Do you feel anxious and stressed with your job or work? Then you are not alone!
Workplace stress has steadily increased over a couple of decades and has produced many health consequences. Health issues from work stress could be anything ranging from benign to potentially serious issues. Some of you might suffer from more frequent cold attacks, while others might suffer from heart issues and metabolic syndrome.
Stress at work is a common phenomenon and cannot be neglected. Also, finding a job or a workplace that is less strenuous is quite tricky. A more realistic approach is managing stress in the workplace. Read the blog until the end to learn about quick tips.
Common Causes of Workplace Stress
Stress is your body’s natural response to what your mind thinks is challenging. It is persistent and something you feel from time to time. Moreover, it can be anything from your relationships to work, home responsibilities, and other events.
Workplace stress factors include:
- Burdening yourself with responsibilities beyond your job role
- Too many of responsibilities
- Experiencing frequent workload
- Witnessing strenuous situations with project timelines
- Experiencing discrimination or harassment at the workplace
How To Know Whether You Are Suffering from Burnout Following Workplace Stress?
Stress is not just your emotional response but has long-term physical consequences. Some of the triggers of stress causing your burnout are -
- Chronic pain
- Digestive troubles
- Decreased libido
- Frequent headaches
- Recurring illnesses
- Increased sleep
- Change in your appetite
Dealing with Stress at the Workplace
Managing stress in the workplace cannot be nullified. However, adopting a comprehensive approach to reducing workplace stress involves active cooperation between employees and employers.
As an employee, here are some potential tools you can adopt for managing stress in the workplace:
1. Mindfulness
Engage yourself in activities that alleviate the peace of mind. Indulging in meditation and yoga could be a better option for improving your overall well-being.
2. Therapy
Consult a trained mental healthcare professional to learn effective ways of coping with your regular stress.
3. Movements
Any type of physical movement or exercise is beneficial in dealing with stress at work.
4. Connection
If you need more support, contact your manager and support staff. You may have employee resource groups in your organisation to help you out.
As an employer, you can contribute with:
5. Prioritising a Healthy Workplace
Establishing well-being programs for your employees is one of the practical initiatives for employers to promote a healthy work culture. You can foster peer support networks to help employees deal with personal and professional stress.
6. Encouraging Work-Life Balance
Effective time management is a great way to encourage employees to achieve their work-life balance goals. It is, in fact, a cornerstone for boosting your organisation’s productivity. Encourage your employees to strictly adhere to the working time and close their work and its discussion post-working hours. Also, encourage them to balance their off hours promptly and enjoy quality time with their families and friends.
7. Effective and Open Communication
Encourage your team members to have open-ended communications to balance their personal and professional lives. Regular feedback sessions and workload evaluations can be beneficial in managing your workplace stress.
8. Plan Well-being Workshops
As an employer, the well-being of your employees should be your top priority. You can boost their morale by planning well-being workshops for them. Time management, emotional intelligence, and the power of resilience could be some topics to cover.
Takeaway
Workplace stress has become standard due to the vast market competition and increasing business demands. It is no surprise that you are compromising on your health and triggering burnout situations. Also, the attrition rate has gone up because of workplace stress. Changing jobs and switching careers is one of many options. Being mindful at the workplace and with your daily activities is essential. When your workplace stress starts mounting, take a step back and understand the cause of stress at the workplace to manage it effectively. Have healthy discussions if required!