JOB STRESS
Stress at work is a relatively
new phenomenon of modern lifestyles. The nature of work has gone through
drastic changes over the last century and it is still changing at whirlwind
speed. They have touched almost all professions, starting from an artist to a
surgeon, or a commercial pilot to a sales executive. With change comes stress,
inevitably. Professional stress or job stress poses a threat to physical
health. Work related stress in the life of organized workers, consequently,
affects the health of organizations.
What's It?
Job stress is a chronic disease
caused by conditions in the workplace that negatively affect an individual's
performance and/or overall well-being of his body and mind. One or more of a
host of physical and mental illnesses manifests job stress. In some cases, job
stress can be disabling. In chronic cases a psychiatric consultation is usually
required to validate the reason and degree of work related stress.
Working on a project on stress at
work, Andy Ellis, Ruskin
College Oxford , UK
The signs of job stress vary from
person to person, depending on the particular situation, how long the individual
has been subjected to the stressors, and the intensity of the stress itself.
Typical symptoms of job stress can be:
• Insomnia
• Loss of mental concentration,
• Anxiety, stress
• Absenteeism
• Depression,
• Substance abuse,
• Extreme anger and frustration,
• Family conflict
• Physical illnesses such as
heart disease, migraine, headaches, stomach problems, and back problems.
Job stress may be caused by a
complex set of reasons. Some of the most visible causes of workplace stress
are:
Job Insecurity
Organized workplaces are going
through metamorphic changes under intense economic transformations and
consequent pressures. Reorganizations, takeovers, mergers, downsizing and other
changes have become major stressors for employees, as companies try to live up
to the competition to survive. These reformations have put demand on everyone,
from a CEO to a mere executive.
High Demand for Performance
Unrealistic expectations,
especially in the time of corporate reorganizations, which, sometimes, puts
unhealthy and unreasonable pressures on the employee, can be a tremendous
source of stress and suffering. Increased workload, extremely long work hours
and intense pressure to perform at peak levels all the time for the same pay,
can actually leave an employees physically and emotionally drained. Excessive
travel and too much time away from family also contribute to an employee's
stressors.
Technology
The expansion of
technology—computers, pagers, cell phones, fax machines and the Internet—has
resulted in heightened expectations for productivity, speed and efficiency,
increasing pressure on the individual worker to constantly operate at peak
performance levels. Workers working with heavy machinery are under constant
stress to remain alert. In this case both the worker and their family members
live under constant mental stress. There is also the constant pressure to keep
up with technological breakthroughs and improvisations, forcing employees to
learn new software all the times.
Workplace Culture
Adjusting to the workplace
culture, whether in a new company or not, can be intensely stressful. Making
oneself adapt to the various aspects of workplace culture such as communication
patterns, hierarchy, dress code if any, workspace and most importantly working
and behavioral patterns of the boss as well as the co-workers, can be a lesson
of life. Maladjustment to workplace cultures may lead to subtle conflicts with
colleagues or even with superiors. In many cases office politics or gossips can
be major stress inducers.
Personal or Family Problems
Employees going through personal
or family problems tend to carry their worries and anxieties to the workplace.
When one is in a depressed mood, his unfocused attention or lack of motivation
affects his ability to carry out job responsibilities.
Job Stress and Women
Women may suffer from mental and
physical harassment at workplaces, apart from the common job stress. Sexual
harassment in workplace has been a major source of worry for women, since long.
Women may suffer from tremendous stress such as 'hostile work environment
harassment', which is defined in legal terms as 'offensive or intimidating
behavior in the workplace'. This can consist of unwelcome verbal or physical
conduct. These can be a constant source of tension for women in job sectors.
Also, subtle discrimination at workplaces, family pressure and societal
demands add to these stress factors.
Because change is constant in
life, stress is an integral part of it. Since we don't want to perish under it,
we have to adhere to the bottom line for survival—adapt.
