Watch out for stress symptoms

Stress at work is so common that almost anyone who is employed is affected by workplace stress.Stress at work happens when an employee has to meet several demands and he is unable to meet those demands due to his personal constraints or unrealistic nature of demands. In simple words, when the demands of the job do not match with an individual's delivery system, then he or she has to suffer from stress.

The consequences of workplace stress are the same as of any other stress. They result in negativity on both physical and emotional planes. Every individual has different capacity and resources to combat stress. Therefore the response to pressures at workplace also varies from individual to individual depending on their internal stress-handling systems.

What causes work-related stress

Work stress can result from a variety of situations. Here are examples of some common situations that can give rise to stress at work:

• Heavy workload can make a worker feel that too much of work is being passed on to him. This will make him hold grudges against his managers and co-workers. H will feel that he is exploited.
• When less work is assigned to him may make him feel unimportant and his role may not be meaningful to the organization. In this case, the worker may keep working in constant fear.
• Work shift timings may not agree with the worker's biological system, social lifestyle, or family commitments.
• Having many supervisors/managers in the same department can generate conflicts. This ultimately leaves the worker confused.
• Economic conditions, such as the outsourcing of call centers to other countries, can make the worker insecure.
• Status quo at the workplace for several months may make the worker feel that the organization is going nowhere and he will be stuck in the same position and that he has no scope for advancing up the corporate ladder.
• Interpersonal relationships with managers or colleagues can cause a negative impact to the worker.
• The management style also plays a part in contributing to worker stress. For example, if the management follows a hire-and-fire policy, then it dampens the morale of any worker.
• A worker may be sensitive to the weather conditions. Even such external factors can cause stress to the worker as he goes about doing his job.
• Physical or psychological ailments can also make a worker's performance below lead to stress.

Symptoms and effects of workplace stress

Symptoms and effects of workplace stress may be the following:

Physical:

Headaches, shortness of breath, increased metabolic rate, high blood pressure, indigestion, constipation, fatigue, increased cholesterol, increased stomach acids, stomach ulcers, etc are the symptoms of physical stress

Psychological:

Anxiety, feeling of helplessness, irritability, depression, lack of concentration, mood swings, extreme sensitivity, etc. are the symptoms of psychological stress.

Behavioral:

Appetite loss, procrastinating attitude, impatience, increased smoking, alcoholism, absenteeism, poor personal hygiene, problems in interpersonal relations with coworkers and managers and similar drawbacks fall under this category.

Stress management at workplace

Workers contribute directly to the productivity of a company and in order to be productive they should not be stressed. Chances are that a stressed worker will contribute negatively to a company's productivity and a group of stressed workers can result in erosion of profit margins. Hence, stress management at workplace assumes a significant role.

A company's management should have advance plans and strategies to help its employees manage stress. One of the biggest causes of workplace stress is the job itself. The management should make sure to reconcile the job profile with the employee's profile. Job rotation, matching with the worker's physical and emotional capacity and resources will go a long way in reducing stress.

Stress management tips

Management and employees should build a mechanism to bust stress effectively. Here are some tips that will help:

• The workplace should not be noisy.
• The job design should place reasonable responsibilities on the worker's. The job should not be over-demanding and vice versa.
• The worker should be entrusted with a variety of works so that he does not feel bored.
• The worker should be entrusted with some form of decision-making because that will make him feel that he is playing a significant role in the organization.
• The job should have potential for growth.
• A scheme for productivity awards or incentives should be in place to motivate the workers.

Tips for workers

• Before approaching a task, the worker should plan the flow of work and organize himself before starting the actual work.
• Laughter is said to be the best medicine. Workers should try to see the humor element in any situation and laugh it off rather than allowing an unpleasant situation to get to them.
• When a worker feels stressed he should try out some deep-breathing exercises.
• Workers should keep themselves fit. A fit body leads to an agile mind that can easily cope with stress.
• Sharing a stressful situation with friends can help to ease the stress.
• An unbalanced diet causes health problems that may percolate to the workplace. Intake of vitamins and minerals will also help.
• Take stress head-on and don't allow it to get to you. Analyze the situation that is causing stress and try to find solutions.