7 Causes of Stress at Work

You deserve a work environment you can live with

positive attitude
You deserve a work environment you can live with

Stress at work can be very harmful to you, your employer and your family. It can have a major impact on your mental state, causing depression and bouts of anger. Stress at work can also be very costly for everyone.

Knowing what causes stress at work and how to prevent it can therefore be invaluable to you, and your work life balance.

What is Stress at Work?

Stress at work 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 (link to pdf document on the six basic human needs) needs of the worker.”

The Causes of Stress in the Workplace

  • You are involved in hectic and routine tasks that have little meaning and do not provide you with enough control.
  • You have a heavy workload, long working hours and infrequent rest breaks.
  • You do not receive support from your line manager. Your co-workers create poor working environments and therefore greater job stress.
  • You have little input in decision making and/or your environment lacks communication between yourself and your employer.
  • Your expectations of your role do not meet those of your employer. Your role is not clearly defined, and/or you have too much or too little responsibility.
  • You do not have opportunities for growth, development or promotion.
  • Your actual working environment is noisy, polluted, and/or exposes you to dangerous or unpleasant conditions.

Awareness of the possible causes of stress at work makes it a lot easier to deal with the stress. After all, if you do not know what causes your stress, how can you ever manage to get rid of it?

How To Manage Anxiety - And Other Stress Related Concerns.

10 Tips to Beat Stress

  1. Avoid nicotine, alcohol and caffeine. They are all stimulants, so they cannot calm you down. If you’re stressed, steer clear of them and keep yourself well-hydrated by drinking water instead.
  2. Work off stress with physical activity. Pressure or anger releases adrenaline in the body. Exercise helps to reduce it, and produces ‘good mood’ substances in the brain. Go for a brisk walk around the block when you feel tense, and try some regular exercise after work.
  3. Relax with a stress reduction technique every day. Try self-hypnosis—it’s very easy and can even be done at your desk. Or think up a self-affirming mantra to repeat to yourself (e.g. ‘I deserve calm in my life’, or ‘I have a choice in every situation’). Repeat it to yourself whenever you feel tense.
  4. Get enough sleep. Sleep is essential for the body to function properly. Sleeping pills are not necessary if you change your lifestyle. If you’ve habitually skimped on sleep, you probably won’t even remember how it feels to wake up fully rested. Give it a go for a week and see if there’s a difference in how you perform during the day.
  5. If you’re ill, rest. Don’t just carry on regardless. Working will tire the body and prolong the illness. Recognise that you have limits and don’t carry on as if you were firing on all cylinders.
  6. Agree with people once in a while! Life should’t be a constant battleground. Even if you disagree with someone, avoid conflict by just agreeing or keeping quiet. After all, they have a right to their opinion, just as you do.
  7. Learn to accept what you cannot change. A well known prayer asks for the serenity “to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference”. This philosophy will help you avoid unhappiness, cynicism and bitterness.
  8. Listen to your body. When you are tired, hungry or thirsty, do something about it. Also, recognise stress and anger in your day and counter it immediately with a brisk walk, ten minutes in deep relaxation or whatever works for you. Order a batch of our ‘stress spots’ to put around the house or office so you can test your stress levels whenever you like.
  9. Learn how to say ‘no’. Simple, but effective. Where a ‘no’ is the appropriate response, say it without guilt.
  10. Manage your time. Take one thing at a time. Don’t overdo things. Create time buffers to deal with unexpected emergencies. And recognise that your day to day problems and responsibilities are the things that cause stress in your life. Tackle them with a system that works for you.

For further information regarding the benefits of coaching as a solution to your stress management problems, please contact us here at Three Cornerstones Coaching.