The stress connected to your work place can be caused by numerous events. For example, a person can feel under a big pressure if the demands of the company (the number of hours, responsibilities, etc.) are higher than the person’s resources.
Other sources of this type of stress include conflicts with the colleagues or the bosses, frequent changes, or threats concerning the security of the job, like some personal cuts off. But what for a person may seem to be a great source of stress, for another could constitute a challenge. It all depends on the job, the psychological features one has, but also on other factors, such as health, be it physical health or mental one.
A series of symptoms of this type of stress could include:
- Depression;
- Anxiety;
- The feeling of overwhelming and incapability to resist;
- A decrease of professional performances;
- An increase of the amount of days in which you are sick, or are not feeling good, or miss work;
- Sleep problems (insomnia);
- Cognitive difficulties (the reduction of the communication abilities or decision taking);
- Tiredness;
- Headaches;
- Palpitations;
- Gastro-intestinal problems;
- An aggression increase.
The possible consequences of stress at the work place should not be ignored:
- A productivity decrease;
- The increase of the risk of having an accident at the work place;
- The deterioration of personal relationships;
- A higher risk of suffering from health
problems (a cardiovascular disease, digestive problems, cervical pain, etc.).
There are a series of factors that can cause this type of stress:
- The prolongation of the working schedule;
- Changes that occur inside the organization;
- Deadlines;
- Boring work;
- Incompatibility with the work place;
- Harassment and discrimination at the work place;
- The lack of promotion opportunities.
A person who suffers from this type of stress can help herself in many ways, such as:
- Talk about your concerns with your employers or the human resources department.
- Make sure that you are well organized. Make a priority list and schedule the most difficult tasks in that period of the day in which you know that you work at your highest capacity.
- Take care of yourself. Eat healthy, exercise, relax, and make sure that you have some time just for yourself in every week.
- Talk with your loved ones; ask for their advice and for suggestions.
- Avoid smoking too much, drinking too much alcohol or coffee because all these can give you some serious health problems.
- Ask the advice of a specialized psychologist.
- If this type of stress continues to be a problem, despite all your efforts, maybe this might be a good time to think about changing your job or even your career.
There are solutions available for all of us. In order not to allow work to lead us to depression or exhaustion, both the individuals and the companies can develop efficient strategies. In this manner, stress may become the ally we all need.
