Karen had been the ideal worker, always willing to take on new projects, work long hours and weekends — until last year.
There were subtle changes at first. Her demeanor turned from always positive to a growing streak of negativism. She began to have problems sleeping. She felt frustrated with a lack of progress within the agency, and a growing sense of no longer being a part of the team. She started to use sick days for the first time — some for a nagging number of illnesses, some for “mental health” days. Luckily for Karen, she had some friends who recognized the problem she was suffering from was job stress.
Job stress is something we all face as workers — and we all handle it differently. There is no getting around it. But, not all stress is bad, and learning how to deal with and manage stress is critical to our maximizing our job performance, staying safe on the job, and maintaining our physical and mental health. For most people, infrequent doses of job stress pose little threat and may be effective in increasing motivation and productivity, but too much — and too prolonged — can lead to a downward spiral — both professionally and personally.
Whether you work on Wall Street or stay home and raise children, the ‘work’ of your life has a significant impact on your identity, your happiness and your stress level. If you don’t truly like what you do, you need a change, or your happiness and even your health can be affected. Whether you alter things about your current position so that you enjoy your days at work more, or you switch fields entirely, it’s important that you’re spending your days doing something where you feel challenged (but not overwhelmed,) appreciated (but not desperately needed to the point that you can’t take a day off), and where your strengths are being utilized, among other things. Without these and other key factors, you can be at risk for burnout.
There are many different causes of job stress. If you can figure out the cause of your job stress, then you can find a cure. Some possible causes are: Overwork: working late, not taking a vacation, impending layoffs, being in the wrong career, conflict with boss or co-workers, job insecurity, high demand for performance and personal or family problems.
While the causes can be something other than job stress, there are common symptoms and early warning signs of job stress and burnout. If you catch symptoms early, you have a better chance of fixing the problem so you don’t end up with more chronic and serious problems. Some signs to look out for are: insomnia, loss of mental concentration, anxiety, stress, absenteeism, depression, substance abuse, extreme anger and frustration, Family conflict, and physical illnesses such as heart disease, migraine, headaches, stomach problems, and back problems.
Because change is constant in life, stress is an integral part of it. Since we don’t want to perish under it, we have to adhere to the bottom line for survival–adapt.
Following are some of the long-term tips to survive stress:
– Put it in perspective. Jobs are disposable. Your friends, families, and health are not. If your employer expects too much of you, and it’s starting to take its toll on you, start looking for a new job/new employer.
– Modify your job situation. If you really like your employer, but the job has become too stressful (or too boring), ask about tailoring your job to your skills. And if you got promoted into a more stressful position that you just are not able to handle, ask about a lateral transfer — or even a transfer back to your old job (if that’s what you want).
– Get time away. If you feel the stress building, take a break. Walk away from the situation, perhaps walking around the block, sitting on a park bench, taking in a little meditative time. Exercise does wonders for the psyche. But even just finding a quiet place and listening to your iPod can reduce stress.
– Fight through the clutter. Taking the time to organization your desk or workspace can help ease the sense of losing control that comes from too much clutter. Keeping a to-do list — and then crossing things off it — also helps.
– Talk it out. Sometimes the best stress-reducer is simply sharing your stress with someone close to you. The act of talking it out — and getting support and empathy from someone else — is often an excellent way of blowing of steam and reducing stress. Have a support system of trusted people.
– Have realistic expectations. While Americans are working longer hours, we can still only fit so much work into one day. Having unrealistic expectations for what you can accomplish sets you up for failure — and increased stress.
– Nobody is perfect. If you are one of those types that obsess over every detail and micromanage to make sure “everything is perfect,” you need to stop. Change your motto to performing your best, and leave perfection to the gods.
– Maintain a positive attitude (and avoid those without one). Negativism sucks the energy and motivation out of any situation, so avoid it whenever possible. Instead, develop a positive attitude — and learn to reward yourself for little accomplishments (even if no one else does).
Remember, your health is everything. You need to take care of yourself, and no job, customer, or boss is worth putting yourself at risk. Find a way out through one or more of our 10 strategies. Take control of your situation — and fix it — and you will have better mental and physical health, as well as better relationships with the people around you.
Five County Mental Health Authority offers a free program for adults that helps them identity stressors and teaches communication skills titled “ Coping with Work and Family Stress”.
If you or your company is interested in having Five County present this program, please call Anne Williams at 252-430-3461 or Gina DeMent at 252-430-3031 for more information.
For more information on stress, go to www.fivecountymha.org and click on “Network of Care”.