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4 categories of common workplace stressors
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There’s no shortage of factors that make us feel stressed. Even though pandemic restrictions have wound down, COVID-19 is lingering alongside the rest of life’s major stressors — and it’s taking a toll.
If that wasn’t enough, more than three quarters of U.S. workers suffer from some kind of stress in the workplace.
The negative effects of stress on productivity and employee health are real. If left untreated, chronic stress can cause everything from fatigue to burnout. Stress can also cause physical health problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.
Americans lose 15–30 minutes per day they could’ve spent being productive to stress. And it’s a significant driver behind absences — up to 54% of workers miss one to two days of work each year because of job stress.
You can’t change what’s on the news. But you can mitigate the effects of workplace stressors. The first step is learning how to identify them, and we can help with that.
Not all stress is bad. Sometimes your body’s stress response can improve your focus, energy, and ability to rise up to the task.
But it’s a fine line between “I have to get this done” and “This is too much for me, I need to step back before I burn out.” And when you push too hard, you put yourself at risk of experiencing a number of psychological and physical symptoms.
The psychological signs of stress include:
Some of these signs are more subtle than others. You might not notice you’re more cynical or irritable than usual, especially if you’ve been stressed for a while. That’s why it’s worth journaling, meditating, or asking a loved one if they’ve noticed changes in your mood — you may have been less than pleasant to hang out with lately.
Stress can also manifest through physical symptoms, including:
In small doses, these symptoms might not seem like a big deal. But they’re signs your body is tired from feeling stressed all of the time.
When you’re stressed, adrenaline, epinephrine, and cortisol (your body’s natural stress hormones) course through your veins. This constricts your blood vessels, raises your blood sugar, and increases your heart rate.
These physiological changes are meant to protect you from real or perceived threats, which is why they’re colloquially called your “fight or flight response.” But, long-term, they can wear you down, leading to more serious conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
That’s why it’s important to find relief when you can. Your body needs time to recover from the acute effects of stress hormones.
There’s usually more to a job than simply completing your tasks. You have to attend meetings, update your boss on deliverables, and navigate interpersonal relationships with your colleagues — all of which can become sources of work-related stress.
With so many potential causes, it can be difficult to identify where your stress is coming from. We’ve organized the most common sources of stress into four distinct categories:
Stressors can be related to your tasks at work. Some examples are:
Sometimes stress is unavoidable thanks to your position in your company’s hierarchy. Here are some potential ways this can play out:
You might have hit a dead end and feel uncertain about the future. Some stressors in this category are:
Your relationship with your superiors and colleagues can play a significant role in your stress levels. In fact, 35% of employed Americans say their main stressor at work is their boss.
Here are some ways relationships can affect impact your stress and well-being:
Dealing with workplace stress is difficult. Ideally, you could remove your stressor quickly — whether that means asking for a quieter workspace to avoid interruptions or quitting your job in favor of a less stressful position.
But if you can’t immediately change your situation, you’ll have to learn how to cope. Here are some tips on how to deal with stress at work:
Keep a record of situations that cause you the most stress. You want to identify patterns around what’s causing your stress and how you react.
In a journal, try asking yourself:
With this information, you can develop coping strategies. If you regularly experience interruptions after lunch, try to complete important tasks in the morning when you’re focused. These stress tracking efforts will help you learn how to structure your day.
A tub of ice cream is comforting every once in a while. But relying on junk food, alcohol, or cigarettes for stress relief can harm your health. Instead, try these self-care strategies:
It’s important to build a healthy work-life balance, especially if you’re working from home. You can try:
You might still feel anxious about work long after you’ve clocked out. Pulling your thoughts from work will help your body re-calibrate to regular hormone levels. To do this, try focusing on something else for a while. Some productive distractions include:
If your trust your company, you can ask HR or your boss for help. They can refer you to an employee assistance program, a psychosocial support system that can help with your stress management.
Connecting with friends, family, and loved ones will help you relax. These people can also offer an outside perspective on your situation and maybe even tips to help you cope.
You might also benefit from talking to a mental health professional. If your stress is causing depression and/or anxiety, they can help put you on a path to recovery.
Identifying your workplace stressors is the first step toward coping with them or eliminating them altogether. If you have a difficult coworker, you can try to communicate with them differently to improve your relationship. If you’re worried about your task list, you can learn to delegate. Or, if you’re in a truly toxic environment, you can look for a new job.
It’s okay to ask for help if you need it. Whether it’s a friend, a coach, or a therapist, reaching out to someone you trust is the first and most important step in managing chronic stress.
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