managing stress at work essay

How to Manage Stress at Work Essay

Introduction.

Stress is among the major costly and significant cause of health troubles and mental agony. Stress at work place is considered the major primary stressor. Work stress is thought to affect individuals psychological and physical health as well as the organizations effectiveness in adverse manner. Work stress is one of the ailments that are acknowledged worldwide to be affecting the healthiness of the organization and the health or workers.

Workers who are stressed out will probable have a low motivation towards their work. In addition, stress can be detrimental to such member of staff as it possesses potential danger to their safety at work and in generally their efficiency is extremely low.

Pressures at workplace and at home can cause stress. Sometimes it may be beyond employees mandate to protect the staff against the stress caused by external factors for instance domestic strife but they can protect them from the stress that arises from work (Mandler, 2008).

Stress has proved to be a major challenge in the realization of the organization objectives. It may have adverse effects on the organization and the workers. Effective and good management and an aspect of good organizational structure and culture play a vital role in stress prevention.

In case the staffs are already stressed, the management should be aware of the situation and possibly devise a mechanism of addressing the challenge. There is generally low or minimal stress when one is adorned with resources, time, and experience to manage the challenges in any given situation.

Stress can be viewed as a negative experience that deprives the organization of the productivity potential and it is an inevitable consequence of an occurrence. Stress depends on the peoples perceptions and attitudes towards a given situation and this determines how they will cope with the situation.

To be able to develop stress management strategy for any organization, it will be essential to understand the causes of the stress in any given organization (Davis, Eshelman, McKay & Fanning, 2006).

Causes of Stress and Solutions

There are many possible causes of stress in any work set-up. It is vital to recognize and identify the main causes of stress in any organization and be able to develop mechanism of coping up with the challenges that stress at work is likely to present.

Among the typical stress, inducers include the cases of excess workload which most of them do not have realistic deadlines to deliver, this is likely to make people rush, and this puts the employees under pressure. Most of the people are overwhelmed in these situations. On the contrary having insufficient workloads may also result in stress as the individuals feel underemployment and their skills are not being maximized.

In such scenarios, one feels the organizations may not appreciate the potential at their disposal. It would be important to define clearly the tasks to be done in any given timeframe and both the interested parties to be involved in the generation of the work plan that will guide the operations or the activities to be done at any given time.

Another possible cause of stress is when one lacks control of the work he or she is in charge. The lack of control of the activities at work may result in one being stressed since the individuals cannot plan or organize the work according to his or her wish. Poor working relationship and lack of interpersonal support is likely to affect ones performance in any organization.

Such scenarios make staff feel isolated and their general lack of coordination of the activities in the organization. In such cases, it is very important to define the line of command and the individual’s area of jurisdiction to minimize conflicts (Davis, Eshelman, McKay & Fanning, 2006).

The demands on individuals to do the job that they do not have experience on may also expose one to stress conditions. Having insufficient training in most of the tasks one is involved in is likely to frustrate one in carrying out their responsibilities at the organization. Here most individuals are not able to deliver and are at risk as a result of fear of not being able to deliver the expected outputs in a given task assigned to them.

It is important that the right people are employed for the right job. During hiring, it would be important for the supervisor of any individuals to go through the job descriptions and evaluation to be done to identify the training needs that the staff may need to be able to perform the given task effectively.

There are also challenges associated with promotion into a new position. Most people find it difficult to settle when given a new position especially when it comes to promotions.

The requirements for adapting to a new office contribute to such pressure. Such challenges come with the more demands that the position presents and the changes in the possible relationship and associations with colleagues. The organization should have clearly defined rules governing promotions and pay increment procedures that are transparent where every due recognition must be given t9o the deserving individual

There are concerns related to job security, most people feel under pressure to deliver in order to be guaranteed their job. Such scenarios lead to people working extra hours and sometimes out themselves under unnecessary pressure with an aim to impress. This can be said to be caused by lack of other career opportunities, which leads individuals to stick to the job they may not be comfortable with.

People also get stress as they strive to get pay rise or attain a certain level of pay level. Most of the jobs pay individuals based on the output and most of the jobs are such that the more you work the more the possible returns. It will be essential to cultivate the culture where individuals explore mechanisms of working smart rather than working hard. Working harder has shown to detrimental to people physical and health situation.

There are also cases of harassment and bullying that is reported in most organization. This usually happens in all levels of work. The causes for the bullying and harassment are believed to be varied from the racial factors, gender, age, and affiliation in the organization. Cases of sexual harassment have gone unattended because the victims fear the stigmatization that may result.

Such cases have been reported in most organization where men and women have been sexually exploited at the expense of their ethical believes and subscriptions and this has led to many suffering in silence (Muchinsky, 2009). It will be essential for the system to have in place an amicable mechanism that is able to address such cases without making the fuss on the victims.

Most of the racial cases will require the cultivation of the spirit of team work where all the players in organization feel being part of the organization. Such situations will require the top management team lead by example and have an open system where the members work together as a team and not like a gang where consultation is not allowed.

The system must also be open in such a way that appropriate consultation is carried out when any major decision is made that is likely to impact on the life of any staff in the organization to reduce the cases of uncertainty and rise of informal organization.

There are incidences of blame culture where no one wants to be accountable for the action or mistake. The existence of blame culture within any business set up arise when people in the organization are not willing to take responsibility for any action or mistake that has occurred in the organization.

This has resulted in rise in temperature especially when the mistake is likely to have serious effects on the organizations performance or image. It is essential that everybody be trained to take responsibility for his or her actions.

The organizations must clearly define the job profiles for all staff members. Furthermore, the chain of command must be developed and who is in charge of which department be clearly stipulated to reduce uncertainty when it comes to who takes responsibility or credit for any happenings in the department.

Existence of weak and ineffective management in any organization is likely to stress most of the good staff. Such scenarios mostly leave the staff with a sense of absence or lack of direction and this mostly frustrates their effort in pursuing their individuals and organizations goals.

The lack of direction has such far-reaching effect to the organizations performance. On the reverse, there are cases where there is over-management and here we see the employees feeling undervalued in the organization and this may affect their self-esteem. It is very essential for the management to be able to clearly define the lines of command and have an all-inclusive decision making structure in all levels of management.

The organization must have clear organs at the various levels of management. The set up should be in such that the decisions made at operational level are binding. The same should be the case with decisions made at the tactical management level and the strategic management level. The organizations should have an effective decision support system at all levels that are informed of the decisions being made.

All the staff would like to play their role in various levels, the ability of the organizations to delegate the decisions to various levels of management would cultivate the culture of collectiveness, and this would promote the inclusiveness of all the stakeholders in the running of the organization (Hackman, 2007).

In such cases the staff will be motivated and their contribution in various consultative meetings is likely top boost their value to the organizations and their self-esteem.

Another evident cause of stress is the existence of different levels of reporting and mostly with different goals and objectives. This can result in conflict, as each manager would like his or her work to be treated as urgent and important. This is likely to put a lot of pressure on the individuals and forced to treat every work on table as very urgent and important.

Operating in such a quadrant may result to individual breakdown and there are tendencies of poor performance. It will be essential for all the managers to be consulted when drafting the work plan of the staff to minimize the conflict of interest when carrying out the work when one is reporting to multiple managers. This is likely to be achieved when the time allocated for serving each manager is well documented as specified.

There must be a working mechanism put in place to addressing the possible conflicts that may arise in such circumstances. The staff must be advised on how to plan the work and be able to given promises on what he or she can realistically deliver.

Planning your work is likely to reduce the last minute rush to meet every deadline. Having ones, priority right is likely to productively, guide individual’s performance in such cases (Muchinsky, 2009).

The failure by the management to inform the employees of any impending changes is likely to result in stress. Decisions that are likely to have a long term effect on the future of the employees must be communicated clearly to the staff and there should be a reliable conflict address system in place to act as mediators in case such decisions are likely to affect the operations in the organizations (Hackman, 2007).

