September 10, 2019

Dealing with workplace stress

Mental Health

If you have found yourself operating at a million miles an hour every day for your job and feel stressed, you aren’t alone. Much of today’s American workforce is dealing with work-related stress caused by a number of factors which lead to a multitude of problems. The American Institute of Stress has found that 40 percent of workers reported their jobs to be very or extremely stressful while 25 percent said they felt they were often or very often burned out or stressed out by their work. 

Workplace stress can be caused by a lack of job security, stressful work conditions, a high workload, lack of support and, an inability to properly cope with stress. Ultimately, workplace stress produces negative effects as well. It can increase the risk of violence, workplace accidents, and the employee attrition rate, thus lowering productivity. It can also increase absenteeism brought on by health problems such as back pain, headaches, fatigue, or even depression and anxiety. Eighty percent of workers feel stressed on the job and nearly half of them say they need help learning how to manage their stress, according to the American Institute of Stress. Thankfully, there are several different ways through which the workers can cope with, counteract, and reduce work stress. Some of these ways include: 

• Recognizing signs of stress: It is helpful to be able to recognize when you are stressed so you know when you need to step back and reconsider your position. Watch out for signs like anxiety, apathy at work, fatigue, trouble sleeping, and even sudden health problems as they may indicate that you are stressed. 
• Taking care of yourself: Better nutrition and a balanced diet, a healthy sleeping pattern, and regular exercise will help you feel less stressed and more energized. Try to make sure you eat breakfast each day, get at least 8 hours of sleep, and exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. You can walk around your office during breaks or hit the gym for an hour after work. Even walking the dog or playing with your kids after work can help reduce stress and improve your mood. 

• Staying organized: Keep an eye on your time, don’t rush, and don’t overbook yourself; doing so only increases stress and will ultimately affect your concentration span and work quality. Keeping your schedule and your workload organized helps you get more work done in a timely fashion with less stress and can actually make your quality of work better. 
• Avoiding bad habits: Too often, stressed workers use cigarettes, alcohol, caffeine, or other substances to cope with stress. Avoid these bad habits. They will only deteriorate your health and end up causing you more stress as they can damage your ability to concentrate and do quality work. 
• Avoiding perfectionism: No one is perfect. Learn to take the little mistakes you make in your stride and turn them into a lesson rather than a reason to panic. 
• Finding good de-stressors: Things like listening to music on the drive home, reading a good book, taking some time to do art or knit, spending time with loved ones, etc., can be effective ways to reduce stress after work. 
• Making the workspace your own: Bring photos, printed quotes, and other things to spice up your workspace without making it cluttered. Personalizing your space allows you to feel more comfortable at work. 

• Changing your perspective: Viewing everything as negative or bothersome ends up sapping away energy. Trying to keep your perspective positive can help reduce stress and improve your motivation. 

By reducing your work stress, you can improve your overall productivity and health. Since your mood reflects on those you work with, stress management will also improve your work environment and interpersonal relationships with your co-workers.  

Seeking help for mental health 

Workplace stress can be easily managed by following some self-care tips. However, if none of the tips you use prove to be helpful, then it is time you sought the help of a mental health professional. Chronic stress can lead to the development of mental health disorders like depression, panic attacks, anxiety, and substance abuse among others. 

If you or a loved one is experiencing stress and battling mental health disorders and is looking for a licensed mental health treatment center, get in touch with Invictus Health Group. Call our 24/7 helpline 866-548-0190 and speak to a member of our admissions team. With the help of just a few questions, they can assess your condition and assist your admission to one of our state-of-the-art partner mental health treatment centers. You can also chat online to a representative for more information on mental health services offered.