Stress in the Workplace

 

At one point or another, most of us have dealt with stress in the workplace either from external or internal forces.  Stress can be different for everyone. I myself enjoy being under pressure and constantly kept on my toes. But for people like my mother, for example, workplace stress can cause many health concerns.  Reducing job stress is important in order to maintain a healthy mental and physical state. It's important for managers to stay positive in times of stressful situations not only for themselves but for their employees as well.


 Four Ways to Dispel Stress

• Take time away. Taking short breaks and physically moving away from a stressful situation may help reduce stress quickly. Some fresh air never hurts.
• Talk it over with someone. Talking to someone you feel comfortable with about stressful situations may help to let off some steam.
• Connect with others at work. Maintaining friendships with coworkers is a great way to offer support when they are in need as well.
• Look for humor in the situation. Don't take things too seriously, find appropriate ways to lighten the mood in times of stressful situations.

 
A few statistics

• 40% of workers reported their job was very or extremely stressful
• 25% view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives
• Three fourths of employees believe that workers have more on-the-job stress than a generation ago
• 29% of workers felt quite a bit or extremely stressed at work
• 26 percent of workers said they were “often or very often burned out or stressed by their work”
• Job stress is more strongly associated with health complaints than financial or family problems.
• 80% of workers feel stress on the job, nearly half say they need help in learning how to manage stress and 42% say their coworkers need such help
• 14% of respondents had felt like striking a coworker in the past year, but didn’t
• 25% have felt like screaming or shouting because of job stress, 10% are concerned about an individual at work they fear could become violent
• 9% are aware of an assault or violent act in their workplace and 18% had experienced some sort of threat or verbal intimidation in the past year