Understanding workplace stress
Stress at work is the pressure we experience when attempting to fullfil our daily obligations. We all experience it and in fact it is generally agreed that we need a certain amount of stress in order to compel us into action. It can actually be a positive influence helping us achieve our objectives and stimulating us to rise to new challenges. However for many working people long term stress can be extremely debilitating, negatively impacting their ability, performance, confidence, energy levels and quality of work. Unmanaged stress can become a serious threat to health leading to problems such as headaches, upset stomach, rashes, insomnia, ulcers, high blood pressure and in extreme cases heart disease, stroke and cancer.
What Causes Work Related Stress
Work related stress is caused by how we react to change, high pressure and failure to achieve the necessary balance between work and home life. Many factors inside and outside of work can of course cause pressure in the workplace including, job promotion, death of a loved one, the birth of a child, moving house or the end of a relationship. We experience stress as we readjust our lives to meet the new challenges we must face. In so adjusting to the different circumstances stress either helps or hinders us depending on the way we react to it.
Even More Stress at Work
The high expectations of our boss as well as those we put on ourselves are placing more demand than ever before on our time and energy. Work needs to be completed faster and to a higher standard and outside of work family and friends also expect more from us. The pace of life has become frantic and seems to be getting faster and faster.
With all the noise, traffic and the hustle and bustle of modern life, for a lot of people, it is becoming very difficult to cope. The hours we spend working and commuting are getting longer rather than shorter. We have less and less time to relax, contemplate and get in touch with our own feelings and needs. At times we may envy our forefathers who lived in a simpler and less busy time and who although had much less were perhaps happy and well balanced people.
Where is Stress Taking Us
The World Health Organization predicts that stress related health conditions will be 5 of the top 10 medical problems by 2020. It has been estimated that 50% of absenteeism and 20% of heart disease result from stress.
What we Must Do
Given the stress epidemic that exists in the modern world and its detrimental health effects it is now more important than ever that each of us puts a personalized work stress management program in place. Although we cannot eliminate stress we can learn how to recognise it and cope with it effectively. Although stress cannot be avoided it can be managed.
I hope this Blog will go someway to help alleviate your stress in the workplace!
Mail this post
Posted under General
This post was written by admin on February 26, 2009
