What is stress?
Stress, though stressful to define, is something that adversely affects a person’s physical and mental health. Today, life is more about being materialistic and making money than anything else. Family ties, relationships, taking time out or going for a holiday takes a back seat. The year starts with deadlines and finishes up with frustration, disappointment, anxiety, burnout and, of course, psychological stress. All delegated jobs need to be completed as of yesterday. For a majority of people, living with bouts of depression and burnout has become commonplace.
When you work under stress or pressure, to an extent, it helps you complete a task to the best of your ability. Unfortunately, people succumb to a lifestyle where work related stress drives them day and night. When you are always in high gear, anxiety gets better of your efficiency and you pay with both your mental and physical health.
Work related stress
It is natural to feel some pressure when tackling a job that is challenging either physically or mentally. Often, excessive pressure leads to stress and burnout at the workplace, which is among the primary factors that affect productivity and efficiency. This usually happens when there is a mismatch between the job profile and the capability of the employee. Factors such as long working hours and lack of team work or communication increases the stress factor. Poor understanding between the workers and management builds up anxiety and affects yield or output. Dearth of appreciation or motivation in some form can lead to depression in the workplace. Though stress is not a disease, it can be a precursor to several health problems.
Health issues due to stress
Stress can lead to several health conditions, many of which are underestimated. Scientific studies by HSE have concluded that disorders due to stress include depression, anxiety, burnout, nervousness, substance abuse and poor performance at the workplace. The number of days off work increases, visits to the doctor becomes run of the mill and the consequent toll on personal and professional life leads to poor health. The following are a few of the symptoms can be a direct result of stress at work:
- Sleeplessness
- Lack of concentration
- Excessive anger
- Frustration
- Heart disease
- Migraine
- Backache
Overcoming stress
To cope with stress, anxiety, burnout and depression at the workplace when tasks need to be completed in whirlwind speed, you need to develop a positive attitude. Do not ignore any warning sign that may lead to stress. Identify the underlying factors that result in depression and work towards improving your skill sets. Take responsibility for your actions and learn the art of effective communication to tackle anxiety. Give due importance to your health; you cannot do a good job when you are falling sick over your keyboard! Prioritize your jobs in advance and learn the art of self control to reduce stress. Take charge of your diet; this goes a long way in keeping depression at bay.
And finally learn to let go!
Stress Test
Now is the time to take charge of your life. Do you want to take a little test to check your stress levels? Click here to take a free online stress test and get ideas to beat it out of your system.