Determination of the stress causes and addressing the challenges is very important in the survival of any organization. The procedure will always take into account the job analysis of the staff, the psychological assessment of the employees and the management, the legal issues related with the personnel selection and hiring procedures.

All these must be factored when determining the effective program to address the already stressed staff or reduce the likelihood of the situation from deteriorating.

Davis M., Eshelman E., McKay M. & Fanning P. (2006). The Relaxation and stress reduction workbook. California, CA: New Harbinger Publication.

Hackman, R.J. (2007). Leading teams setting the stage for great performances. Massachusetts, MA: Harvard University Press.

Mandler, G. (2008). Thought, memory and learning: Effects of emotional stress . New York, NY: Free Press.

Muchinsky, P.M. (2009). Psychology applied to work. 9th Ed. Summerfield, NC: Hypergraphic Press.

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9 Ways to Cope With Work Stress and Avoid Burnout

Elizabeth Scott, PhD is an author, workshop leader, educator, and award-winning blogger on stress management, positive psychology, relationships, and emotional wellbeing.

Rachel Goldman, PhD FTOS, is a licensed psychologist, clinical assistant professor, speaker, wellness expert specializing in eating behaviors, stress management, and health behavior change.

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Create a Pre-Work Ritual

• Understand Expectations
• Avoid Conflict

Plan Ahead to Stay Organized

Create a comfortable work environment, choose chunking over multitasking, walk at lunch.

• Do Your Best
• Listen to Music

Research has indicated that the percentage of Americans who are stressed at work is high—and it’s only getting higher. According to a survey of more than 2,000 full-time U.S. employees, ages 18-79, more than half of employees find themselves stressed during at least 60 percent of the workweek.

Work stress has significant health consequences that range from relatively benign (like getting more colds and flus) to potentially serious (such as heart disease and metabolic syndrome).

While stress at work is common, finding a low-stress job is hard (if not impossible). A more realistic approach is to adopt effective coping strategies to reduce stress at your current job. You can take steps to manage work stress by sticking to a positive morning routine, getting clear on requirements at work, adopting smarter time management techniques, and other strategies outlined in this article.

On May 19, 2022, Verywell Mind hosted a virtual Mental Health in the Workplace webinar, hosted by Amy Morin, LCSW. If you missed it, check out this recap to learn ways to foster supportive work environments and helpful strategies to improve your well-being on the job.

After scrambling to get the kids fed and off to school, dodging traffic and combating road rage , and gulping down coffee in lieu of a healthy breakfast, many people arrive to work already stressed. This makes them more reactive to stress in the workplace.

You might be surprised by how affected by workplace stress you are when you have a stressful morning. When you start off the day with planning, good nutrition, and a positive attitude , you might find that the stress of your job rolls off your back more easily.

Get Clear on Your Expectations for the Day

A factor known to contribute to job burnout is unclear requirements for employees. If you don’t know exactly what is expected of you, or if the requirements for your role keep changing with little notice, you might become extremely stressed.

If you find yourself never knowing if what you are doing is enough, it may help to have a talk with your supervisor. You can take the time to go over expectations and discuss strategies for meeting them. This can relieve stress for both of you!

Avoid or Reduce Conflict With Colleagues

Interpersonal conflict takes a toll on your physical and emotional health. Conflict among co-workers can be difficult to escape, so it’s a good idea to avoid conflict at work as much as you can.

Don’t gossip, don’t share too many of your personal opinions about religion and politics, and steer clear of "colorful" office humor.

When possible, try to avoid people who don’t work well with others. If conflict finds you anyway, make sure you know how to handle it appropriately.

Even if you’re a naturally disorganized person, planning ahead to stay organized can greatly decrease your stress at work. Being organized with your time means less rushing in the morning to avoid being late as well as less hustling to get out at the end of the day.

Keeping yourself organized can also mean avoiding the negative effects of clutter, and being more efficient with your work.

Another surprising stressor at work is physical discomfort, often related to where you perform most of your daily tasks (such as your desk).

You might not notice you're stressed if you're sitting in an uncomfortable chair for just a few minutes, but if you practically live in that chair when you’re at work, you might have a sore back and be more reactive to stress because of it.

Even small things like office noise can be distracting and cause feelings of low-grade frustration. Do what you can to create a quiet, comfortable, and soothing workspace.

Multitasking was once heralded as a fantastic way to maximize one’s time and get more done in a day. However, people eventually began to realize that if they had a phone to their ear and were making calculations at the same time, their speed and accuracy (not to mention sanity) often suffered.

There is a certain "frazzled" feeling that comes from splitting your focus and it doesn’t work well for most people. Instead of multitasking to stay on top of your tasks, try another cognitive strategy like chunking .

Many people feel the ill effects of leading a sedentary lifestyle. You can combat the physical and mental effects of work stress by getting some exercise on your lunch break .

If your schedule allows for it, you might try taking short exercise breaks throughout the day. This can help you blow off steam, lift your mood, and get into better shape.

Do Your Best and Reward Yourself

Being a high achiever might make you feel good about yourself and help you excel at work, but being a perfectionist can create problems for you (and those around you).

You might not be able to do everything perfectly, every time—especially in a busy, fast-paced job. A good strategy to avoid the perfectionism trap is always striving to just do your best and making time to congratulate yourself on your efforts. You may find that your results are better and you’ll be much less stressed at work.

Listen to Music on the Drive Home

Listening to music offers many benefits and can be an effective way to relieve stress before, during, and after work. Playing an uplifting song while you make breakfast can help you start the day off feeling better prepared to interact with the people in your life. Likewise, combating the stress of a long day with your favorite music on the drive home can help you wind down and feel less stressed when you get there.

Press Play for Advice on Coping With Stress

Hosted by therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares how you can change your mindset to cope with stress in a healthy way.

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Paychex. Work more or stress less?

Li J, Loerbroks A, Bosma H, Angerer P. Work stress and cardiovascular disease: a life course perspective .  J Occup Health . 2016;58(2):216–219. doi:10.1539/joh.15-0326-OP

By Elizabeth Scott, PhD Elizabeth Scott, PhD is an author, workshop leader, educator, and award-winning blogger on stress management, positive psychology, relationships, and emotional wellbeing.

Essay on Stress Management

500 words essay on stress management.

Stress is a very complex phenomenon that we can define in several ways. However, if you put them together, it is basically the wear and tear of daily life. Stress management refers to a wide spectrum of techniques and psychotherapies for controlling a person’s stress level, especially chronic stress . If there is effective stress management, we can help one another break the hold of stress on our lives. The essay on stress management will throw light on the very same thing.

Identifying the Source of Stress

The first step of stress management is identifying the source of stress in your life. It is not as easy as that but it is essential. The true source of stress may not always be evident as we tend to overlook our own stress-inducing thoughts and feelings.

For instance, you might constantly worry about meeting your deadline. But, in reality, maybe your procrastination is what leads to this stress than the actual deadline. In order to identify the source of stress, we must look closely within ourselves.

If you explain away stress as temporary, then it may be a problem. Like if you yourself don’t take a breather from time to time, what is the point? On the other hand, is stress an integral part of your work and you acknowledging it like that?

If you make it a part of your personality, like you label things as crazy or nervous energy, you need to look further. Most importantly, do you blame the stress on people around you or the events surrounding you?

It is essential to take responsibility for the role one plays in creating or maintaining stress. Your stress will remain outside your control if you do not do it.

Strategies for Stress Management

It is obvious that we cannot avoid all kinds of stress but there are many stressors in your life which you can definitely eliminate. It is important to learn how to say no and stick to them.  Try to avoid people who stress you out.

Further, if you cannot avoid a stressful situation, try altering it. Express your feelings don’t bottle them up and manage your time better. Moreover, you can also adapt to the stressor if you can’t change it.

Reframe problems and look at the big picture. Similarly, adjust your standards and focus on the positive side. Never try to control the uncontrollable. Most importantly, make time for having fun and relaxing.

