Workplace Stress
Stress is a factor in everyone’s life mainly during difficult times such as divorce, marriage, and even when buying a house, but the most stress seems to be related to the workplace. Employees deal with firings, change in financial status, and problems with the boss, altered responsibilities, variations in work hours, business readjustments, retirement and vacations. Stress interferes with your productivity and can reduce your physical and emotional health and affects everyone differently.
Stress is a normal physical response to events that make you feel threatened or upset your balance in some way. The body’s defenses kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight” reaction, or the stress response. The stress response is the body’s way of protecting you. When it is working properly, it helps you stay focused, alert, and energetic. In certain emergency situations, stress can save your life. It goes extra strength to defend you. Stress response also helps you meet challenges. Managers should be educated and aware of the many symptoms of stress because if they go unnoticed and unattended they can lead to bigger problems. People feel overwhelmed and several signs and symptoms can occur such as:
• Feeling anxious, irritable, or depressed
• Apathy, loss of interest in work.
• Problems sleeping
• Fatigue,
• Trouble concentrating • Muscle tension or headaches
• Stomach problems
• Social withdrawal
• Loss of sex drive
• Using alcohol or drugs to cope
Employees that are subject to stress in the workplace will sometimes develop hostile thought patterns about their organization, boss, and coworkers. This could manifests itself in (1) interpreting the undesirable behavior of others as hostile, (2) general cynicism, and (3) distrust. When you find yourself or an employee exhibiting these thought patterns, that person is probably experiencing too much work related stress.
Emotional expressions of anger are another form of manifestation of stress in the workplace, which can stem from the hostile thought patterns as well. Anger can be expressed verbally or non-verbally and actively or passively. Managers need to really be aware and try to keep stress levels in the workplace at a minimum when possible. It will avoid a lot of problems from occurring in the future and make it a safe and healthy environment for all.
Attitude is fundamental to long term stress management. When attitudes are negative or hostile, it can create problems such as harmful absenteeism to workplace violence. It also contributes to stress by alienating and irritating other people. When you have a positive attitude, you can maintain a sense of perspective and draw the positive elements out of each situation. You will find that people will be more helpful and cooperative as they find you a pleasure to work with. It can range from relatively harmful absenteeism to workplace violence.
Stress and violence cause immediate and often long-term disruption to interpersonal relationships, the organization of work and the overall working environment. With the number of violent outcomes of stress in the workplace reported almost daily in the news, finding ways to reduce job related stress should be important to everyone.
Managers can help reduce stress in the workplace by offering employees flexible work schedules, matching workloads and pace to training and abilities of employees, clearly defining work roles, provide workshops and information to their employees about work-life balance, promote teamwork amongst employees, employees recognized and rewarded for their good deeds, make an effort to match work schedules with their personnel lives and more.
Employees can reduce job stress as well by taking care of themselves. The better you feel about yourself, the more you will be able to deal with stress without letting it overwhelm you. Approaching one day at a time both at home and work will help a great deal. Stress and worry can cause insomnia so ensure you get enough sleep. Make the right food choices that will keep you energize and feeling good, exercise at least 30 minutes a day, aerobics exercise is the best, and drink alcohol in moderation and try to avoid nicotine altogether. By taking care of yourself, you will become a better person and stress free. It’s important to learn how to recognize when your stress levels are out of control. The most dangerous thing about stress is how easily it can creep up on you.
Prioritizing and organizing also helps to reduce job stress. Workplace stress cannot be ignored and must be taken care of immediately. You need to have full control over yourself and the situation. Others will admire and see the strength you possess. You can create a balanced schedule – analyze your schedule, daily tasks and responsibilities, do not over commit yourself – avoid scheduling things back to back, try to leave earlier in the morning – 10 to 15 minutes makes a difference, and plan regular breaks – getting away from your desk to relax and recharge.
Managers must act as positive role models, especially in times of high stress. Managers at all levels need the skills to be able to tackle work-related stress both personally and among their employees. If their employees are suffering from stress, they should have the skills to manage the consequences. Managers must understand the legal implications of stress in the workplace and be able to comply with health and safety law around stress.
They should also know how to approach an employee showing signs of stress, listen to them and maintain confidentiality, and know what internal and external advice and guidance is available to staff. It is important for them to recognize how they themselves may be contributing to the stress levels of staff and how they could change. Employees depend and rely on them and want to also feel they are important and cared about. If someone that we admire remains calm, it is much easier to remain calm ourselves – and vice versa! There are many changes that managers and employers can make to reduce workplace stress, and by working together it can be done. Managers should share information with employees about their jobs, give employees opportunities to participate in decisions that affect their jobs, offer rewards and incentives, and cultivate a friendly social climate. The workplace should be a safe and healthy environment where both employers and employees feel comfortable.

References

Goetsch, D. (2010). The Basic of Occupational Safety. Prentice Hall: New Jersey