Stress is a complex and dynamic concept. Employees working in various industries and organizations often have to deal with it. Stress is a normal part of our lives, but despite this, it is worth remembering that constant stress contributes to lower organizational efficiency, lower overall employee productivity, high error rates and poor quality of work, high turnover and absenteeism due to health problems such as anxiety, emotional distress; imbalance of working life; depression and other forms of malaise.
Negative stress/Distress
Distress describes the negative kind of stress most people associate with feeling "stressed." Frequent, intense or chronic stress is toxic to the body and brain and is associated with a number of physical and mental illnesses as well as impaired human ability to function.
Negative stress occurs when a person assumes that the stressor or stressors are out of their control or the ability to correct and change. People who experience this kind of stress tend to feel depressed and helpless, and because they have not found an effective solution, tend to return to anxiety and other unproductive reactions.
Positive stress/Eustress
But not all stress is harmful to humans. Eustress is a type of stress that is positive, beneficial and motivating. It can motivate people to work hard, provide a competitive advantage and help achieve their goals even in the face of difficulties.
It differs from negative stress only in that the energy released is proportional to what is needed in the situation, and in case of distress, the energy is excessive or useless.
The impact of stress on work
Workplace stress comes from many causes. It can be a demanding boss, unscrupulous colleagues, evil clients, dangerous working conditions, long commutes and endless workload. Performance is also affected by stressors such as family relationships, finances and sleep shortages arising from fears and anxieties about the future.
Poor time management
The positive side of stress is that it is able to trigger an adrenaline rush and motivate you to complete your tasks faster in response to looming deadlines. However, excessive workload, lack of support from colleagues and a large number of demands lead to a feeling of disappointment and panic due to the lack of time to complete the work.
Strained relationships
Stress is the main cause of professional burnout and tense relationships with colleagues and managers. A combined sense of helplessness and hopelessness gives rise to increased sensitivity to any form of criticism, defensive posture, depression, paranoia about job security, jealousy and resentment against colleagues who seem to have everything under control, temper and low self-esteem.
Dispersion
Stress has an impact on the ability to remember what you already know, process new information, and apply it to both analytical situations and physical tasks that require concentration. When you are morally exhausted by all the worries, anxieties and strains caused by a stressful environment or lifestyle, you tend to become more distracted and make costly, harmful or even fatal mistakes at work.
Health effects
If you're not feeling well, you can't work your best. In addition, the number of sick leaves that are taken to rest and recover from stress-related illnesses often means that work only accumulates during your absence and thus causes even more stress about how to catch up when you return.
Signs of stress
To understand that something needs to be done with stress, it is worth identifying its inherent signs:
Physical: headache, toothache, pain in the heart, chest or muscle, shortness of breath; high blood pressure, increased heart rate, upset stomach; increased sweating, fatigue, decreased immunity, insomnia.
Psychosocial: regression, irritability, sadness, anxiety, anger; frequent mood swings, apathy, depression, hypersensitivity, delayed reaction; a sense of helplessness, anxiety and hopelessness.
Behavioral: loss of appetite or overeating, bitterness, social self-isolation, low labor productivity, neglect of responsibility.
Ways to deal with stress
Identify stress symptoms correctly
It's not hard for most people to say when they're stressed, but the difficulty is understanding when it's manageable and productive and when it has a constant negative impact on your wellbeing.
First, you need to determine the source of your stress. If you're stressed about it, you need to ask yourself if you really need to work so hard or if it's just out of habit and wonder if you're overwork to escape another part of your life.
Take time to recharge
Even a few minutes of personal time during a busy day can help prevent emotional burnout. Listening to your favorite music between meetings or watching a fun video can give you a relaxing pause throughout the day.
It is also important to take breaks in your thoughts about your work without checking your work email in your free time or looking at your phone in the evenings.
Reconfigure negative thoughts
Chronic stress and anxiety can cause people to develop a mental filter where they automatically interpret situations through a negative lens. A person can come to negative conclusions with almost no evidence, and doubt his ability to cope with stressors. To overstate negative thoughts, treat them as hypotheses rather than facts, and consider other possibilities. Practicing this skill regularly can help people reduce negative emotions in response to stressors.
Balance work and privacy
24/7 availability will easily burn you. It is important to set clear boundaries between work and home life to avoid potential stress.
Get help
If none of these steps relieve you of feelings of stress or burnout at work, see a mental health professional - either on your own or through an employee assistance program offered by your employer. By consulting, you can learn how to effectively manage stress at work.
Stress can negatively affect the performance of your work, affecting your creativity, productivity, as well as physical, emotional and psychological health. However, if you always listen to your body, you can turn negative stress into positive with tips for managing stress, positive attitude and proper planning.