Stress, one of the most common afflictions of modern life, has been claimed to be “the epidemic of the 21st century “(International Labor Organization).
Work stress is one that occurs due to the excessive pressure that takes place in the work environment of windows and doors. Generally, it is the consequence of the imbalance between the labor requirement (also one’s own) and the capacity or resources available to fulfill it efficiently. Although sometimes, it can also be caused by factors completely unrelated to the worker. Symptoms can range from mildly moody to severe depression, and are almost always accompanied by some exhaustion and physical weakness. We use the word stress very lightly. It has become part of everyone’s vocabulary. We all use it constantly. However, this is a mistake, since having stress is not just anything. Its consequences can be serious.
From the point of view of the affected person, work stress can cause:
- Diseases and pathologies.
- Motor and cognitive problems.
- Varied disorders, from immunological to sexual.
- Serious psychological disorders that can sometimes lead to suicide.
From the point of view of companies, work-related stress is an element to take into account, since its effects can also be serious:
- Sharp drop in productivity.
- Absenteeism.
- High employee turnover, which prevents the generation of a favorable organizational culture.
- Decrease in the quality of the service / product.
How to prevent work stress?
Fortunately, it is well known measures that work to prevent and even alleviate work stress. Some of them are:
- Balanced diet. This is a must.
- Regular physical exercise.
- Disconnect completely from work once we leave the office.
- Try to always go to bed at the same time and not sleep less than six hours.
- Whenever possible, take a break, through a vacation. They can be short, it can be a city break on any weekend.
We have seen above the serious consequences that for companies can mean that their employees suffer from work stress. It is vital for the smooth running of the company that its employees are satisfied, so all employers should be aware of this problem. It is the duty of managers to take care of the occupational health of their workers. And work stress is a much more common and dangerous reality than we think.
What are the causes of work stress?
The most commons are:
- Excessive responsibility at work.
- Too much workload.
- Problematic human relationships.
- Unsatisfactory working conditions.
Of course, these factors do not affect all people in the same way. There are individuals who can perfectly bear a great workload and yet are not capable of bearing a great responsibility. Or it may be the case of employees who work better under great responsibility. There are also people who are capable of withdrawing and not being affected by a bad environment between colleagues, while for others, this situation can become untenable.