Ever since the evolution of mankind, there have been countless discoveries and inventions that can help reduce the physical labour and monotony of repetitive jobs. Sadly, there have been no inventions that could measure or reduce the mental stress of the human mind. Stress remains unmeasurable, and stress symptoms are often unidentifiable. It is not something tangible that can be quantified to the level of damage it can cause.
Majorly stress can be classified into personal and professional terms. Knowing how to manage stress in the workplace is important in today’s hectic and fast routines. Stress infamously affects the body, as does the alcoholism and consumption of psychotropic drugs. Anger, hate, envy, ego, bitter feelings, delusion, and greed are some emotions that are known to be the underlying cause of stress. Read on as we discuss further about professional or work-related stress, its symptoms and the effects of stress in the workplace.
How Work-related Stress Affects Your Overall Wellbeing?
Generally, having some work-related pressure is good for mental health as it keeps you alert and pushes you to perform better. It can give you motivation and positivity and boost your morale to go the extra mile in life. The trouble arises when things go out of hand.
A recent study by the ADP Research Institute shows that almost 76% of Indian employees feel that stress adversely affects their work performance. Sadly, it has become a prevalent workplace culture where stress and success are considered to be co-related and co-dependent. This harmful norm often glorifies stress as a symbol of achievement, pushing people toward neglecting the importance of well-being. Perpetuating unhealthy standards can be detrimental to your mental and physical health. The survey additionally indicates a rising sentiment among professionals, expressing a decreased sense of support from their managers concerning mental health in the workplace.
Dealing with Causes of stress is Important
What employers need to understand is that an empathetic workplace holds significant value for both employers and employees. When an employee feels supported in their place of work, they tend to exhibit higher performance, take fewer leaves, and foster a more favourable outlook towards their organisation.
Let us dive deep and understand the effects of stress in the workplace. A higher stress level in the human mind ignites a hormone called cortisol, which harms the body in numerous ways, like binge eating, which can result in obesity, higher cholesterol levels, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and sleep apnea. Some of the other adverse stress symptoms are hair fall, loss of appetite, increased cravings for sugary products, panic attacks, anxiety, and depression. All this may also lead to life-threatening diseases like cancer and dementia.
What are the Causes of Stress at Work?
One may feel stressed at work due to the following reasons:
- Imbalance in the workload distribution
- Long hours of monotonous work
- Unachievable deadlines
- Verbal tiffs among the peers and superiors
- Bullying and sexual harassment in the workplace
- Not receiving sufficient support from the management
- Lack of encouragement, appreciation for the efforts put in
- Lack of rest or shorter break intervals during work hours
- The hostile environment at the workplace
- Consistent changes in the flow of work.
Are You Experiencing Work-related Stress?
Some common stress symptoms at work may include feeling upset, having headaches, feeling fatigued, loss of appetite, anger issues, panic attacks, feelings of negativity, mood swings, difficulty in eating, etc.
These symptoms may bring in certain changes in your attitude and may push you towards not being punctual at work, feeling disinterested in completing jobs, the onset of loss of focus, maintaining distance from peers and co-workers, and often feeling stressed out. At a certain level, the degree of stress may also lead to the requirement of medical health.
How to Reduce Stress at Work?
A workplace can be fun and joyous if managed correctly! Work is not just related to economic progress it helps you hone your social connections, maturity, networking with people, acceptance in society, working towards the betterment of a nation, and personal development. The work environment can be hostile or amicable at times. It is the collective responsibility of every individual in the workplace to make it a comfortable place.
In the recent past, many companies have realised that a stress-free work environment improves the efficiency of their employees. They have put in a lot of research to deal with the menace of work-related stress. To create a work-life balance, some of the below-mentioned strategies are recommended:
- Having flexible work hours
- Reducing the concept of overtime
- Limiting the work to the office hours
- Having relaxing and rejuvenating weekends
- Having regular outings/ holidays with friends and family
- Following your passion and hobbies in your free time
- Playing a sport of your choice
- Trying out relaxation techniques like meditation, yoga and mindfulness
- Following a detox diet- a plant-based diet can lead to longevity.
If you are still left with the question of how to deal with work stress and anxiety, here are a few other ideas that could help you battle the same. Take out some time for:
- Reading your favourite novel
- Preparing a cup of hot chocolate or tea or coffee
- Focusing on breathing
- Taking a walk around the place
- Eating your favourite dessert/ meal
- Scheduling your day in order to avoid boredom and sluggishness
- Staying away from the elements that trigger stress.
We should all be aware of the sources of stress at all times, as only then will we be able to eliminate the same from our work lives. Trying to stay positive at all times, meeting your loved ones, and eating healthy food can help a lot!
In Conclusion
Managing stress in the workplace is a daunting task. Having happy, smiling, and satisfied employees in an organisation is just as important as having a list of happy customers. Employee retention is one of the key factors to any successful business.
Learning how to deal with work stress and anxiety is important both in personal and professional life. Personally, the employees will have enhanced mental health and stable conditions like reduced blood pressure, better sleep, physical fitness, and slow ageing. On the other hand, professionally, the company benefits from higher productivity from the employees, better retention of the employees, reduced absenteeism, more focused employees, enhanced innovations and creativity, greater job satisfaction, and a cheerful atmosphere.
Organisations and institutions that are more supportive and employee-friendly and focus not only on monetary benefits but also on human-centred values will always garner benefits in the long run. While a totally stress-free office may seem to be a myth, knowing how to reduce stress at work is an important skill to master.
While talking about stress, one shouldn’t ignore the related health complications it can trigger. High BP, stroke, heart disease can knock you down anytime. Also, considering the ever-rising medical expenses, even a single hospitalisation can cost you a bomb. Hence, covering yourself with a health insurance plan is essential to mitigate those additional expenses that can easily exhaust your lifetime savings. You can consider Care Health Insurance plans for comprehensive and customizable features to fit in your day-to-day needs.
>> Also Read: Relationship between Stress and Cancer?
Disclaimers:
1. The above information is for reference purposes only: Policy Assurance and Claims at the underwriter's discretion.
2. All plan features, benefits, coverage, and claims underwriting are subject to policy terms and conditions. Kindly refer to the brochure, sales prospectus, and policy documents carefully.
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