For some people, the thought of going to work can fill them with fear and stress. It can be that you are worried about the work you are doing, or it might be that stresses outside of work are affecting you. Whatever the reason, the stress you feel can cause issues with your job that can soon make a vicious circle. Here are some of the ways that stress can affect your ability to work and what you can do to resolve it.
What Is Stress?
When it comes to stress, there are many ways that it can manifest itself depending on the situation and the person suffering. Most people will suffer from stress in some form in their lives. It might be that they are taking an exam, or getting married, these can all cause stress. However, some types of stressful situation are better than others, for example, getting stressed about your child?s sports day can be a good thing so that you won?t become worried about that. There are other people that can thrive on the effect that stress can give them. Those that take part in extreme sports or do dangerous jobs can get a kick from the stressful feeling. Stress is a normal reaction to things that can hurt you, although this has now become part of our fear of many things. It is this feeling of worry and impending doom that can cause problems for those that are sensitive to its effects.
Why Can Stress Be Difficult to Recognize?
Unfortunately, there are many reasons why stress and the problems it can cause can be so hard to recognize. After all, if things were that easy to deal with, then there would be a lot more support available in the workplace. For example, when you are looking to identify stressful situations in the business, you might take a look at the employees and see how they are reacting to the job. However, because stress affects people in different ways, one person will struggle, while another will thrive doing the same role. That is why mental health, in general, can be tricky to manage because unlike a broken leg or other physical problem, stress doesn?t react in the same way to different people. That is why it is important that both employers and workers strive to create a framework that will support people.
Emotions
One of the first signs that someone is struggling with stress can be a change in their emotions. Some people that would normally be calm and relaxed can start to become more irritable and uptight about things that are going on at work. If you are working with someone that is reacting in this way, then you should try to speak to them or inform your managers that they might need some support. Another sign can be someone becoming teary or crying that wouldn?t normally react in that way. It could be that they are finding things outside of work stressful and this is spilling out into their work environment. As well as these signs, there can also be a more severe reaction that could involve anger and other violent behavior. These types of reaction need to be dealt with as soon as possible. If you are feeling that you are starting to react in a way that is uncharacteristic of you, then you should stop and think about what might be causing this reaction. It is also important to tell your managers so that they can offer some help.
Motivation
Another series of reactions to be looking out for is motivation. As with other reactions to stress, this can vary according to the person and their tolerance of the situation. For example, if you notice that someone who is normally dynamic and, on the ball, suddenly becoming disinterested and apathetic, then this could be a sign that they are finding things stressful or overwhelming. In some situations, this apathy can be confused with an uncaring attitude or someone that isn?t interested or lazy. In fact, this is often something that people who suffer from anxiety and stress can be accused of when they are actually upset or afraid. Managers need to be aware of these signs, especially when they are unusual for a particular person. They need to discuss the situation with the employee and see if there are any things they can do to assist and support them. Similarly, if you are starting to avoid certain jobs or work entirely because of stress, then you should look to speak to your managers to help you.
How to Deal with Stress Yourself
If you are starting to feel the effects of stress, the first thing you need to do is to identify why you are experiencing these feelings. It might be that you have to take some time to see what is causing you the most stress, as it might not be obvious, even to yourself. What is it in your life that has made you feel this way? Once you have identified the cause, you need to find ways to deal with the stress or try to remove the stress from your life. For example, if you are working in a job that is causing you increasing stress, then perhaps looking at other jobs like doctors hospital jobs can be the answer.
Dealing with Stress as an Employer
As an employer, you want your workers to have the best place to work and also to be happy. If you can achieve this, then your workforce will be happier and healthier as a result. However, if you start to see employees suffering from stress, then you need to find them the support they need to help them. It might mean adjusting their work or finding them a therapist that they can talk to, so they can resolve their problems.
Stress can be a difficult thing to deal with, especially if you feel that no-one understands how you feel.
