Occupational stress can be caused by an excessive workload, added pressure and traumatic situations. How do we survive, asks registered psychotherapist Amanda Grech.

The ability to deal with stress can be a determining factor between success and failure at work. Increased stress enhances productivity and spurs peak performance only up to a point. When job stress is acute and prolonged, performance wanes rapidly and gives way to symptoms of occupational stress, including low energy levels, concentration difficulties and a general negative attitude.

Taken to an extreme, chronic stress has serious implications also on mental and physical health as it is associated with various problems including a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, headaches and depressed feelings.

For the most part, people seem to recognise the adverse effects of stress – however, more workers push themselves to the limit, at times teetering on the brink of mental and physical health.

Stress is commonly understood to stem out of situations in which demands go well beyond one’s perceived ability to deal with them. Yet the demands that are stressful for one person are not necessarily stressful for another. Stress is a subjective phenomenon: for instance, some people find office work stressful and they function better in a career that involves dealing with people and vice-versa.

Occupational stress is not only brought about by an excessive workload. Two major contributors to high levels of stress at the workplace are related to the role of the employee, more specifically, role conflict and role ambiguity. Role conflict refers to those situations where employees are expected to endorse two or more conflicting roles, while employees experiencing role ambiguity are not clear about who they are at the place of work and how they should behave. In both these situations, people feel that they cannot cope adequately with the demands of their job.

Career progression can also cause stress. People at times push themselves to work hard for a promotion, under the delusion that things will get better when they reach their immediate goal. Work promotions tend to bring about more pressure and responsibilities, thus adequate stress management becomes a more valuable task as people work their way up the career ladder.

Another contributing factor to job stress is perfectionism. When workers pursue perfection, they are setting themselves up for failure, losing their esteem in the process.

Those experiencing excessive stress over an extended period of time risk burnout. The latter is understood as incessant emotional exhaustion, physical fatigue and cognitive tiredness. This kind of exhaustion brings about significant amount of suffering. Running on empty for a prolonged period of time, employees feel withdrawn, increasingly sad, irritable, and they often neglect important aspects of their lives such as their relationships and healthy eating. The effect of burnout spreads to other areas of the organisation such as the management and service users.

A category of job stress which is often neglected is secondary traumatic stress, also referred to as vicarious trauma. This applies to workers who deal with traumatic situations such as lawyers, journalists, humanitarian workers and healthcare providers. Vicarious trauma is the emotional impact resulting from repeated exposure to traumatic information and stories. Employees who are vicariously traumatised may adopt a negative or cynical perception of their place of work and of the world. Other symptoms include sadness, irritability, detachment, nightmares, insomnia, and in some cases substance misuse.

When not handled well, stress brings about pain and suffering, thus it is essential for people to learn and master the skills of stress management. One way to cope with stress is by preventing it. Some people need to hit rock bottom before they realise that they need to do something. They ignore early signs of stress and push themselves to the point when they cannot function effectively. Reasons for this vary. Some try to please everyone and find it difficult to say no. They do not manage to voice their problems and keep pushing themselves, hoping that someone will perceive their hurdles. Other people do not acknowledge their limitations, and keep devoting energy to their workplace, without taking care of themselves in the process.

Employees who know their limits and what they need to recreate their energies are at a lower risk of burnout. Prevention in the form of self-care, including a healthy lifestyle and balanced priorities both in life and work, supports employees to handle stress in a healthy manner. On a more practical side, good planning, adequate time management and organising can play an important role in preventing an overwhelming situation.

When prevention fails, changing the way individuals respond to a stressful situation may prove fruitful. People benefit when they take a step back and prioritise sensibly. Some problems may be reframed into opportunities. Employees who work in emotionally demanding jobs such as social workers and carers benefit from supervision.

One of the main functions of supervision is to provide staff a reflective space to chew on their work in a supportive environment. Workers are encouraged to mull over the emotional impact of their work. Research shows that good quality supervision enhances best practices, increases job satisfaction and reduces staff turnover.

Interpersonal support is a key factor in dealing with work related stress particularly when the situation cannot be modified. The sources of support can come from systems outside the work environment such as spouses, friends or social clubs. Supportive relationships with managers and colleagues are beneficial in helping workers deal with thorny situations as they feel recognised, understood and supported.

Mismanaged stress not only has a negative impact on the individuals experiencing it but it also takes its toll on relationships and family life. Research shows that when exhausted, individuals tend to spend more time away from family, display anger and are likely to become emotionally detached from family matters. It is essential for people to be aware of the consequences of the choices they make, as the effective management of stress truly makes a difference to one’s health, career prospects and family life.

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