a strong immune system to fight stress and reduce the number of sick days.
• Consider exercise and yoga: Exercising makes us feel good about ourselves, it eases stress hormones and replaces them with good energy. You can also decide to do some meditative activity like yoga.
• Avoid excessive alcohol and drug abuse: Stress and depression have the likelihood of making people fall back on drinking alcohol and taking drugs to feel better. It only worsens the situation and therefore should be avoided.
• Seek support: Rely on friends and family to help you through this tough time. Talk to them about how you feel to ensure that someone has your back.
• Seek medical help: Talk to a doctor for professional help.