According to the American Institute of Stress, work-related stress has increased over the past few decades. Their statistics show that 47% of employees say their primary stressors come from work, while 77% believe their work-related difficulties have negatively impacted their mental health.
71% of employees have also claimed that the stresses brought on by their jobs have somehow caused personal relationships to end, whether through break-ups or divorce.
That begs an important question: What aspects of work are the common sources of stress? According to the American Psychological Association (APA), it could be due to low salaries and excessive workloads, a job that isn’t challenging enough, a lack of social support and growth opportunities, and unclear expectations from superiors.
The APA notes that a stressful work environment may lead to physical symptoms like headaches, irritability, and high blood pressure, as well as mental issues like anxiety and depression.
Managing work-related stress requires complete detachment from it. An article by Harvard Business Review notes that the mere thought of work prevents you from fully recovering from it.
HBR emphasizes the importance of dedicating a fixed time each day to devote all your attention and energy to activities unrelated to your job. Mindfulness activities also allow for the recognition of stress triggers and, therefore, enable effective detachment.
Speaking of mindfulness activities, the APA recommends tracking stressors through journaling. Journaling involves recording thoughts and feelings about stress triggers, including the people and circumstances that caused them.
Taking notes through journaling allows you to identify stress patterns and how you react to them. It then gives you a clear idea of the necessary coping methods.
We’d also like to hear from you, our readers. If you’re working a corporate job, what about it do you dislike the most? How do you handle work-related stress? Let us know in the comments!
