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How to Manage Work Stress

What is work or job stress? Job stress can be defined as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. In other words, when you start to feel sick and tired because there is too much to do and not enough people or time to do it.

Job stress can lead to poor health and even injury. The concept of job stress is often confused with challenge, but these concepts are not the same. Challenge energizes us psychologically and physically, and it motivates us to learn new skills and master our jobs. When a challenge is met, we feel relaxed and satisfied. Thus, challenge is an important ingredient for healthy and productive work. The importance of challenge in our work lives is probably what people are referring to when they say a little bit of stress is good for you.

Unfortuntately, with layoffs, increased productivity demands, and high unemployment rates, stress on the job is increasing for many people. Certainly, on some level, leaving is always an option. But in reality, most people need their jobs and cannot readily leave them. In this article you will learn about the basic causes of work stress and some strategies to help you cope with a stressful work situation.

Causes of Job Stress

Nearly everyone agrees that job stress results from the interaction of the worker and the conditions of work. Views differ, however, on the importance of worker characteristics versus working conditions as the primary cause of job stress. These differing viewpoints are important because they suggest different ways to prevent stress at work. Much has already been written about how management can make work environments less stressful and more productive for their employees. However, since most people do not work in companies where managers are willing or able to apply those strategies, this article will focus on worker characteristice and on how you, the worker, can best cope with a stressful work situation.

According to one school of thought, differences in individual characteristics such as personality and coping style are most important in predicting whether certain job conditions will result in stress. In other words, what is stressful for one person may not be a problem for someone else. This viewpoint leads to prevention strategies that focus on workers and ways to help them cope with demanding job conditions.

So what are these individual characteristics that can make someone better able to tolerate a stressful working environment? Examples of individual and situational factors that can help to reduce the effects of stressful working conditions include the following:

Balance between work and family or personal life
A support network of friends and coworkers
A relaxed and positive outlook

The catch is that it is much more difficult to have that kind of balance if you are working 60 hours a week in shifts! In the next sections we will explore each of these factors and how to make them work for you.

Balance between work and family or personal life

Although there have been many jokes about Dr. Sigmund Freud and his cigar, there was at least one concept that he had right. There are basically three main areas of life - love, work, and play - and when those areas are in balance we are fairly happy and content. But when those areas get out of balance, we feel bad. Think of it as a triangle. When all three sides are in balance, the triangle looks pretty steady. But when one side or another starts to get out of whack, if the other sides do not compensate, your triangle can start to crumble.

So how are you supposed to achieve balance when you are working excessively, not by your choice? Start small. When you are overcommitted at work, do not make excessive committments at home. Take a look at your schedule and see what things give you pleasure and do them. Skip the activities you don't like. If going out to dinner at a restaurant with friends is something you enjoy, plan it. If, on the other hand, you would rather just order pizza and watch a movie or play video games with your kids, do that. The key is this - When you have a low control, high stress situation at work, you need to exercise more control over your schedule at home and make sure that you include healthy, stress busting activities at home.

If you are married or in a relationship with someone, it is crucial that you include that person in the discussion. Share your feelings with them and work together to make your time at home enjoyable. Excluding them from the discussion and assuming they know how you feel will just cause more stress at home instead of less.

Network of Supportive Friends and CoWorkers

People with supportive friends live longer, healthier lives than those who do not. Why? Because talking about your frustrations with supportive friends helps get them out in the open and can help to put them in to perspective. Keeping your feelings inside can increase your blood pressure and leave your stress hormones high, leading to heart disease and diabetes.

Friends are also good for helping you get your mind off your work and just having fun with. Whether it's sharing the latest joke through the email, grabbing a bite to eat on the way home, or playing in a sports league together, having a network of friends can really help keep work in perspective - and that can make it less stressful and lessen the impact of that stress on your health.

Relaxed Positive Outlook

This is the hard one. Yes, it is difficult to have a positive outlook when half your co workers have been axed and you are now working 80 hours a week to make up for their absence. However, what you tell yourself about a situation has a lot to do with how you feel about it. If you constantly tell yourself it's the end of the world, you are going to feel like it is the end of the world. If, on the other hand, you give yourself more positive messages, you will feel better. Positive messages? No, we're not talking aobut the "I am a good person, I am a good person" stuff you see in sitcoms, although keeping a sense of humor is a great coping mechanism.

Here are some examples of how to think about your situation differently that can help:

I can do my best and no more.
I am not my job.
Yep, things are pretty ugly around here, but this too shall pass.
I'm not crazy, they are.
I actually do have choices and my current choice is to make the best out of this situation.
After work I am going to...... fill in the blank with something fun.

The key is to do your best to keep it in perspective.

Protecting Your Health

Overwork and job stress can negatively impact your health and safety over time. Some early warning signs of job stress include:

Headaches
Sleep disturbance
Difficulty concentrating
Short temper
Upset stomach
Job dissatisfaction
Low morale

When you are in a stressful situation, it is very important to take extra good care of your health. Do your best to make healthy food choices including lots of fruits and vegetables. Try not to smoke and avoid using excessive amounts of alcohol. Although fitting in exercise when you are working too many hours truely is impossible sometimes (if you also want time to eat and sleep), look for opportunities to walk from one place to another or even jump rope while watching television. Exercise has been proven to increase the "happy chemicals" in your brain and can help off set the effects of stress on your body. Stretching is also good for relieving tension in your body. Something as simple as leaning over as if you are going to touch your toes (if you can actually touch them, good for you!) and just hanging there for a minute can help release the tension in your upper body and give your legs a good stretch.

Try your best to get enough sleep so that your body has a chance to rest and regenerate. Drinking alcohol before bed, consuming caffiene, or eating a heavy meal can interfere with sleep. On the other hand, trying your best to keep a quieting routine before bed including a warm shower or bath and a little reading or television watching can help you get to sleep.

Stress, Health, and Productivity - A Summary

Some employers assume that stressful working conditions are a necessary evil, that companies must turn up the pressure on workers and set aside health concerns to remain productive and profitable in today's economy. But research findings challenge this belief. Studies show that stressful working conditions are actually associated with increased absenteeism, tardiness, and intentions by workers to quit their jobs, all of which have a negative effect on the bottom line.

If you are currently in a transitional time of increased work demands, overwork and stress on the job, there are things you can do to help yourself through it. Your Employee Assistance Program is a great place to turn for assistance during trying times at work. However, ultimately the choice is yours to make. If you have tried everything you can to cope, and a stressful work situation that looked short term is lasting years, you have to consider your health and well being and make appropriate choices.