Spend some time with nature, go for a walk or call a friend, whatever pleases you.  You can also try working out, listening to music and more. As long as it makes you happy, never give up.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Conclusion of the Essay on Stress Management

All in all, we can control our stress levels with relaxation techniques that evoke the relaxation response of our body. It is the state of restfulness that is the opposite of the stress response. Thus, when you practice these techniques regularly, you can build your resilience and heal yourself.

FAQ of Essay on Stress Management

Question 1: What is the importance of stress management?

Answer 1: Stress management is very efficient as it helps in breaking the hold which stress has on our lives. Moreover, you can also become happy, healthy and more productive because of it. The ultimate goal should be to live a balanced life and have the resilience to hold up under pressure.

Question 2: Give some stress management techniques.

Answer 2: There are many stress management techniques through which one can reduce stress in their lives. One can change their situation or their reaction to it. We can try by altering the situation. If not, we can change our attitudes towards it. Remember, accept things that you cannot change.

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Essay on Work Place Stress

Introduction

Work place stress implies to harmful physical and emotional responses that usually occur when there exists a conflict between the demands at the work place on an employee and the control levels the employee has over meeting the demands. Work place stress can originate from a single event in the work place or from multiple sources but have a significant impact on the employee, and the employer alike. This essay is focused on utilizing different ways of thinking to find solutions for the stress in the work place setting.

Most business entities are molded on the value preposition canvas principle in organizations based on the value preposition canvas principles the customer is the most valuable assets and all organizational setting are based on market research to find the profiles of different customers and their value maps. With business profits being the key objective in the business entity, most of the institutional frameworks are focused of customer satisfaction with the interests of the workers being of lesser priority. Based on this business mentality, the employees are regarded as a means to an end in the institutional framework leaving them prone to work place stress.

Work place stress causes can be classified as into two main groups’ physical stressors such as noise, poor lighting, poor working conditions and ergonomic factors and physiological stressors high job demands, working hours inflexibility, poor job control, poorly designed work structure, job insecurity, harassment and bullying in the work place (Ahmad et al 2015). Of the two sources of stress in the work place research has demonstrated the though physical sources of stress have a significantly lower impact as compared to the physiological factors. Stress in the work place has significant impact on the employee, the employer and the overall performance of the business entity. The impacts of workplace stress occur in continuum, it starts with a worker feeling distressed in response to stressors in the work place, the distress lead to a workers mental and physical health problems, workers mental and physical health problems eventually result to reduced business performance and a reduction in the organizational revenue (Greeshma et al 2018).

Based on the fact that stress in the work place has negative impacts on the employee’s performance and the overall profitability of a business entity, all organizations should adopt a system of controlling workplace stress (Holman, Johnson, and O’Connor, 2018). The work place stress reduction policy should incorporate primary interventions such as redesigning the work place, increased employee participation in business decisions, matching the job demands with employee skills and level of training, creating a safe work environment, and developing clear promotion and reward systems (Holman, Johnson, and O’Connor, 2018). Secondary workplace stress reduction interventions such as developing employee workplace education and training programs, facilitating cognitive behavioral therapy for all members of the workforce and routine health surveillance sessions with the workers should also be incorporated in the organizational work place stress reduction policy (Jain, and Batra, 2015). As part of the organizational work place stress reduction policy, every organization should also have a tertiary intervention framework in place. The tertiary interventions will provide control solutions for employees who have already suffered different types of illnesses as a result of workplace stress (Lampech, 2017). By having an organizational policy framework for the reduction and control of work pace stress the physical and mental health implication of workplace stress will be reduced.

Work place stress implies to harmful physical and emotional responses that usually occur when there exists a conflict between the demands at the work place on an employee and the control levels the employee has over meeting the demands. Work place stress has negative impacts on the employee’s performance and the overall profitability of a business entity. All business entities should adopt an organizational policy for controlling workplace stress.

Ahmad, A., Hussain, A., Saleem, M. Q., & Qureshi, M. A. M. (2015).  Workplace Stress: A Critical Insight of Causes, Effects and Interventions . Technical Journal, University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Taxila, Pakistan, 20(II), 46, 48. Retrieved from:  https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Workplace-Stress%3A-A-Critical-Insight-of-Causes-%2C-Ahmad-Hussain/4552df3dc0a937dae2f2aa5e28d30561bae60e88

Greeshma, B., Priya, G. I., Aswathy, B., & Janani, S. (2018).  Stress Management in the Workplace- Challenges Faced By HR . Journal of Business and Management, 20(4), 33-36. Retrieved from:  http://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jbm/papers/Vol20-issue4/Version-3/F2004033336.pdf .

Holman, D., Johnson, S., & O’Connor, E. (2018).  Stress management interventions: Improving subjective psychological well-being in the workplace . In E. Diener, S. Oishi, & L. Tay (Eds.), Handbook of well-being. Salt Lake City, UT: DEF Publishers. 2. Retrieved from:  https://nobascholar.com/chapters/44/download.pdf .

Jain, P. & Batra, A. (2015).  Occupational Stress at Workplace: Study of the Corporate Sector in India. Journal of Business and Management,  17(1), 13-21. Retrieved from:  http://www.iosrjournals.org/iosrjbm/papers/Vol17-issue1/Version-3/B017131321.pdf .

Lampech, W. (2017).  HR Strategies to Manage Stress in the Workplace . Retrieved from:  https://theundercoverrecruiter.com/strategies-to-manage-stress/ .

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Transforming stress through awareness, education and collaboration.

Managing Stress in the Workplace: Part One

In today’s ever-changing work environments and uncertain economic times, managing stress in the workplace has become increasingly important. Job security fears are high, workloads and required job skills are shifting, and communication needs are changing with multiple generations working together and remote work increasing .

Add these heightened workplace stressors to the everyday workplace pressures and personal challenges faced daily, and these issues can lead to increased health issues and reduced productivity among employees.

Workplace stress doesn’t just affect the employees directly impacted; these issues also have consequences for the entire organization. Managing stress at work starts with understanding what contributes to these stressors. Once you understand the stressors, you can put processes and tools in place to help employees better manage these issues.

Factors Involved in Workplace Stress

A certain amount of daily stress is normal as it is a natural reaction to change. However, when stress is prolonged or reaches extreme levels, it can lead to health issues that require professional help.

A recent survey reveals profound statistics that shed light on the impact of workplace stress on the well-being of employees.

• 34% of employees report a decrease in their overall mental health due to stress in the workplace
• Stress has resulted in diminishing feelings of belonging for 37% of employees
• 37% of employees report a lower level of work engagement due to stress they experience at work

Most alarming, 26% of employees attribute their increased stress and reduced mental health to toxic work culture.

The pressures and demands of work can take a toll on employees, affecting their psychological well-being. When stress becomes overwhelming, employees may feel disconnected from their colleagues, leading to a sense of isolation and reduced engagement. This is because stress can drain an employee’s motivation and enthusiasm, making it difficult for them to perform at their best.

Toxic workplace environments such as micromanagement, lack of support, or hostile workplaces can increase these workplace stresses and have a detrimental effect on employee well-being.

These statistics emphasize the need for managing stress in the workplace so your leadership can prioritize employee mental health.

A lack of effort to manage these stressors can lead to decreased productivity, increased absenteeism, and higher turnover rates. It is in the best interest of employers to limit stress at work and find methods to help employees cope with stress in the workplace. There are numerous approaches companies can take to reduce and control stress.

Managing Workplace Stress

To ensure that stress management efforts gain attention, it is necessary to link them to business outcomes. This will allow your organization to track measurables such as productivity, absenteeism, and turnover towards monitoring how stress control techniques are working.

Before implementing a stress management program, you must first determine the root causes of stress for your employees. This can take the form of employee opinion surveys, interviews, or other means of reviewing employee input. Managing stress in the workplace effectively starts with implementing strategies that meet employee needs.

