Stress
What is stress?
How do I know if I am stressed?
How can stress affect my work?
What can my employer do?
What can I do?
What do I do if I feel stressed?
Modern life is full of deadlines, frustrations, and demands. For many people stress is so commonplace that it has become a way of life. Stress is not always bad. In small doses it can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do your best. But beyond a certain point stress stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to your health, your mood, your productivity, your relationships, and your quality of life.
Work-related stress has been identified in Ireland and internationally as a significant concern for both employees and employers. Stress can potentially affect any workplace, large or small, and can affect any employee regardless of what form their employment takes. For workers everywhere, the troubled economy may feel like an emotional rollercoaster.
If the warning signs of work-related 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.
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There are many physical sources of stress such as work overload, irregular work hours, loss of sleep, noise, improper lighting etc. Psychological sources of stress may be due to a particular situation at work such as a lack of control over your own work, heavy handed management, unrealistic objectives, role ambiguity etc. Outside work, family matters can impact on your levels of stress.
Work-related stress can be caused by different factors such as work content, work organisation, work environment and poor communication (i.e. uncertainty about what is expected at work, employment prospects, or forthcoming change, etc).
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Psychological symptoms range from heightened emotional states, lack of impulse control and feelings of being overpowered, losing control, and fearfulness generally. People under stress behave differently. They may be angrier, more confrontational, show less time for others, and impose an urgency on situations which is unrealistic.
Other characteristics include fatigue, distress, withdrawal, self neglect and depression.
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High levels of stress or even low levels sustained over a long period of time can lead to reduced employee performance. Repeated studies and research show that stress can lead to absenteeism, poor productivity, work-related accidents, staff turnover and impaired decision making. Other possible negative results of stress are job dissatisfaction, tension, anxiety, boredom, and difficulty in making routine decisions.
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Most employers will accept that a stressed employee needs assistance and support in order to be healthy and productive at work, and through consultation, alterations may be made to the work you do to alleviate the stress.
It is in a manager’s best interest to keep stress levels in the workplace to a minimum. Relaxed, healthy employees are more productive and creative at work. To improve the environment at work and reduce stressors employers should:
- Share information with employees to reduce uncertainty about their jobs and futures
- Clearly define employees’ roles and responsibilities
- Give workers opportunities to participate in decisions that affect their jobs by timely discussions with their trade union
- Consult employees about scheduling and work rules
- Be sure the workload is suitable to employees’ abilities and resources; avoid unrealistic deadlines
- Show that individual workers are valued
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Plan each day: Planning your day can help you accomplish more and help you feel more in control of your life. Write a to-do list, putting the most important tasks at the top. Keep a schedule of your daily activities to minimise conflicts and last-minute rushes.
Evaluate how you're spending your time: Keep a diary of everything you do for three days to determine how you're spending your time. Look for time that can be used more wisely. For example, could you take a bus or train to work and use the commute to catch up on reading? If so, you could free up some time to exercise or spend with family or friends.
Get plenty of sleep, have a healthy diet and exercise regularly: A healthy lifestyle can improve your focus and concentration, which will help improve your efficiency so that you can complete your work in less time.
Take a break when needed: Too much stress can derail your attempts at getting organised. When you need a break, take one. Take a walk. Do some quick stretches at your workstation. Take a day’s holiday to rest and re-energise.
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If you are feeling stressed at work, you should contact your Union Representative for advice on who to speak to and what action you can take. You could also try the following:
- Talk to someone you trust and share your feelings
- Allocate time for things you enjoy and that make you happy
- Don’t place unnecessary pressure or expectations on yourself
- Make time for friends and family amid other priorities
- Limit alcohol intake and use of other substances
- If you feel your stress levels peaking take a few minutes to calm down
- Practice relaxation techniques
- Plan ahead to manage situations that you know are going to be stressful
Finally, ensure that you are playing an active role in making the decisions that affect you at work. JOIN THE CWU TODAY AND HAVE YOUR VOICE HEARD IN YOUR WORKPLACE
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