What are the main symptoms of work stress?
Job stress occurs when the demands of the work environment exceed the resources or coping capacities of the worker to cope with them.
It is an adaptive response of the organism that, at first, helps us to respond more quickly and efficiently to a situation of high demand, but prolonged exposure causes our energy reserves to be depleted and important health problems can develop, both physically and psychologically.
The main symptoms that appear in a situation of work stress have to do with reactions of anxiety and nervousness, since the body is hyperactivated and ready to fight (alarm phase). The worker may experience high levels of excitement, worry, anguish and, often, the feeling that he/she is not getting there. This can lead to feelings of fear (of losing the job, of making a mistake, of being negatively evaluated, of not being able to…), but also of anger, irritability and, in general, a high level of emotional tension. Physical problems often appear, such as difficulties in falling or staying asleep, palpitations, pain (headaches, back pain, neck pain, etc.), appetite, digestive, dermatological and/or cardiovascular disorders.
If this situation of high demand and low capacity to cope with it continues, the “resistance or adaptation phase” arises, where the organism is still prepared to fight and adapt, but the effects of wear and tear and frustration become more evident, with more symptoms of mental and physical fatigue, lack of motivation, discouragement, insecurity and/or sadness appearing.
Finally, if it continues over time, the “exhaustion phase” is reached, where the worker may suffer burnout syndrome or professional burnout. In this phase, the symptoms related to sadness and exhaustion become more acute: apathy, discouragement, psychological fatigue, feelings of weariness, desire to flee, feelings of helplessness, mood swings and consequent problems of concentration and performance.
Any of the symptoms can appear at any time, but prolonged exposure to work-related stress depletes the body’s energy reserves and can lead to physical and mental health problems.
Sometimes it is necessary to request a leave of absence due to work stress so that the worker can gather strength and review the situation from a distance, which will allow him or her to recover and be able to make the appropriate changes to face the demands of work again.
Preventing stress is a joint task of the organization and the employee. The best way to prevent it is to manage the risks that have been associated with it and to promote well-being and occupational health. To do this, the organization could:
- Demand tasks adjusted to each profile and try to adapt the demands and the job to the knowledge, capacities and aptitudes of the worker.
- Avoid, as far as possible, excessive overload (or scarcity) of tasks and try to make them clear and specific.
- Encourage the perception of support from superiors (and colleagues).
- Encourage the worker’s feeling of autonomy and control over his or her activity, as well as encouraging participation in decision making about his or her work.
- Implement good physical and ergonomic conditions (temperature, light, ventilation, available space, noise).
- Exercise appropriate leadership (transformational, charismatic).
- Promote good communication and a good working environment.
- Evaluate factors that promote job satisfaction for its implementation (family reconciliation, flexible working hours, teleworking, recognition of work performed and effort, promotion opportunities…).
- Implement programs oriented to the development of resilience strategies, stress management and emotional regulation.
- Administer from time to time validated tools for assessing stress or the main associated risk factors (questionnaires, scales, interviews, etc.).
In general, try to avoid going from a challenging pressure for the worker to stress and excessive demands.
As for the worker:
- Try to achieve good work management and organization and effective time management.
- Develop active coping strategies, focused on the problem (and not on the emotion), appropriate for each task and each moment.
- Search for social support.
- Training in assertive and conflict management skills.
- Training in problem solving and decision making techniques.
- Allowing yourself to delegate (when possible) and asking for help.
- Learning emotional management tools.
- Watching out for over-involvement and over-responsibility.
- Learn to know oneself: What signals does my body give me that indicate that I am stressed? What helps me to release tension and stress?
- Look for moments of rest at work and disconnection outside of work.
- Encourage a sense of humor and relationships with colleagues.
- To practice physical exercise.
- Sleep an adequate number of hours.
- Identify major stressors and learn and practice stress management strategies: meditation, relaxation and breathing techniques.
- Engage in rewarding activities outside the work environment.
- Encourage socialization.
- Adopt healthy lifestyle habits.
In general, treat both, organization and worker, to avoid going from a pressure that represents a challenge for the worker to stress and excessive demands. Demands should be experienced as challenges and opportunities and not as threats.
What are the consequences of work stress on workers who suffer from it?
The consequences of work stress have a global impact, since they affect both the individual and the organization.
At the individual level, there may be consequences on the worker’s physical health (musculoskeletal pain, digestive problems, increased risk of cardiovascular disorders, skin disorders, etc.) and psychological health, which can range from mood swings and anxious-depressive problems to the development of psychopathological disorders. It can also lead to an increase in unhealthy habits such as the consumption of alcohol, tobacco or other addictive substances, as well as physical inactivity and sedentary lifestyles.
At the organizational level, job stress can lead to a decrease in work performance and productivity, low levels of job satisfaction and motivation, less dedication to work and less involvement and commitment, which can lead to an increase in absenteeism, sick leave due to physical or psychological disability, intentions to leave the job or burnout syndrome. Some studies also show a relationship between work stress and an increase in risk behaviors and occupational accident rates and a deterioration of the institutional image.
At the social level, workers suffering from work-related stress may behave in ways that hinder and damage their interpersonal relationships by becoming irritable, suspicious and even aggressive. They sometimes tend to isolate themselves and their behaviors can often deteriorate their relationships and even cause them to lose important support figures.
Some studies show that work-related stress can produce a “contagion effect” among workers, affecting the work environment and the overall performance of workers.
What does a patient have to do to treat job stress?
When a person comes to psychotherapy seeking help for a work stress issue, they have usually been suffering from it for some time, so the most important thing to do at first is to help them repair and heal the consequences and alleviate its effects. It is important that the patient focuses his/her attention on those mechanisms and behaviors that help him/her to regain strength and repair his/her organism, both physically and psychologically.
Subsequently, the main therapeutic objective will be to teach him/her to identify the main sources of stress and its emotional and psychological impact, in order to learn tools and strategies for its management.
Sometimes it is not possible to eliminate stressors, or even to reduce them, in which case the objective will be to increase the worker’s resilience through training in stress management and emotional regulation skills and by learning problem-solving and decision-making techniques, among other individualized practices for each particular patient.
An important psychotherapeutic goal is to work to increase their sense of control and self-efficacy to respond effectively to work demands.