Mobile Edition
Print
Get the Mag
Weekly Updates[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
MANY organisations will agree that stress is one of the leading factors in illness and absenteeism among employees. Besides lowering a person's productivity, stress makes people want to avoid its cause.
If there is stress at work, employees may resist reporting to the office. This costs many hours of productivity, especially when key personnel or production workers are absent. One recent human resource study by researchers at Brandeis University and Catalyst, a New York-based non-profit research firm, estimated that US$300 billion is lost on stress-caused illnesses and absenteeism globally each year.
An organisation that supports stress management through workplace wellness initiatives not only helps employees handle pressure better and stay healthier during times of stress, it also sends a message that the company cares about staff.
According to Jerome Chua, a volunteer at a leading NGO (non-governmental organisation) with 15 years of experience in stress counselling, when employees are stressed, usually there is one primary cause alongside several secondary causes.
Stress can be due to various factors, not all of which are work-related. Causes of stress, known as stressors are split into two categories: external stressors and internal stressors. External stressors include physical conditions such as heat or cold, stressful psychological environments such as working conditions, and abusive relationships like harassment and bullying.
Internal stressors include physical ailments such as infection or inflammation, or psychological issues such as worrying about something. Chua says that in clinical terms, stressors are also described as either short term (acute) or long term (chronic).
"Short-term acute stress is the reaction to an immediate threat, also known as the 'fight or flight response'. This is when the primitive part of the brain and certain chemicals within the brain cause a reaction to potentially harmful stressors or warnings. So noise, overcrowding, danger, bullying, harassment, or an imagined or recalled threatening experience, are examples of such stressors," explains Chua.
When the threat subsides the body returns to normal, which is called the "relaxation response". Long-term chronic stressors are those pressures which are ongoing and continuous, when the urge to fight or flight has been suppressed.
Examples of such chronic stressors include ongoing pressurised work, relationship problems, isolation, and persistent financial worries. The working environment can generate both acute and chronic stressors, but is more likely to be a source of chronic stressors.
"In this difficult economy, people may find it harder than ever to cope with challenges on the job. Both the stress we take with us when we go to work and the stress that awaits us on the job are on the rise and employers, managers, and workers all feel the added pressure," adds Chua.
A person's susceptibility to stress can be affected by any of these factors, which means that everyone has a different tolerance to stressors. Stress susceptibility is not fixed, so each person's stress tolerance level changes over time due to:
* childhood experience (abuse can increase stress susceptibility)
* personality (certain personalities are more stress-prone than others)
* genetics (particularly connected with serotonin levels--the brain's "well-being" chemical)
* immunity abnormality (might cause certain diseases such as arthritis and eczema, which weaken stress resilience)
* lifestyle (principally poor diet and lack of exercise), and
* duration and intensity of stressors. While some stress is a normal part of life, excessive stress interferes with productivity and reduces physical and emotional health, so it's important to find ways to keep it under control.
Fortunately, there is a lot that you can do to manage and reduce stress at work.
Although a workplace wellness programme can't de-stress everything a worker faces problems such as retrenchments or cutbacks, it can help with the physical effects of stress and help the employee cope.
"For instance, a worker may suffer stress due to poor interpersonal relationships with other workers and problems communicating. Addressing stress will help the worker feel better and regain connections to other workers, thereby reducing the stress in those areas," says Chua.
He adds: "I've seen healthy employees having enough energy to move on and find another job but an employee with medical issues may suffer even more physical maladies from stress and plunge into depression. An employee who is watching others get fired or laid off will always be thinking, 'When am I going to get the axe?'
For workers everywhere, the troubled economy may feel like a ride on an emotional roller coaster. "Tightening belts" and "budget cuts" have become bywords in the workplace, and the result is increased fear, uncertainty, and higher levels of stress.
Since job and workplace stress grow in times of economic crisis, it's important to learn new and better ways of coping with the pressure. The ability to manage stress in the workplace can make the difference between success or failure on the job.
Spreading Stress
Chua explains: "Your emotions are contagious, and stress has an impact on the quality of your interactions with others. The better you are at managing your own stress, the more you'll positively affect those around you and the less other people's stress will negatively affect you."
There are several ways to reduce job stress:
* Taking responsibility for improving your physical and emotional well-being
* Avoiding pitfalls by identifying knee jerk habits and negative attitudes that add to the stress you experience at work, and
* Learning better communication skills to ease and improve your relationships with management and co-workers.
Get a clear job description to avoid miscommunication that causes stress, and to make sure you are doing tasks within your sphere of responsibility only. Get a new job. While this is not always an ideal solution, sometimes a workplace wellness programme will help with the stress of a new job.
Find supportive agencies and programmes to help you either deal with the stress. Isolation is destructive.
Change positions within the company. Perhaps your training is not in the field of your current post, or you are being asked by a supervisor to do things outside work hours and job description. If you like the company you work for but hate your job, this may be the answer.
See if your company has an employee assistance programme, which is sometimes part of a workplace wellness programme, if there are layoffs and firings going on around you. If so, use these services even if you have been told you will remain at the company--things change daily in the business world.
When people feel overwhelmed, they lose confidence and become irritable or withdrawn, making them less productive and effective and their work less rewarding. If the warning signs of work stress go unattended, they can lead to bigger problems. Beyond interfering with job performance and satisfaction, chronic, or intense stress can also lead to physical and emotional health problems.
Signs and symptoms of excessive job and workplace stress include:
* feeling anxious, irritable, or depressed,
* apathy, loss of interest in work,
* problems sleeping,
* fatigue,
* trouble concentrating,
* muscle tension or headaches,
* stomach problems,
* social withdrawal, and
* using alcohol or drugs to cope.
According to Paul Robbins, author of Coping With Stress: Common Sense Strategies, when stress on the job is interfering with your ability to work, care for yourself, or manage your personal life, it's time to take action.
He suggests starting with your physical and emotional health. When these needs are taken care of, you're stronger and more resilient to stress. The better you feel, the more equipped you are to manage work stress without becoming overwhelmed.
Chua adds that taking care of yourself doesn't require a total lifestyle overhaul: "Even small changes can lift your spirits, increase your energy levels, and make you feel more in control of your life. Take things one step at a time, and as you make more positive lifestyle choices, you'll soon notice a noticeable difference in your stress level, both at home at work."
Exercise
Many doctors advise people with stress to exercise. It may sound strange but aerobic exercise causes one to perspire and this is an effective anti-anxiety treatment lifting mood, increasing energy, sharpening focus, and relieving tension in both mind and body.
For maximum effect, try to perform at least 30 to 40 minutes of brisk exercise activity on most days. But if time is a constraint, the activity can be broken up into two or three short segments.
Nutrition also plays a part in reducing stress. The advice from nutritionists is to refrain from overeating to overcome stress. Why stuff your face when you can choose to eat wisely to keep you going and make you feel good?
Low blood sugar makes you feel anxious and irritable. One way is to eat small but frequent meals throughout the day. This maintains an even level of blood sugar in your body. On the other hand, eating too much can also make some people lethargic. So try to balance out what works for you by learning more about food that have a calming effect so you can lift your mood and make you feel good.
Chua says it is common for many stress sufferers to drink alcohol as it tends to temporarily reduces anxiety and worry. But too much can cause anxiety as the effects wear off. Drinking to relieve job stress can also lead people to alcohol abuse and dependence.
FEED