While going to work may give us income, structure, and a sense of pride, it can also cause a lot of worry and stress. You do not want you job to be a cakewalk, but any means. We all want a challenge to make the end product all the more satisfying. But if the amount of stress and pressure we are under gets to be too much, then we find ourselves under stress. Researchers have found that one in six people rates his or her job very or extremely stressful, and one the primary reasons for absence due to illness is job stress.
Although work-related stress can be triggered by sudden, unexpected pressures, it is often the consequence of a combination of stressful factors that build up over time. There are a number of factors that can make you feel stressed at work, including poor working conditions, long working hours, relationships with colleagues, lack of job security, mismatch between the requirements of the job and your own capabilities and needs, too much or too little responsibility.
Work-related stress is responsible for both physical and psychological health problems. Stress may cause physical symptoms such as digestive issues, sweating, headaches, difficulty sleeping, backaches, and tiredness. You may become disinterested in sex, lack motivation, have difficulty concentrating, feel overwhelmed, irritable, experience mood swings and shifts in emotionality, as well as difficulty eating or eating too much. All of these can indicate work-related stress.
It is impossible to escape pressure at work altogether, so it is important that you learn how to deal with stress effectively. There are three basic approaches to dealing with stress:
- Changing how we react to an event that causes stress
- Reducing the way stress affects our body
- Changing the way we cope with stress
If you have tried to cope with your work-related stress but your situation has not improved, you may need to consult with a specialist. Do not resist seeing someone because you believe this indicates weakness. It is weak to simply sit and pretend there is no problem. It takes strength to solve your problem. Your physician should be able to determine the physical symptoms of stress that you are experiencing, help you identify the specific cause of your work-related stress, advise you about some relaxation exercises, and recommend a counselor if necessary.
Are you being harassed on the job? Is this causing you work-related stress? Is someone bullying you? If either of these situations is the root, then talk to someone in your personnel department or in your human resources office. You should not have to be the victim on the job. That is not a good situation. Most companies have policies outlining appropriate behavior, which specify the measures to take in these situations. These policies restrict the treatment of their employees and demand that everyone be respected. You can take action against workplace harassment even if your supervisor or manager does not act against your tormentor, as there are laws to protect you.
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