Career and work are an integral part of who we are. Work-related stress and anxiety can be found in all professions, even if you enjoy your job. When stress becomes prolonged or intense in nature then its effects on your health may become detrimental to both mental and physical wellbeing.
Education holds the key to successful stress-management. Learn about the common causes and symptoms of workplace stress and anxiety, as well as effective coping strategies.
Causes of Work-Related Stress
There are many potential stressors in the workplace. To manage them, you need an approach that not only identifies which ones exist but also what causes it and what we can do about it.
The common factors that cause work-related stress include:
- Poor relationships with colleagues and management
- Role conflict
- Lack of proper resources
- Long hours
- Changes within the organization
- Job insecurity
- Micro-management
- Discrimination
- Heavy workload
- Tight deadlines
- Changes to responsibilities
- Organization culture
- Harassment
- Discrimination
The Risks of Prolonged Work-Related Stress
A stressful work environment can cause behavioral, physical and psychological side effects.
Behavioral symptoms may include:
- Inability to concentrate
- Drug or alcohol misuse
- Disinterest
- Diminished initiatives
- Tardiness, increased amount of sick days
- Irritability and impatience
- A drop in work performance
- Problems with interpersonal relationships
Physical symptoms include:
- Frequent headaches
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- High blood pressure
- Heart palpitations
- Sleeping disruptions, insomnia
- Digestive problems
- Skin problems
- Eating too much or not enough
Psychological symptoms include:
- Lack of focus
- Racing thoughts
- Higher chance of making poor decisions
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Irritability or anger
- Pessimism
- Forgetfulness
How Do You Deal with Workplace Stress?
In order to manage stress in the workplace, it is important that you understand how cognitive behavioral therapy techniques work. These may be useful for reducing your level of tension and anxiety at work!
Relaxation Techniques:
The physiological influences of the fight-or-flight responses can be minimized by relaxation. Periodic muscular relaxation helps to reduce muscle contractions caused by anxiety. For this technique, you will need to sit down comfortably with your eyes closed. Working your way up from your feet, tighten and relax each muscle group. Hold tension in your muscles for 10 seconds and releasefor 20 seconds. Think “relax” to yourself every time you relieve muscle tension. This technique, along with many other relaxation techniques, can help lessen anxiety and depression.
Addressing Challenges:
Problem-solving is an effective coping technique in which people are taught to take particular actions when confronted with a bottleneck or obstacle. Recognizing the issue, discussing potential alternatives, evaluating the options, devising an implementation plan, and testing the proposed solution are all part of the process.
Mindful Meditation:
The capacity to concentrate attentively on the current situation with a sense of wonder, compassion, and forgiveness is defined as mindful meditation. Stress can be intensified when we concentrate on the old days, wonder about the future, or engage in self-criticism.
Mindfulness can help instruct the brain to break bad behaviors. Mindfulness skills can be developed through formal practice (such as guided meditation) and casual exercises (such as mindful walking), as well as through mindfulness applications or courses. Mindfulness-based therapies are useful for treating symptoms of depression and anxiousness. To find out how you can benefit from practicing mindfulness, contact My Psychiatrist in Florida and start your journey to a more fulfilling life.
Negative Feelings Should Be Appreciated:
Chronic stress and anxiety might cause people to create a psychological filter that instinctively evaluates circumstances negatively. A person may draw unfavorable inferences based on limited or no facts and question their capability to cope with pressures. To reconsider negative thoughts, see them as hypotheses rather than facts, and investigate alternative options. Regular practice of this technique can aid in the reduction of negative feelings in reaction to stimuli.
Coping With Workplace Stress:
If you’ve tried various techniques to manage your workplace anxiety but haven’t noticed any improvement, your employer may not be a good fit for you.
At My Psychiatrist, our licensed providers offer career counseling, life coaching and motivational interviewing amongst other services. Visit My Psychiatrist at out four convenient locations in South Miami, Hollywood, Oakland Park, Boca Raton, Florida or via Telemedicine.
We are here to help.
