Work stress-related has always been a problem, ever since industrialisation changed the way we work. But even if this change meant people didn’t have to rely only on agriculture to provide for their families, that didn’t eradicate all the labour-related risks. Maybe more than ever, people are pressured to comply with small wages, poor working environments and bad management, which is causing stress-related illnesses that eventually aggravate over time. But why do these things happen?
What causes workers to stress out?
Worldwide, only 9% of workers enjoy their jobs, while more than half are not engaged. This can have many causes, including:
- Small wages. Few industries have fulfilling salaries that can help employees live decent lives. Especially in the least developed countries, workers are paid close to nothing while employers make a profit.
- Too much workload. Sometimes, employers assign too many tasks for only a few employees (or cannot do this correctly, so tasks pile up and tight deadlines happen).
- Working overtime. It shouldn’t be done anymore, but some people are still asked to work overtime, and some of them are not even paid.
- Bad management. Some businesses have a poor work culture, which leads to unnecessary rude and stressed teams. Sometimes, harassment and discrimination are included, even if they’re not talked about enough.
- Few promotional opportunities. Some jobs don’t offer the chance to evolve at the workplace, so people don’t have the choice of growing and learning more to improve their work life.
Another major cause of work-related stress is the lack of equipment and proper resources, so employees have to make ends meet and improvise while having to perform. This is also the reason why accidents at the workplace happen, especially in physical work environments.
What are the symptoms of stress?
Stress shouldn’t be underestimated, as it can lead to more serious health problems and alter the quality of one’s life. When talking about the symptoms, here are three categories that can help you find out if you or someone else suffers from stress:
- Physical symptoms: headaches or dizziness, muscle tension, stomach problems and faster heartbeats;
- Mental symptoms: struggling to concentrate and make decisions, feeling overwhelmed, worried all the time and being forgetful;
- Changes in behaviour: being irritable, sleeping and eating too much or too little, avoiding people and drinking or smoking more than usual;
Moreover, if you suffer from chronic stress, you might experience anxiety, high blood pressure and weakness. Ignoring these symptoms can lead to other illnesses, like heart disease, depression and obesity. It’s best to be honest with yourself when going through such hard times and talk to someone about your feelings ― letting it all out is the first step toward solving the issue.
Can you alleviate such symptoms?
Getting rid of stressful feelings is not easy, mostly because people are different, and if something works for a certain person, it may not be the same for you. But what’s for sure is that if you want to feel better, something might need to change in your life, so take your time and analyse what’s happening that’s bothering you. Is it work? Or do you have some family issues going on? Try to figure out the problem, and then find out what works as a stress relief.
Set limits. Sometimes, we’re tempted to make a lot of commitments to please people, which can make us feel overwhelmed. Therefore, you should limit your responsibilities and focus on yourself more. If you’ve watched the Yes Man movies, you might know how it feels to say yes to everything. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t get you as far as people say if life; that’s why you have to find balance.
Meditate. One easy thing to do is try mindfulness. This recent practice can help people be more present in their lives and control their emotions. It’s also pretty easy to do it: you have to find a quiet place where you can lay down, close your eyes and let your thoughts roam around. With time and practice, you’ll be able to notice patterns in your behaviour, and you’ll have better control over your reactions to outside events.
Start a new hobby. Doing something you enjoy can out-weight the daily pressure of striving for the best performance at work. Reading, journaling or even gardening are believed to benefit people that suffer from stress. For example, you can try planting autoflowering cannabis seeds to grow autoflowers (if your country allows it). Maybe you’ve already heard about it, but Cannabis can ease the symptoms of stress and even alleviate physical pain. But you should be careful where you take such products from because some manufacturers do not provide them from organic farms or are not registered, unlike Seedsman.
What can be done to minimise stress as a business?
At the top of the list, businesses are the ones that put pressure on their employees for profit. But a great company is able to understand that employees are not robots, so they can’t do their best all the time, and for sure, they can’t work prolonged hours. So, what a business can do to minimise the risk of stress is:
- Encourage workplace wellness by inspiring workers to take short walks on their breaks or providing them with healthy snacks;
- Allow for flexible hours and remote working because it’s important to let them know you trust them to work from anywhere, at any time they feel comfortable doing it;
- Promote social activities to help employees feel more relaxed around each other;
- Provide counselling to prepare employees for stressful work events;
- Recognise its employees so that they feel appreciated. It’s more efficient to be aware of their efforts and be vocal about their skills instead of giving them more work to do.
Knowing how to manage stress among the employees has plenty of benefits for business, including higher employee morale, fewer sick days and less employee turnover. These factors can contribute to a successful company that values its employees and, therefore, values customers.
In conclusion, everyone is stressed out about their work, but at the end of the day, we should look for ways to enjoy our lives and prioritise ourselves more
