Workplace stress: What causes stress and how to overcome it

 

Stress at work. How to deal with it? While most of the IT industry has switched to a remote work format, the question arises - have we really started working from home or have we finally settled at work?

 

The need to learn to exist in new realities and do it effectively significantly increases the level of stress, and especially stress at work, because that is where we now spend so much time.

 

In this article, we'll cover the most common causes of stress at work, and our colleagues will share cool stress-relieving techniques that work for them.

But first, let's figure out what types of stress there are, and whether it is as terrible as they say.

 

 Types of stress

Generally speaking, there are two types of stress that we face in life - positive and negative.

 

Positive stress

Think about how you felt when you heard good news, gave a great presentation at work, or received a great birthday present—all these are examples of positive stress. Positive stress:

·       Motivates

·       Causes a surge of energy.

·       mproves performance.

However, it is very short-lived (alas).

 

There is another, much less pleasant type of stress that we experience, if not daily, then quite regularly.

 

Negative stress

Naturally, it is absolutely normal to experience negative stress. Our psyche is adapted to painlessly emerging from a periodic state of negative stress. But if you experience these emotions too often, it can become a real problem.

·       Feeling of restlessness.

·       Feeling of psychological and/or physical discomfort.

·       Decreased ability to work.

·       Irritability.

·       etc.

 

As you can see, we are no longer talking about any motivation or surge of energy. Moreover, negative stress can cause cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal disorders and other dysfunctions. When it comes to mental health risks, excessive stress can become chronic and even lead to burnout.

Good news: stress can be managed. And the first step on this path is to understand the reasons that cause it.

 

Causes of stress at work

The causes of stress at work lie in many things: an uneven workload, monotonous tasks, difficult relationships in a team... The list can be continued almost endlessly. We have collected the most common causes of professional stress.

 

Working conditions and team relationships

Think about it:

·       Do you often work overtime?

·       Are all your strict deadlines justified?

·       Does the manager trust your expertise or descend to the level of micromanagement?

·       Do you have clear criteria for growth?

·       Do you understand how to influence your pay level?

The answers to these questions can show you problem areas, that is, significant causes of stress at work that require your attention.

In addition, frequent conflicts, unhealthy competition within a team, or lack of support from colleagues can be very draining and serve as additional sources of stress.

  

Inconsistency with professional skills

Such causes of occupational stress include:

1. Unclear job responsibilities or lack of understanding of them
2. Excessive or inadequately low requirements for you as a professional from management
3. Too monotonous work
4. Engaging in tasks that demand sustained high activity without the option to transition to quieter activities.
5. Any pressure from management

  

Physical working conditions

At first glance, an uncomfortable chair/table/lighting are little things that cannot affect your stress level. But in fact, these factors can not only significantly spoil your mood due to an aching back and neck, but also begin to irritate you, increase the amount of effort required to complete absolutely ordinary tasks, and even cause procrastination, which in turn triggers stress.

 

Toxic company environment

All of the above causes of professional stress are quite serious, but there are factors that require decisive action here and now. If you experience discrimination, bullying or any kind of harassment (in relation to you or your colleagues), seriously think about changing your company or project, since it is almost impossible to exist in such realities without harm to your health.

  

How to cope with stress at work

We have figured out the causes of stress, which means half the battle is already done. Now it is important to learn the steps that will help you overcome unhealthy stress. Below are several strategies for managing stress in the workplace.

 

1. Clearly define the reasons

Before you “declare war” on stress and start Googling “how to relieve stress in the workplace” every time you encounter it, start by analyzing its key causes for yourself. Observe your condition and well-being during work. Did you feel angry/irritable/panic/raise your voice? What situations made you feel this way or act a certain way?

 

Write down these situations and how you felt, and then analyze whether there are patterns between the factors that caused stress and your reaction to them. This exercise will help you better understand your stressors and how to cope with stress at work.

 

2. Reconsider your relationships with colleagues

Often (or almost always) stressful situations at work arise in the process of communicating with colleagues.

 

Naturally, we cannot control the behavior of other people, just as we cannot completely clear our work environment of individual more or less toxic personalities. What we can do is control our reactions and try to change our attitude towards them (alternatively, we can feel sorry for such people or stop taking them too seriously).

 

If this doesn't help you cope with workplace stress, you can take a bolder step and directly talk to the colleague with whom you are not getting along. It 100% won't be easy, but having these open conversations can help you look at your stressor from a different perspective and sometimes even improve your relationship.

 

3. Master time management and learn to relax

The ability to work remotely is great, but it requires a deeper understanding of the basics of time management, since both work and your personal life occur almost without interruption from each other.

 

When working in any mode, it is important to remember to take breaks to restore your energy and give your brain a rest. Depending on your emotional state (read: exhaustion), you may need a half-hour walk, a couple of extra days off a month, or a full vacation to relax. The main thing is to leave the context of work for this time, and not continue to solve work problems with one hand from the phone.

 

To avoid having to take an extended period of time to recover, you need to learn how to build rest into your routine, and to do this, it is important to understand the basics of time management.

 

4. Add physical activity to your schedule

Only the lazy one didn’t talk about this way to cope with stress at work, like physical exercise. We are not lazy either, so we would like to draw your attention once again: any physical activity is a powerful weapon against stress. Plus, such activity improves brain function, blood circulation, digestion, mood - proven by scientists around the world!

 

5. Use quick stress relief techniques

What if the tension reaches its breaking point? How to relieve stress at work here and now? Catch two quick and effective ways from our colleagues:

Switch your attention. When work stress hits particularly hard, switch to an activity that doesn't require much mental activity. You can ride a bike, listen to music or do something with your own hands. 

Inhale and exhale. Another good way is breathing exercises and meditation.  You can simply do breathing exercises for 2-3 minutes: inhale for 4 counts, hold your breath for 4 counts, exhale for 4 counts.

 In a stressful situation, our brain comes into a state of combat readiness (switches to “fight or flight” mode), and simple breathing helps send a signal to the brain that you are not in danger, which means you can relax a little.

 

6. Don’t be shy to ask for support.

Whatever causes you stress, do not be left alone with this problem. Share with a loved one, colleague or manager what is bothering you.

When you articulate your condition, there is a chance that in addition to support, you will also be able to receive insight into how to cope with stress in the workplace. In addition, it may turn out that you are the only one who goes through such difficulties, and two heads, as we know, are often better than one.

  

How to relieve stress at work: to summarize

It is hardly possible to find a job where there is not a single stress factor. Nevertheless, methods exist for its management:

1.   Find reasons.

2.   Think about reconsidering your relationships with “problematic” colleagues.

3.   Plan your time and learn to relax.

4.   Be physically active.

5.   Learn quick ways to relieve stress.

6.   Don't be shy to talk about problems.

That's all! We hope we've helped you learn more about the causes of stress in the workplace - and that you'll find some techniques in our recommendations to help you overcome it. Good luck!