Supportive Work Environment

Develop a positive and supportive work environment to reduce workplace stress. You want a work culture that values open communication, respect, and collaboration to meet employee and organizational needs. This includes encouraging employees to share their concerns and providing resources for managing stress effectively.

Work-Life Harmony

Encouraging better work-life harmony is also essential. Employees should be encouraged to take vacations and breaks that allow them to disconnect from work and spend time with their families or pursue outside passions and hobbies.

Consider Flexible Work Arrangements

52% of employees believe that having a flexible work schedule would benefit their mental health. Offering flexible work arrangements such as hybrid schedules, remote work options, or flexible hours can help employees better reach work-life harmony and alleviate workplace stress caused by rigid schedules.

Address Toxic Behaviors

To reduce harassment and discrimination that can lead to overwhelming stress, it’s important to identify and address toxic behaviors promptly. Provide training and support to management that addresses developing interpersonal and leadership skills that will help them support employees in need.

Provide Clear expectations

Workplace stress often originates from unclear instructions. Make sure leaders set clear and realistic expectations for employees, providing regular feedback and keeping communication open. You also want to provide recognition for employee achievements to keep them engaged.

Promote Mental Health Initiatives

Your benefits package and training options can include programs geared toward employee mental health. This can include employee assistance programs, counseling services, or mindfulness and organizational skills training. Encourage employees to prioritize self-care and provide resources that support their well-being.

Avoid “Firefight” Mode

While there may be times when employees need to put in extra effort to meet deadlines or solve challenging problems, it becomes an issue when this is the norm rather than the exception. Help employees manage workloads and implement effective time management efforts to reduce pressure and balance stressful periods. These efforts will prevent employees from remaining in a constant “firefight” mode.

Prioritizing and Organization

Organizing, planning, and prioritizing work can significantly reduce unnecessary stress. Work areas and workflows should be organized so employees know what is required and can access the necessary tools to meet their goals. Work strategies should be planned out at company, team, and individual levels so goals are clearly understood and prioritized.

Identifying and focusing on the most important actions helps employees with managing their workload and managing stress in the workplace. Involve employees in setting expectations and goals to give them a sense of control.

It also helps to reduce repetitive tasks that can be easily automated. These routine tasks should be streamlined or eliminated wherever possible.

Relaying Job Security

Although job security can’t be completely guaranteed, there are measures you can take to reinsure employees and contribute to a perception of stability:

• Share positve company results
• Remain transparent with business changes
• Celebrate wins and acknowledge progress
• Recognize employee accomplishments
• Invest in training and development opportunities for employees
• Involve employees in decisions that impact them and encourage them to contribute ideas

By implementing these strategies, organizations can help employees feel secure and worthwhile in their roles.

Managing HR Initiatives to Manage Workplace Stress

By prioritizing managing stress in the workplace and improving employee well-being, organizations can create a healthier and more productive work environment. Taking action to reduce workplace stress not only benefits employees but also contributes to the overall success of your organization by encouraging a positive and engaged workforce.

If you need help implementing effective tools and resources for managing stress in the workplace, contact us to learn how we can help build these techniques into your HR infrastructure.

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How to Manage Stress at Work Essay

1. introduction.

Work-related stress is the response people may have when presented with work demands and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge and abilities and which challenge their ability to cope. Stress is not an illness but a state. However, if stress becomes too excessive and prolonged, mental and physical illness may develop. In turn, people's attitude to and ability to cope with work can be affected. Just as some stress is a normal part of life, so also is some stress in the workplace. But excessive stress can interfere with the productivity of workers and impact their physical and emotional health. It can also mean the difference between success or failure on the job. As a result, it's important to understand what work-related stress is, identify the signs and take steps to reduce it. Such steps of prevention not only result in healthier and more contented employees but also have a direct impact on productivity, absenteeism and employee retention, and a positive effect on the employer as well. Properly understood, work-related stress can be managed. And the damage it does to health and productivity can be avoided. In fact, many of us need to be reminded that a lifestyle which takes account of relatively regular moderate stresses is more effective than a protective tranquillity which avoids challenges. Stress is not an inherent part of work environment; it can be managed and prevented. In our articles DStress, we prefer to use lowercase styles as it produces a more relaxed look and feel throughout the document. In addition, the capital used serves as visual graphic of work-related stress. In fact, stress can serve us well- provided it does not overwhelm or paralyse us. It helps us to challenge and motivate us to make better use of our talents and abilities. Work should gives us opportunities to build on our strengths and have some control over our working situations. And when work is a positive and rewarding experience, having stress can be a good thing. However, this is not the case for many of us. So if our stress level exceeds our adaptive capacity, it will cause damages to health and performance. Thus, is important that we have a clearer understanding about the nature of work-related stress. And the most important of all, there is a lot of things we can do to prevent and manage it. Well-being initiatives are being implemented by many employers these days - and an increasing number of occupational health professionals are becoming involved in assisting organisations to manage stress at work. Of course, the prevention of stress requires organisational change to address the work practices and culture which create and maintain stressful conditions. First, however, it's necessary to understand what work-related stress is and the risks it poses, for organisations and for employees. This article aims to begin the process of enlightenment by clearly explaining what stress is, the causes and effects of stress and providing principles to help you manage stress in your work.

1.1. Definition of work-related stress

First, let's take a look at the definition of work-related stress. It is a response people may have when presented with work demands and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge and abilities and which challenge their ability to cope. Stress is not an illness, it is a state. However, if stress becomes too excessive and prolonged, mental and physical illness may develop. Stress is recognized worldwide as a major challenge to health. In the 2010 European Working Conditions survey, 28% of workers in the EU reported feeling stressed. The highest prevalence rates were found in Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Also, it is reported that 105 million days are lost each year in the UK due to stress, which places a large financial burden on companies. Furthermore, it is estimated that 75% - 90% of visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related problems. It is important to understand that work-related stress develops because a person is unable to cope with the demands being placed on them. Stress, including work-related stress, can be a significant cause of illness and is known to be linked with high levels of sickness absence, staff turnover, and other issues such as more errors. In 2009, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) produced a guideline on 'managing long-term sickness absence and incapacity for work'. This includes non-medical as well as medical management of sickness absence. The evidence NICE has for not just stress but common mental health disorders suggests that the working environment, in terms of management and support from colleagues, plays a key role in prevention.

1.2. Importance of managing stress at work

Work-related stress is a significant issue for employees and employers alike. It is a common denominator in many current social problems and appears to be deeply embedded in our way of life, both in the workplace and outside it. As suggested by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the scale of the problem is so great that it can only be solved by employers and employees working together. Although it is the employer who has the responsibility to deal with work-related stress among employees, employees themselves can take positive actions and share in the process of improving conditions in the workplace. It is foreseeable that a moderate amount of stress can be motivational; however, too much stress is detrimental to a performant and harmonious workplace. Chronic stress can result in anxiety, insomnia, high blood pressure and a weakened immune system. It can also result in digestive problems, depression, panic attacks and other health issues, as well as reducing life expectancy. From the standpoint of the employer, too much stress can produce a high staff turnover, increased sickness absence, and a poor and uncooperative working environment. These will result in serious financial costs as well as harm to the company's reputation. For the employees, in particular those that have caring responsibilities outside of work, for example parents, too much stress may lead to burn out and, ultimately, an inability to perform tasks to the best of their abilities. This can have a damaging effect on an employee's career and quality of family life. Flexible working arrangements, such as part-time work, flexitime, compressed hours or job share, can help people to better balance work and family or home life. Such arrangements can include changing the number of hours worked, changing the times when work is done, and changes to break entitlement. Nowadays many employers are adopting flexible working - it can play a key role in helping to manage work-related stress, as it helps people to juggle their work and home lives more effectively. By working together and taking positive action, employers and employees can reduce the level of stress in the workplace and improve employees' motivation and job satisfaction.

