Work Issues
Historically, work-related stress was perceived to be a problem only in jobs with high pressure and low pay, such as teaching and social services. Today, this is no longer the case; work-related stress has become an epidemic spreading like wildfire.
Nowadays, we spend more time at the office than any other place. Therefore, it would make sense that the content of our work, our work environment, and the people with whom we work, combined in various ways, can add a significant amount of stress to our lives. Apart from physical problems, work-related stress can lead to poor job performance, accidents on the job, termination, and violence. Organizations lose an estimated $200 billion a year in stress-related accidents, lost productivity, absenteeism, and medical insurance costs. Many of us have become so accustomed to being in a permanent "fast-forward" mode, we do not even realize that we are significantly stressed out.
Here are some sources of work related stress:
External Factors:
- Situations or people at work with whom you have no control
- Technology overload
- Lack of staffing and other resources
- Not enough training or supervision
- Lack of job security and changes at the workplace
- Poor working conditions
Internal Factors:
- Having unrealistic expectations of yourself
- Having unrealistic expectations of the job
- Being unaware of your limitations and shortcomings
Symptoms of Work-Related Stress:
Physical symptoms
- Headaches
- Digestive problems
- Sleep deprivation
- Constipation
- Rashes or hives
- Heartburn
- Night sweats
- Diminished sexual desire
- Difficulty with orgasm
- Menstrual irregularities
- Chronic back pain
- Other muscle tensions
- Loss of appetite
- Weight gain
Emotional, mental or behavioral symptoms:
- Increased anger
- Frustration
- Depression
- Moodiness
- Anxiousness
- Guilt
- Loneliness
- Problems with memory
- Fatigue
- Lowered self-esteem
- Increased use of nicotine/alcohol/drugs
- Frequent lateness
- Increased absenteeism
- Social withdrawal at the workplace
- Overreaction to small things
- Accidents on the job
- Complaints from coworkers
- Decrease in work productivy
- Taking longer to complete deadlines and daily job functions
- Difficulty in recalling instructions, and understanding officprocedures
- On the job absenteeism (You are physically at work, but have difficulty concentrating on the job)
- Taking long coffee breaks
- Excessive personal time on the telephone or Internet