Following are some of the long-term tips to survive stress:
• Even if we feel secured in a
habituated life, the truth remains that changing with the times makes one's
position more secure. In today's business climate, you must continually be
prepared for changes to avoid stress and survive in the competitive world.
• Find and protect whatever time
you get to refresh, re-energize and re-motivate yourself. Spend quality time
with your family. This can be an excellent source of emotional and moral
support.
• Avoid giving in to alcohol,
smoking and other substance abuses while under constant stress.
• Develop positive attitudes
towards stressful situations in life. Give up negative mental traits such as
fear, anger and revengeful attitudes, which actually germinate stress. Try to
revert to holistic relaxation and personal growth techniques such as
meditation, breathing and exercises, to remodel your lifestyles.
• In case of chronic stress
consult a health professional.
• Reduce workplace stress by
celebrating your's or your colleagues' accomplishments.
• Adapting to demands of stress
also means changing your personality. Improve your line of communication,
efficiency and learn from other's experiences.
• Don't be complacent. Be
prepared for any change physically, emotionally and financially.
But, when you are under stress at
work, some simple practices can help:
• Sit straight and comfortably on
your seat, and try breathing exercises. It will relax your nerves and muscles.
• Relax and count backwards (20,
19, 18, 17, 16, 15….)
• Try creative visualization
When under severe stress, an
individual fails to take clear-cut decisions, reevaluate and reassess the
priorities and lifestyles, and ultimately, tend to fall into unproductive
distractions. This can be described as a classic case of 'burnout'. The
'burnouts' often engage in reckless or risk-taking behaviors. Starting from
glamour and sport celebrities to common men, 'burnouts' are found everywhere.
Chronic Responsibility Syndrome
is a kind of burnout where people get mentally and physically exhausted from
their workload. The symptom is often described as "there's simply too much
work to do, and no one else can do it but me". Typically it will occur in
hard working, hard driven people, who become emotionally, psychologically or
physically exhausted. You are at risk of burnout where:
• you find it difficult to say
'no' to additional commitments or responsibilities
• you have been under intense and
sustained pressure for some time
• your high standards make it
difficult to delegate to assistants
• you have been trying to achieve
too much for too long
• you have been giving too much
emotional support for too long
Often burnout will manifest
itself in a reduction in motivation, volume and quality of performance, or in
dissatisfaction with or departure from the activity altogether.
Are You in Danger of Burning Out?
If you feel that you are in danger
of burning out, the suggestions below can help you correct the situation:
• Re-evaluate your goals and
prioritize them
• Evaluate the demands placed on
you and see how they fit in with your goals
• Identify your ability to
comfortably meet these demands.
• If people demand too much
emotional energy, become more unapproachable and less sympathetic. Involve
other people in a supportive role. Acknowledge your own humanity: remember that
you have a right to pleasure and a right to relaxation
• Learn stress management skills
• Identify stressors in your
life, such as work, or family. Get the support of your friends, family and even
counseling in reducing stress
• Ensure that you are following a
healthy lifestyle:
1. Get adequate sleep and rest to
maintain your energy levels
2. Ensure that you are eating a
healthy, balanced diet—bad diet can make you ill or feel bad. Limit your
caffeine and alcohol intake
3. Try to recognize your
spiritual needs that may have been buried under the mires of worldly pursuits
• Develop alternative activities
such as a relaxing hobby to take your mind off problems
Have You Burned Out?
• If you are so de-motivated that
for a time you do not want to continue with what you do, then take some time
off
• Alternatively, try to switch to
another area of activity within your organization. If you come back later, you
may find that you have started to enjoy the work again, and can take on only
those commitments that you want. You may, however, find that you have
absolutely no interest in continuing with what you are doing. In this case it
may be best to drop it altogether
• Take support and counseling of
near and dear ones to bring change to the current situation
• Enroll yourself with some
meditation or yoga classes (to ensure group spiritual practice), gyms, aerobics
or sports clubs to switch your focus, and to reorganize your priorities
• If you are in late stages of
burnout, feeling deeply de-motivated and disenchanted with your job or life,
get help from a good psychologist.
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