2. Strategies for Managing Stress

Time management is the ability to plan and control how you spend the hours in your day to effectively accomplish your goals. Many people find that they flounder from one task to another, ever reacting to the latest crisis. This is an exhausting and unproductive way to work. Clearly, managing time is going to be a crucial part of managing stress. There are a number of methods for effective time management and by understanding and using the proper time management techniques we can reduce the stress on our lives. Examples are making lists, breaking tasks into smaller things, planning regular breaks and reviewing progress regularly. Effective communication skills are another way to reduce the stress in your life. A lot of work-related stress arises because of ineffective communication. Or what is worse, because of no communication at all. Although some people may argue that the development of technology encourages the employees not to talk to each other in the workplace, I believe that face to face communication is more effective. Never presume that people are aware of the things that you are doing and people may not be aware of your stress. Therefore, the most important thing is to talk to your manager or supervisor when you are under stress. However, it is a pity that many managers and employees do not take this approach. Stress often is the result of poor communication and tight constraints which prevent the implementation of new ways of doing things. Set realistic goals and effectively manage our time and we can help to reduce our stress and improve our well-being. Stress can affect your ability to perform and think in a reasonable way; setting realistic goals that are achievable and break it into these smaller tasks. Contemporary cognitive-behavioral therapies to treat stressed and depressed patients include teaching them how to evaluate and change their thinking patterns. By learning a few effective methods for managing time and teaching your employees as well, you will see their performance in work will increase, they will be cheerier and your stress will be reduced. So, I do believe the employers should provide stress management courses and workshop to their employees in order to help them tackle stress. But what is most important nowadays is that organizations should put people first in terms of working and give the rights to employees to take actions but not just as what their employers say. It's essential to remember that work-related stress is just like any other physical illness. If you find yourself suffering stress symptoms over a prolonged period of time, you must seek help and advice, either by visiting your GP or a qualified professional. Work-related stress can also be addressed through various different techniques, such as the process of counselling, psychotherapy or cognitive-behavioral therapies. These therapies are designed to address things such as negative thinking or learned behavioral problems. In working life, an estimated one in five working people suffer from stress and it is growing. Culturally stress is a male-dominated word and people often do not get the help they need because we are frightened to admit that things are getting on top of us. The possible symptoms of stress are different and could affect our behaviour, our physical health and feelings, our sleep pattern and our way of thinking. For example, we may feel irritated or wound up all the time, we may drink or smoke a lot, we may be incapable of switching off and relaxing, display a lack of interest with others, loss of sex drive, eat too much or too little and we might have problems sleeping or feel constantly tired, be forgetful, worry about making mistakes. If we discover our stress problems at the earliest possible time, we will be more capable of preventing these possible symptoms before they get worse.

2.1. Time management techniques

Time management is essential for managing work-related stress. It is important to manage your time and your tasks. If you're running from meeting to meeting and you're constantly feeling rushed, it's time to look at how you're managing your days. Start by keeping a detailed log for a week or so of what you're doing and how you're spending your time at work. Look for time "cracks" - those small bits of time that are often easily forgotten - and plan to use them well. For instance, if you have a 15-minute break between meetings, use it to check emails. Prioritize your time by rating tasks by importance and urgency. List all of the things you have to do and then number them by importance. A task that is both urgent and important should be done first and handled with the most care and attention. Cut out time-wasting activities. It might seem relaxing to sit and do nothing at lunch, but that can make you feel even more stressed in the afternoon. Try to use some of the "mental downtime" that you might have during the day, for something such as returning a phone call or sending a brief, factual message to a colleague, rather than just giving yourself more work for later. Also, don't waste time on issues or people that are not critical. Stay on course and use your time wisely for the most critical tasks to manage stress and to avoid added pressure. Make to-do lists and prioritize them. This helps you to identify the most important things that need to be done and to make sure they get the attention they deserve. Allocate enough time for each task, make sure you have plenty of time for things that are most important and allocate less time for those that are less crucial. Make to-do lists a habit. Update your list on a daily basis to keep it accurate and up-to-date. And be prepared to adjust the list as priorities change. Learn to say no. Be very courteous in your approach, but explaining that you have other projects to work on and things to accomplish shows respect to the other person and a dedication to ensuring that you can fulfill all your responsibilities. It's easy for people to fill your day with tasks, leaving no time to recharge your batteries and delaying your tasks. However, keep in mind that some projects and tasks are unexpected, and everyone needs to take time away. Keeping organized to help manage your time better can help you complete tasks more quickly and with less anxiety. Keep your desk and work environment organized. Use appointment books, calendars, or other scheduling systems to plan your day and keep you focused. This also helps when scheduling meetings, projects and required work - no need to worry about forgetting, as everything should go into your scheduling tools, and this allows for easy tracking of daily accomplishments.

2.2. Effective communication skills

The good news: it is possible to improve your communication at work! And being a good listener is a key part of communicating well. After all, how can you respond to someone if you haven't fully listened to his or her message? When responding to (rather than initiating) communication, if possible, wait to speak up until the other person has finished and silence has prevailed for a few seconds. All parties will then feel more comfortable listening and speaking. Also, don't be afraid of asking for feedback. It shows that you respect the other person's opinion—and, in the case of work, the other person's expertise. Just be polite and constructive with your critique. And, finally, despite our long list of communication methods (including technology-based communication such as social media, smartphones, and the like), in some cases, the traditional form of communication—face to face—remains the best. This ensures clear understanding and eliminates the potential for miscommunication. Also, use the power of nonverbal communication to convey your willingness to listen: face the employee, maintain eye contact, and keep an open posture. It will help you to better understand the message being delivered. Adults in the workplace can also employ active listening, where they try to give the person their undivided attention. They also work to hold all judgments until the person has finished speaking, and at that point, they reflect on what the person has said before responding. This will help to ensure that the response corresponds to what the speaker has said, as - wait for it! - they respect what the speaker has said. Think about the use of pauses, too. After the speaker has finished speaking, take a few moments before delivering your response. It indicates that you have listened to the full message, and it avoids overlapping into the speech of the speaker. All of these suggestions are ways to engender employee communication because they encourage an open and positive exchange of ideas and resolve potential conflicts that can result from poor communication.

2.3. Setting realistic goals

On the other hand, another technique that can be used by an individual to reduce stress is by setting realistic goals. It is stated that setting realistic and achievable goals and expectations for employees, and not setting them up for failure, is vital in effective stress management. According to Abood (2007), when an employee's goals and expectations are met, there is an increase in employee's job satisfaction, which reduces stress and creates a sense of well-being. This can serve as a motivational factor for employees to function as a productive member in the workforce. In addition, he also mentioned that by making a concerted effort to provide professional development, employees will have an opportunity to develop professionally and still achieve personal career goals, which in turn will reduce work-related stress. This statement is supported by Jim White who states that employees will experience mostly good stress when performing a challenging task. He says that good stress is an opportunity to build emotional strength. However, when stress becomes overwhelming, it is dangerous physically and mentally. This positive stress can be managed by creating an environment that is supportive to the employees and balance the goals of the employees and the organization. This can be achieved by having a good match between the employee and the working environment to ensure that employee's needs are met. Alavosius and Phillips (2008) reiterated that matching work strategy, which includes the way work is performed and the capabilities of the employees, to the type of job tasks and risk factors may be an effective way to reduce work-related stress. This can be achieved by redesigning and implementing management strategies in work organization and addressing significant occupational stress-related conditions. All in all, the paper illustrates that work-related stress is an increasing problem in the modern world. By employing strategies such as effective communication, promoting a positive workplace culture and setting realistic goals, this problem can be managed. Therefore, the creation of a healthy work environment is no longer an option-it is a necessity. Jones (2017) suggests that in today's challenging economic climate, where making a profit and competition are essential aspects of doing a business, the workplace can be an incredibly stressful place. However, it does not need to be the norm. By successfully implementing and managing a health and safety program in the workplace, it will help to reduce occupational stress, which in turn will benefit all the professional not only in their career, but also in their personal life. He also adds that the benefits that come by implementing health and safety programs in the workplace include reducing workplace accidents that lead to injuries, reducing the number of workers' compensation claims and reducing cost and improving profitability. He finally concludes that the ultimate solution for work-related stress is the total elimination of the occupational sources of stress. However, since in reality this is not possible, alleviating work-related stress is a continuous and strategic in risk management. He suggests that prevention is the best way to do so. By identifying the changes that could be made to eliminate the source and paying attention to early warning signs, long-term stress relief and sustained healthy lifestyle could be achieved.

