The phrase ‘stress at work’ has a dual meaning. On the one hand, it simply refers to stress experienced while on the job, usually because of some aspect of it. On the other hand, it can mean that stress is at work on you – stress is working on you, and usually in ways that are extremely unpleasant.
The two different definitions of “stress at work” are actually related, though. Workplace stress creates health issues for you. To better understand the impact of workplace stress, it is important to understand the causes of stress at work so that you can better manage the situation.
Stress at your job can come from any number of causes. It may be that you and your co-workers are expected to meet unrealistic deadlines and goals. A competitive atmosphere at work may be enjoyable for some but if the goals you are expected to meet are not actually improving the way you do business, there is going to be resentment.
The personalities of your manager or colleagues can also be a contributing factor to workplace stress. At companies of all sizes, you are required to work with people who may not be in the right roles or who do not respect others. Many times these people are more interested in advancing their own careers instead of doing a good job.
Those two factors – mis-directed goals and unfair managers – explain the response that most people give when asked if they experience work-related stress and why: absence of control over their lives. Many individuals have well-developed problem solving skills.
Women in the workplace who are also mothers know very well how to manage time, multi-task multiple demands and innovate new solutions. They practice those skills every day at home. They also know a bit more than most about how to settle disputes among individuals, all of whom may be partly wrong and partly right.
Men, too, have ample experience in prioritizing resource expenditures, responding to complaints and deciding when to push and when to compromise. They practice that at home every day.
But the workplace often fails to mirror the freedom to use one’s thinking skills and the power to enact a workable solution. More often, goals come from above and little debate is allowed. Individuals employed in organizations of that kind experience obligations without authority – a guarantee of stress. The single most-often cited reason for stress in the workplace boils down to that – demands, but without the resources to meet them. When an individual is placed in the unresolvable conflict between “I must” and “I can’t”, stress is the inevitable result.
Fortunately, some organizations are beginning to recognize this and are taking steps to change. With luck, you may be employed by one.
Discover more about managing workplace stress at www.HealthHints.org. Visit Shawn Onseo’s site to find information on free tips on stress, fitness, nutrition and more.