Work Related Stress Symptoms

Stress at workplace is a relatively new phenomenon but has already received worldwide attention. The International Labor Organization (ILO) has termed it as a global epidemic.

A survey reported in Psychology Today, asked 20,000 the emotion that they associated with money. A vast majority spontaneously associated money with anxiety, depression and anger – the three primary emotions associated with stress. Eventually, in a workplace setting these emotional stress symptoms translate into job related stress symptoms.

It does not take a survey for us to know that workplace can be a primary source of stress. The issue is so all pervasive that people who are employed, unemployed or about to be employed feel the stress alike. Those who are unemployed are stressed due to the lack of an earning. Those about to be employed worry about how their job will be like and whether they will like it. One would assume that those who have a job may not feel any stress. However, that is also not true.

Those who are employed face constant stress at workplace due to work pressures related to deadlines, difficult and demanding superiors, and competition among peers, interpersonal rivalry, backstabbing and credit stealing. Workplace stress for factory workers may directly be related to work environment or handling heavy machinery. The economic instability associated with work and potential job losses add to the complexity and the stressfulness of the situation.

Financial worries and fear of a job loss can be a primary source of stress. Economic instability produces fear, uncertainty and doubt in everyone’s mind. The only way to combat workplace stress is to understand the cause of stress and take objective and thoughtful decisions so as to combat the situation. This can only be done if you can free yourself from stress so as to be able to think clearly. For this, you need to understand when stress is taking a toll on your health, thinking ability and decision making capability. Some of the symptoms that you need to watch out for are:

• Absenteeism
• Insomnia
• Loss of concentration
• Inability to complete tasks on deadline
• Short periods of blankness
• Irritability at reaching home and stressed marital and familial relationships
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Substance abuse
• Extreme anger and frustration
• Physical illnesses including cardiac problems, migraine, headaches, stomach problems, and back problems

Make sure that you address these issues seriously since workplace related stress can result in a spiral that continuously pulls you down.

Back to Symptoms of Stress.