3. Creating a Healthy Work Environment

There are three main headers in this section, again helping to improve readability and giving the reader a clear overview of what is to come. Guide the reader through this unwieldy subject using signposts, short and informative sentences, and clear explanation. Limbs (2005, p.213) says that these signposts are like processes moving from one place to another in a spiritual journey, and this is all part of creating a balanced and healthy work environment. He argues that creating a positive work environment is key, not only to improve efficiency and productivity, but also to promote a general sense of well-being, and I would totally agree. I would totally agree with him here also, using the phrase "a general sense of well-being" to further elucidate the idea. I would then go on to explain exactly what I mean by a positive work environment. I'd define and discuss key concepts, making sure to sound very confident and in control of the key terminology. Once I've identified and explained the main components of a good work environment, I can then go on to give examples of how this can be achieved in practice. Make sure to adopt a more discursive and informal tone as you move through ideas here, using examples to support and develop your points. Finally, make sure to sum up the main conclusions that could be drawn from the work in the concluding sentence of the section; this will draw the passage to a close and develop a sense of overall finality to the section. This will help to give the section a sense of coherence and completeness. The reader should not feel that the piece of writing ends abruptly, and the conclusion can often be the section that "clinches" the argument for a particular interpretation for the piece.

3.1. Encouraging work-life balance

Another important strategy for managing stress is to create a healthy work environment that promotes a work-life balance. Nowadays, technology makes it easy for employees to work around the clock and stay connected with work 24/7. It is important for the employers to promote a healthy work-life balance for their employees. Research shows that workers who feel they have good work-life balance work 21% harder than those who don't. A good work-life balance also helps in preventing burnout and reducing stress. Employers can take the following steps to promote work-life balance for their employees. Firstly, set the example. Employers should communicate a clear distinction between work and personal life by avoiding to contact employees outside normal working hours. Leaders and managers within the workplace should encourage and set a positive example themselves by having a good work-life balance. Flexible working options also help employees to balance work and personal life. Flexible working may include part-time working, job sharing, working from home and flexitime. Employees who have 26 weeks of continuous employment have the right to request flexible working. Although employers have the right to refuse the request on certain grounds, for example the burden of additional costs, the inability to reorganise work between existing staff, or if there will be a negative impact on ability to meet customer demand, they should consider employee's request seriously and only refuse it based on the stated reasons. Companies can also create a well-being policy which outlines all the support and practices in place. Some companies also provide well-being programmes to help support and promote healthy lifestyles for their employees. For example, discounted gym memberships, on-site fitness classes, well-being events, private healthcare as well as Employee Assistance Programmes which offer a wide range of consultancy and support for employees going through difficult times. By taking a proactive approach to employee well-being, employees are more likely to feel valued and stay healthy. Finally, employers should regularly monitor workloads and staffing levels to ensure that they are sufficient to enable employees to have a healthy work-life balance. Managers should also be trained to spot the signs of work-related stress and promote well-being within their teams. By creating a healthy work environment, employees can work at their best, maintain a work-life balance and have the resilience to deal with high pressure in the workplace. This would also benefit the employers by having a more motivated and productive workforce and minimise absence due to sickness.

3.2. Promoting a positive workplace culture

Firstly, fostering a positive workplace culture is important in managing work-related stress. It is essential that everyone in the workplace feels valued - this means creating a supportive and inclusive working environment where bullying and harassment are not tolerated. Organisational culture is defined by the values, behaviours and practices which are accepted in the workplace. It's important to recognise that establishing a positive workplace culture is a shared responsibility. Employers and managers should strive to create a positive workplace culture by being role models for good behaviour. However, all members of the organisation should also be committed to promoting a positive workplace culture. One of the ways employers can do this is by involving employees in key organisational decisions, like changes to working conditions or new initiatives. Participating in these sorts of activities has two main benefits. On the one hand, employees feel like their contribution is valued, which can help to promote a positive workplace culture. In addition to this, research has shown that employees who have more control and say in their work are less likely to suffer from stress. Another way to promote a positive workplace culture is to demonstrate commitment to the values of the organisation. For example, if one of the values of the organisation is to support employee well-being, employers should ensure that there are mechanisms in place to provide this support. This could include anything from training mental health first aiders, to putting in place practical measures to support employees in achieving a healthy work-life balance. Managers and supervisors play a crucial role in managing stress and in promoting a positive workplace culture. This means ensuring that all staff are treated with dignity and respect, providing support for those who need it, and effectively managing unacceptable behaviour in the workplace. For some, managing workplace stress may seem like an isolated challenge; however, by promoting a positive workplace culture where employees feel supported and valued, the effects of stress can be reduced. Therefore, it's essential to keep the lines of communication open between employees and employers, and to adopt a proactive approach to promoting and maintaining a positive and healthy organisation.

3.3. Providing support and resources for employees

To create a healthy work environment, it is essential for organizations to provide adequate support and resources for employees. Human resource departments may carry out stress audits to identify the causes of work-related stress and put in place a robust stress management plan to address the problems. Employees should be involved in the plan as far as possible to ensure that they take responsibility for helping to reduce stress in the workplace. This can be achieved through regular communication in the form of team briefings and stress focus groups and helping employees understand and recognize the signs of stress. In addition to offering confidential counseling and advice services, most organizations use employee assistance programs (EAPs) to provide specialist advice and support to employees facing personal or work-related problems. An EAP provides advice on a wide range of issues, enabling employees to seek help from qualified professionals at an early stage to prevent the issue from getting worse. Such services may include counseling, arbitration, stress management, and legal advice. Whilst most organizations recognize the importance of providing support and resources to employees, the Health and Safety Executive highlights the importance of prevention rather than cure when it comes to managing work-related stress. By carrying out a thorough risk assessment, it is often possible to identify and eliminate potential causes of stress before they lead to problems for employees. This can be achieved by improving employees' workstations so that they meet health and safety recommendations, good job and workplace design by encouraging variety and providing opportunities for employees to use their skills, and better communication between management and employees. My overview is that in addition to making a major improvement to the health of employees, providing support and resources can improve productivity, customer satisfaction, and employee retention. By creating a culture in which employees feel respected and valued, employees are more willing to give their best, which is essential in providing a good quality service. Also, by providing employees with the necessary support and resources, this should help to make their job more satisfying and less stressful. This is particularly important in organizations in which there is a high level of public interaction. For instance, in my job as a housing officer for a local authority, I regularly have to deal with difficult and often aggressive customers. However, the authority recognizes this and ensures that I have access to appropriate support and resources such as continuous training, advice from experienced colleagues, and access to an employee assistance program. In turn, I am able to manage my work effectively and make a difference to my customers' lives, knowing that I have the full support of the authority. I am sure that without such support, I would not be able to perform my job as effectively.

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Rethinking Managing Positive and Negative Stress in the Workplace

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Leaders who understand and identify how stress can have good and bad influences on people are often better equipped to manage more resilient teams. Amy Freshman, senior director of global HR for ADP, explores some of the ways leaders can approach stress in the workplace.

Stress in the workplace is often considered negative. However, stress is actually a complicated motivator, and it may not always be a bad thing.

'Distress,' the negative side of stress, can wear down employees, interfering with their health, outlook, and productivity. At the same time, 'eustress,' the positive version of stress, helps some people navigate challenges. According to research published in PLoS One, good stress can increase an employee's focus, motivation and performance.

Stress can be difficult to analyze because different employees may respond to the same stressors differently. Where one employee sees constant deadlines as energizing, another might find them draining. So, when distinguishing distress and eustress, look at how people respond to stress through things like body language, energy level or effort, rather than labeling a stress factor itself as either bad or good.

