Tight deadlines, pressure from your higher-ups, and so many quotas to meet. These are but a few potential causes of workplace stress. Even if you enjoy what you do, that doesn’t stop stress from setting in and becoming a part of your career. According to the American Institute of Stress, more than 94% of American adults experience stress in the workplace.
Although it’s common in any work environment, workplace stress can cause even the most ambitious employees to experience emotional and physical burnout.
For this reason, it’s important for anyone to safeguard their mental health by addressing workplace stress as soon as possible. So, if you feel the weight of the work has become too much for you, then this guide is for you:
What causes workplace stress?
Workplace stress can come from a lot of sources at your job, but symptoms are the same throughout. These may include headaches, anxiety, insomnia, delirium, and even short tempers.
In any case, stress can be a product of one or more of these factors at your job:
- No work support. Lack of coordination and guidance can be the primary cause of stress, especially if you are made to handle an unfamiliar task. Without proper mentorship, you are more likely to burn out and lose your enthusiasm for the job.
- Endless workloads. Nothing feels more stressful than having piles upon piles of paperwork to take care of each week. A heavy workload will cause you to take fewer breaks and do overtime work.
- Little to no control over job decisions. Another big cause of work stress is feeling like your choices don’t even matter at your job. This can especially be true if you don’t feel engaged during important meetings.
- Lack of motivation. Not even finding the drive to work in the first place can be pretty stressful. Lack of a motive to do your tasks reduces productivity which, in turn, worsens workplace stress.
How can we handle work stress?
Work-related stress is not something that you can solve in a day. It takes several steps to attain clarity and stay motivated at work:
Gain an understanding from your supervisors
Talk to your supervisors. Let them know how you feel about the current work. Don’t bottle up your emotions. Ask for help when the work is too much for you to handle. Effective communication is how you both can get to the root of work-related stress and come up with a plan to lessen it.
Identify stress pain points
What do you feel causes you the most stress at your job? Keeping a log of your thoughts and feelings at work can help you identify the underlying causes of stress. Did a co-worker cause you to fail on the job? Do you feel hesitant to take on new responsibilities? These and a lot more can cause you to feel anxious. Learning about them is the first step in taking back control of your work rhythm.
Always take the opportunity to rest and relax
Never pass up an opportunity to kick back and relax in your spare time. Many career-oriented people might choose not to relax even though they have the chance to. This causes an imbalance between work and personal life. Without setting boundaries in your career, you become more vulnerable to severe burnout. So, take the time to unwind. More importantly, don’t sacrifice family time to do extra work.
Get a psychiatric evaluation
Oftentimes, workplace stress can come from other factors you might not be aware of. Even if you are not handling a heavy workplace, you can still feel stressed out due to hormonal changes, depression, and even conditions like PTSD. Undergoing a psychiatric evaluation helps you get to the bottom of your experience with stress on the job.
Mental health should always be a priority even as you build your career. If you’re looking for a mental health clinic to help secure your emotional well-being at work, Mid Cities Psychiatry is here to help! Contact us today!