Practicing Self-Care: 10 Leading Causes of Work-Related Stress

Individuals around the world suffer from work-related stress. In addition to impacting the health and well-being of these workers, it diminishes the productivity of the organizations. This stress comes from a variety of factors, including demands of the job that exceed the skills of the worker. What are signs of work-related stress, what are some common causes, and what should a worker do if they experience this type of stress? Read on to find out more about practicing self-care and the leading causes of work-related stress.

Symptoms of Work-Related Stress

Symptoms of stress caused by the workplace may be physical, behavioral, or psychological. For example, a person might suffer from fatigue, headaches, or sleeping issues. Some individuals find they are anxious, pessimistic, or irritable. Behavioral symptoms include a decrease in work performance, isolation, and more time missed from work. Managing Stress In The Workplace helps to reduce or eliminate these symptoms.

Factors Involved in Workplace Stress

Many factors play a role in workplace stress. The following serve as ten leading causes of work-related stress.

1. Lack of autonomy leads to stress on the part of a worker who feels they are being micromanaged. In fact, this problem not only contributes to a worker’s stress but may bring about cardiovascular issues.
2. Long hours lead to fatigue on the part of employees. This remains of concern because it increases the risk of injuries and illnesses.
3. Organizational changes stress employees. They may worry about job security and their competency. This can lead to anger, uncertainty, and more.
4. Tight deadlines cause stress in workers. Fortunately, different techniques help to bring this stress down to a manageable level.
5. Stress caused by job insecurity can be managed by taking a few steps. Update your resume in preparation for a job search and reach out to contacts to see if they know of any job openings. Save money and avoid major purchases until the matter has been resolved one way or another.
6. A lack of promotional opportunities stresses employees. Talk with the organization to learn exactly what it takes to receive a promotion. A clear path encourages employees to keep moving forward, as they know what must be done to move to the next level.
7. A lack of resources often leads to stress for employees. Every employee must have what they need to do their job correctly and efficiently. Furthermore, they need the training to carry out their job duties. Employers must ensure they have these things at all times.
8. Employees need employers to be flexible, as they try to juggle the many demands on their time. Companies that don’t penalize employees for taking family time, for example, find they have loyal employees even when other working conditions aren’t ideal.
9. Organizations can never allow employees to be harassed by co-workers, management, clients, or suppliers. Workers must know the employer will stand up for them when they are treated unfairly in any way.
10. Any trauma in the workplace leads to stress. Counseling becomes of great help not only to those directly impacted by the trauma but to other workers as well. Companies should provide this counseling to reduce work-related stress.

Managing Work-Related Stress

Individuals should evaluate their current working situation to determine how best to bring down their stress level. This may involve talking to the human resources manager or improving organizational skills. Determine where changes might be needed and prioritize them. Schedule difficult tasks for the start of a shift and mundane ones after lunch when you may lag.

Eat healthy foods and exercise. Consider engaging in yoga or meditation to keep stress levels down and schedule free time when you don’t need to think about work. Avoid the use of substances, including caffeine and cigarettes, to manage the stress, and speak with a professional counselor if nothing seems to work.

Individuals who manage to bring their stress under control find they feel better both mentally and physically. They are sick less often and their productivity increases. Lower stress levels translate to more job satisfaction and work engagement. Employers play a role in this as well. They must provide a safe working environment and training for all employees.

Conclusion

We hope this about about practicing self-care and the leading causes of work-related stess has been insightful.
Work-related stress needs to be openly discussed and addressed without fear of employees being stigmatized. When all parties work together, work-related stress becomes less of a concern, and everyone benefits when this is the case.