The ADP Research Institute's December 2023 Today at Work report found that employees who thrive in times of stress are more likely to be engaged, resilient, motivated and productive . In contrast, those who feel overloaded are less likely to describe themselves as motivated and are more likely to look for a new job.

As company leaders, we have the opportunity to help employees recognize and balance stress better by building excitement around good stress and attempting to mitigate bad stress where possible.

Recognizing stress in the workplace

Each employee's ability to withstand stress varies and is based on personality, disposition and their own personal life situations. Current and past experiences, both personally and professionally, influence how well people manage stress in their daily work. The workplace environment also plays a huge role in how well they handle pressure and those stressors, including both eustress and distress.

By checking in with team members early and often, we can help identify stress before it takes a toll. Good managers recognize typical body language, engagement, tone, partnership and work product. If something feels "off," it just might be.

Leaders should note when workplace stress has the potential to increase. When a team faces a challenge, such as a product launch or acquisition, the change and uncertainty may bring both positive and negative pressure.

Whether employees feel stress from personal or professional causes or both, managers should be prepared with support resources. If leaders can't recognize the stress, they can't help address it head-on.

Hiring the right candidates for high-pressure positions

Some jobs, like those in the military, law enforcement and health care, are inherently stressful. But other jobs can also be stressful, especially if employees face long hours, heavy workloads, tight deadlines and significant responsibilities.

To successfully fill these jobs and retain employees, recruiters need to be able to identify candidates who handle stress well. Behavioral-based interviewing has long been effective by asking candidates to share specific examples of high-pressure times and the strategies they used to handle them. The interview itself might be high-pressure, so observing a candidate's body language, speech and eye contact gives clues about whether they view the event as eustress or distress.

Learning how to identify positive stress at work

Leaders can help teams approach stress by highlighting its positive attributes. Build excitement by making programs and deadlines fun and creating healthy competition. Leaders can also talk openly about challenges and obstacles while highlighting the positive outcomes, such as higher revenues or better client satisfaction.

Senior leaders can encourage employees already motivated by positive stress by sending the message to take risks and be bold. Direct leaders can talk openly with employees and spur those motivated by eustress to lead and get more involved. As more employees join in, the tolerance for stress builds across the team. You may even find opportunities for some employees who see something as distress to move into eustress moments.

To help employees manage negative stress, leaders can be open and transparent and make time to ask employees questions and talk through problems. When possible, remove obstacles that cause stress and get in the way of success. Adjusting work schedules or locations, redistributing responsibilities and providing resources, including an employee assistance program, are just some ways leaders can be responsive to employees who are experiencing negative stress.

An ongoing need to manage stress in the workplace

Some degree of stress in the workplace, both positive and negative, is inevitable. However, leaders can help employees handle both types of stress better by understanding the benefits that good stress can provide and addressing the roots of negative stress.

Understanding individual employees' diverse experiences, triggers and motivations and making adjustments that help them either cope or be challenged is a part of how leaders develop resilient teams.

Helping employees manage stress in and out of the office will continue to be a focus of workplace wellness. Companies that do well in this endeavor often look beyond the benefits package offering and instead, consider how to support employees' whole selves with strong leadership and management. This is yet another opportunity for leaders to lead by example in how they manage their day-to-day stressors and how they show up with their team.

When you have data-backed workforce insights, you can better spot the influences of positive and negative stress. From increasing engagement to predicting flight risk, find out how ADP's tools can help you build your best teams.

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More From Forbes

The truth behind stress—and what it means for the workplace.

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Melanie Boyack is a national keynote speaker and corporate trainer focused on stress, trauma, burnout and productivity/performance.

As a prior trauma therapist, I've personally witnessed over 1,000 clients' stories of life stressors. For these clients, some stressors were crippling; others were merely annoyances. The common thread is that stress invariably leads to pain.

Some had PTSD symptoms that caused them to no longer trust their bodies; some were parents exacerbated by the mood swings of their teenagers and leaders whose families grew tired of them not leaving work at work. But understanding stress can help executives and managers lead their teams more effectively. Here are the facts.

Stress requires a personal perspective. One size doesn’t fit all.

Many individuals are not actually informed as to what is helpful stress vs. harmful stress for them personally. Not all stress is necessarily bad. Good stress, otherwise called " eustress ," is a powerful motivator. Deadlines, time limits and goals are good stress—these help us get things done.

Unfortunately, not all stress is good stress. Bad stress occurs when the body’s response becomes unhelpful or paralyzing rather than motivating. When most use the word "stress," they’re referring to this type of stress—the kind that keeps you up at night.

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But what is stress? Stress is the body’s reaction to change or strain. It’s a physical feeling caused by an action or something requiring attention.

Questions to ask yourself:

• At what point do you personally pass the threshold of good vs. bad stress?

• What things make you aware you have passed this threshold?

There are variations in coping with stress: maladaptive vs. adaptive.

When stress becomes daunting, there are many different ways in which we may find ourselves trying to manage the emotion to ease the discomfort. Some of these ways are considered to be adaptive (meaning you can make the positive changes to create equilibrium) versus maladaptive (coping in a way that can cause more harm).

Adaptive would mean that you are able to continue to work though logical thoughts and not respond without emotional responses. Your body is cool, calm and collected and you are able to maintain your creativity and connection.

Let's say your teenage daughter won’t get out of bed, and it’s 1 p.m. An adaptive response: having a conversation with her at another time. Maladaptive: banging on her door and yelling at her she is lazy.

You have another employee who has left work, and your team is understaffed. Adaptive: sitting down to discuss options on how to navigate the load. Maladaptive: staying up until 1 a.m. because of racing thoughts from the stress.

Stress and trauma hijack the body’s nervous system.

When your body gets dysregulated, it is designed to try and protect you. Outside the feeling of being cool, calm and connected, stress will kick you into fight, flight and freeze to try and get you to react.

• Fight may look like racing thoughts, agitation, inability to relax, working longer hours, aggression and rigidness.

• Flight may look like avoidance, getting away from concerns rather than addressing them and keeping yourself busy to avoid stressors.

• Freeze may look like isolation; not feeling any emotions, good or bad; lack of action; and difficulty with creativity or connection.

According to the American Institute of Stress, the fight or flight response is how the body reacts to acute stress—your body releases chemicals designed to help you react for safety. These chemicals can cause certain parts of your brain to activate in order for you to physically react in a way that is the most likely to keep you safe. Even though you may not be physically unsafe, your body perceives it the same.

Trauma works similarly. Regardless of the trigger, trauma causes the body to undergo the same reaction, with one caveat: During and after a trauma, the body doesn’t and can’t turn off this response. Exposure to trauma, especially repeated trauma, can cause the body’s "normal" stress response to go into hyperdrive, leaving us stuck in fight, flight or freeze.

Trauma can interfere with the brain’s ability to focus and heal, wreaking havoc on a person’s immune system. Victims of trauma might feel unsafe in their bodies or fearful of emotions, causing them to avoid them entirely.

In fact, the word “trauma” has evolved and changed through the decades. It used to be associated with rare events like war, but in current times, it has become a common matter of speech. According to Psychology Today , "Trauma is a person's emotional distress resulting from an event that overwhelms the capacity to emotionally digest it," and around 70% of our population experience it in their lifetime.

You get a choice in how you react.

Stop and listen. If someone chooses to ignore when they are experiencing stress or trauma, that is a choice. Choice means that we are giving our bodies permission to decide what they think is best for survival. Ignoring stress causes the body to subconsciously decide for us.

Many individuals don’t want to yell at the cashier because they took too long and they were going to be late to work or avoid contact with another person, hoping they will feel better. They want more of an active choice in how they respond.

For employers: Why does this matter, and how can you help?

Many jobs are inherently stressful. From financial employees, lawyers and police officers to receptionists, many people experience stress on the job. Workplace hazards like toxic stress, exposure to traumatic events and even a heavy workload can weigh on your employees, even causing trauma.

