Work stress is one of the most widespread mental health problems of our time; It is considered that around 45% of workers in Spain currently suffer from it.
Although Stress may be a positive biological phenomenon in a wide variety of situations by putting us on alert and helping us avoid dangers and overcome crisis situations successfully, this can also become a real health problem both physically and psychologically if it overwhelms us and we do not know it. manage.
Therefore, when we talk about stress, we are not referring to the specific stress that millions of workers experience in their daily lives, but rather to a state of intense and sustained stress that can endanger the physical or emotional balance of the person, in addition to leading to to adopt patterns of behavior that are counterproductive both for oneself and for the organization.
To understand this very common phenomenon in depth and with the aim of creating a guide with which to identify whether or not we suffer from this problem, below We will review the main effects of work stress.
These are the common consequences that work stress has on the mental health and behavior of workers.
1. Decreased productivity
One of the main effects that work stress has on the worker is the decrease in productivity, something that jeopardizes both the achievement of the company’s objectives and the preservation of one’s own employment by the employee.
This decrease in productivity is almost always progressive and becomes more severe the higher the employee’s stress level, something that occurs gradually, but constantly as time passes.
2. Greater propensity to suffer other psychological disorders
As with any type of stress, the psychological effects are those that the person experiences first and since we are not all the same, these can be varied and experienced differently depending on the characteristics of each person.
Some of the main psychological alterations that people with work stress may experience are cases of phobias, depression, the development of addictive behaviors, OCD or eating disorders.
3. Physical symptoms
As with psychological alterations, there are many physical or biological symptoms that people with work stress can develop over time and these depend on the constitution of the individual and also on their psychological characteristics.
The main physical symptoms caused by work stress are sleep disturbances and insomnia, increased heart rate, breathing problems, headache increased blood pressure, muscle pain and fatigue.
4. Lack of organization
As we have mentioned, when a person experiences work stress, they may jointly harbor physical and psychological symptoms that significantly affect their performance at work and also their skills and abilities of all kinds.
This often prevents the person from being able to organize themselves correctly. Sometimes due to excess work, and the impossibility of implementing an effective work method. And others, to an inability to discriminate between those tasks that are more important and those that are less important.
Even the most diligent and organized workers can find that a case of severe stress in their workplace blocks them and prevents them from putting into practice all those professional performance skills that they could previously perform without any problem.
Absenteeism from work is one of the classic effects in cases of severe work stress and occurs when the employee is no longer able to go to his or her workplace due to multiple causes or deficits such as outbreaks of agoraphobia.
This problem represents a great prejudice for both the worker and the company or organization for which he works, since it compromises the corporate objectives and the calendar to which all members of the organization must adhere in the short or long term.
You may be interested: “Absenteeism from work: what it is, types, characteristics and how to prevent it”
6. Cognitive alterations
Some workers who experience work stress may also end up experiencing a series of cognitive alterations that can affect their work abilities and job performance. This is a transitory phenomenon that normally does not leave any after-effects, so as soon as the excess stress disappears, so do these symptoms.
Some of these alterations may be memory loss, difficulties concentrating or problems remembering aspects linked to short-term memory or working memory.
7. Relationship difficulties
Relationship difficulties are also common in cases of work stress, since relationship skills both in the workplace and in the social environment can be seriously diminished.
The relationship problems of a person with work stress can affect the way they relate and communicate with their co-workers and also with their superiors.
8. Burnout syndrome
Burnout syndrome or burned out worker syndrome is a psychological disorder that some people develop when a case of work stress becomes chronic.
This is the highest and most serious stage of this type of stress at work and is characterized by a progressive wear and tear of the person both physically and psychologically. until reaching problematic levels or that endanger the integrity of the person at all levels.
Burnout syndrome is ostensibly more serious than work-related stress and manifests itself in the worker in excessive exhaustion and various psychological alterations that affect the personality and self-esteem of the person who suffers from it.
To do?
These are Some general tips to keep in mind to deal with work stress:
Practice controlled diaphragmatic breathing
Practice Mindfulness
Make sure you have a well-organized workspace
Always keep your schedule and agenda updated
Put the shortest and easiest tasks at the beginning of your work day
Take short breaks to rest at least 10 minutes every 50 minutes.
Practice assertiveness and avoid misunderstandings
Communicate errors in the workflow that you detect in your team or department
If you realize that you cannot do everything, it is advisable to delegate certain tasks to other colleagues or collaborators.
Consider other job options that better fit your knowledge.
Go to psychotherapy
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If you want to start a psychotherapy process, contact us.
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