Dealing with Stress at Work
Stress which is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances is one of the biggest problem we face in the workplace. Stress at work comes in many forms, some can be mild while other times it can be major. Some of the many causes of work-related stress includes but not limited to long working hours, heavy workload at once, job insecurity and conflicts with your co-workers or bosses. Stress at work is a growing problem and many times if not dealt with can cause adverse health problems in the long term. Stress affects not only the health and well-being of employees, but also the productivity of ones organization.
Some symptoms of stress at work are listed below, if you experience these at work you are definitely have work related stress:
- Muscular tension
- Headaches
- Sleeping difficulties
- diarrhea or constipation
- Dermatological disorders.
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Discouragement
- Irritability
- Aggression
- A drop in work performance
- Problems with interpersonal relationships
- Mood swings and irritability
- Isolation.
Ways on how to deal with stress at work
- Discuss the concerns you have with your employer.
- Make sure you are well organized.
- List your tasks in order of priority.
- Schedule the most difficult tasks FIRST, such as first thing in the morning.
- If possible, do your work in small portions (avoid work overloads)
- Eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly.
- Make sure you have enough free time to yourself or spend time with close friends.
- Using Alcohol and Smoking can only temporarily ease your stress because as soon as it wears off you are back to stressing and this can also cause additional health problems. So avoid excessive drinking and smoking.
- Seek professional counseling from a psychologist if you can afford to.
In conclusion if stress at work continues to be a problem, despite doing all the above, you may need to consider another job or a career change. Although some jobs are high paying it isnt worth the risk to be stressed out while doing it. We all have options in life and although at times it may be difficult at first to bounce back from changing careers, with hard work you definitely will get back into the career you need.