Help your employees by identifying and eliminating any potential workplace stressors . These might include bottlenecks, high workload or workplace bullying or abuse.

Hold workshops and sessions to help employees identify their own triggers. Remember that every dollar an employer spends on these resources sees a return of $4 in productivity and output.

Most importantly, show your employees some empathy. Create a safe workplace that is open to these difficult discussions.

The information provided here is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. You should consult with a qualified healthcare provider for advice concerning your specific situation.

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Sample Essay On Stress In A Workplace

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Workplace , Stress , Employee , Management , Psychology , Health , Organization , Human Resource Management

Words: 1800

Published: 11/30/2022

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Annotative Bibliography

Colligan, W.T, Higgins, M.E,(2005). Workplace stress: Etiology and the Consequences. Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health. Vol. 21(2) 2005. This journal focuses on workplace stress by identifying factors that contributes to stress at workplace and the resultant impact of stress on employees productivity and personal life. Managers can play a critical role in reducing or eliminating stress on epmloyess by creating a conducive work environment, providing employees assistance program in stress management and identifying and reducing work tension between individuals or groups in a work setting. This would results to improved productivity and improved workplace dynamic. Richardson, M.K, Rothstein, R.H, (2008). The Effects of Occupational Stress Management Intervention Programs: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. New York. Vol. 13, No. 1, 69-93. This article looks at the different Stress Management Intevention (SMI) programs used by organizations and their effectiveness in managing stress at work. A stress management intervention is a program that seeks to reduce work-related stressors so as to minimize the negative results of exposure to these stressors. To determine how effective the SMI implemented in an organization is, researchers can examine the outcomes at organizational level in terms of productivity or at individual level by observing the psychological or physiological measures. Michie, S., (2002). The Causes and management of Stress at Work. Occupational Environment Medic. London. Vol. 59, 67-72. In this journal, Michie looks at some causes of stress at work and how it can be managed. Stress at work can be caused by internal factors at work such as the pressure of work deadlines, job insecurity, complex tasks, long working hours, poor relationships at work between employees, work overload or external factors such as family demands or long commuting hours. This is in employer’s long term economic interests to help minimize or eliminate stress. Since stress is likely to lead to high workers turnover, absence, early retirement, reduced productivity as well as client satisfaction. The stress can be managed at individual level like training and psychological services like clinical or occupational counseling, or at organizational level interventions like restructuring work or providing psychological support such as social supports or simply employees participation in decision-making processes. Saha D, Sinha R, Bhavsar K., (2011, April 15). Understanding the Job Stress among Healthcare Staff. Online Journal of Health and Allied Sciences. Mangalore, South India.Vol 10 (1) 2011. This research article evaluates the sources of job stress among healthcare workers to identifying measures on how best to reduce work-related stress. Small payment of employees and work overload were found to contribute immensely towards stress at work. The working conditions are the primary source of stress but with a sound management intervention such as proper workload management, adequate staffing, improved payment, recognition of efforts along with ongoing training and stress management support would improve the productivity of the workforce.

Introduction

Workplace stress is defined as the change in an individual’s physical or mental state in reaction to shifts in the work environment that pose a challenge or harm to that individual.This applies in particular when the job requests do not match the worker’s capabilities, resources, and needs. Stress can be divided into two categories; that is eustress also known as positive or good stress with positive effects on an individual. The second category, on the other hand, is distress which comes with adverse effects. Globally documented as a challenge to personal physicall and mental health,besides organizational health, stressed employees are usually found to be unhealthy, less motivated, less productive and less safe at work. An organization’s competitiveness in the market is determined by the productivity of its' workforce. It is, therefore, necessary for managers in an organization to make proper interventions and help manage the well-being of employees and provide support to them whenever in stress so as to realize their maximum potential and productivity in their work. Better employment practice should include evaluating the risk of stress amongst employees, identify causes of stress at work and determine who is at risk to be affected and finally deciding what can be done to prevent stress at work.

Stress is not only a bodily response to a difficult or stressful condition. It is a contact between that individual and the source of demand within their environment (Colligan and Higgins, p 92). Different factors contribute to workplace stress. These factors are associated with workplace stress and health risks. They can be categorized as those brought about due to the content of work and those related to the social and organizational setting of work. Example of factors associated with the job include work overload, pressure to meet deadlines, the complexity of tasks, long working hours and poor physical work conditions like space (Miche, p3). The role of the employee in an organization regarding responsibility also contributes to stress, as there are times where workers in an organization are required to perform multiple functions simultaneously, particularly when the work is unclear, and there are conflicting roles and boundaries. Other causes pertain to the promotion at workplace, work security, and career development, especially in the current time of technological changes where employees’ roles could be phased out by inventions that limits opportunities for their creativity. Aside from that, interpersonal relationships between workers in the workplace and group dynamics have been found to be among primary factors of stress. The staff’s emotional, behavioral, physiological and cognitive response to stress is directly related to the characteristic of the cause of stress, the resources available to the employee to prevent pressure, as well as the employee’s personal characteristics. Based on this, individuals can react differently to stressors in an organization. To some, stress can propel them to achieve their personal goals and come out shining through the challenging moments. However, to some individuals, it can be burdensome with significant impact on their mental, emotional and physical well-being. It is important therefore for managers to understand the causes of stress and strategies that can be implemented to help prevent or overcome them. This would result in improved employee’s performance and productivity. Even though stress at work can be external, for example, family demands or any other personal problems at home, it is advisable to the managers to show social support and care in such moments. Such encouragement or aid in time of need would still enable the employees to perform productively at work.

Recommendations

As a recommendation, to reduce or eliminate the stress within the work force, it is vital for every organization to have a Stress Management Intervention program. These interventions can be grouped into primary, secondary or tertiary interventions (Richardson and Rothstein, p70). In primary interventions, the sources of stress at work are identified. After the identification, the working conditions of the employees are changed or improved, creating a conducive environment that enables them to be productive without any undue pressure. An example, in this case, is reducing the workload by distributing work among employees or employing adequate staff to cater for the job demands (Saha, Sinha, and Bhavsar, p4). Managers should do a job analysis to determine the number of resources and skills required to complete a given task before assigning the work correctly. Where the organization falls short of the necessary manpower or financial capability to hire new resources, the work can be subdivided into small tasks and assigned to different employees with regards to their skills. The organization structure can also be altered in terms of management, in either the supervision or transfer of employees to departments they best fit in based on their skills to ease the complexity of work, flow of information in addition to distributed decision making with the focus on removing stressors from the workplace. When it comes to secondary interventions, the focus is to reduce the severity of stress symptoms by helping employees improve their transaction with the environment. This is the widely used intervention that has proven positive results based on their outcomes .Here managers provide employees with access to stress management programs or health services to help them manage stressful situations in the form of training. Employees will be trained how to use behavioral skills like the change of diet, deep-breathing, meditation, exercise, time management, goal setting and relaxation methods to get rid of the psychological and physical side effects of stress. The tertiary interventions are almost similar to the Secondary one though here programs are not just to take employees through training that can reduce stress symptoms; they are also meant to treat the health conditions of workers through free and confidential access to qualified health professionals.

Stress in the workplace has a cost to both an employee in an organization as well as the organization as a whole regarding psychological, physiological and financial costs. The performance of the employees goes hand-in-hand with the prevailing work conditions besides the well-being of an individual. Heart diseases, immunosuppression, and chronic pain are some of the physical disorders of stress that affect productivity in an employee. Depression, persistent anxiety, pessimism, and resentment are psychological disorders associated with workplace stress. The stress can lead to hostility between employees or with their managers, interpersonal conflict, small production, high staff turnover or low morale in the workplace. The cognitive behavioral training designs to educate staffs on the role of their beliefs and emotions in managing demanding situations and to provide them with skills necessary to revise their opinions to facilitate adaptive coping is touted to be one of the best intervention to alleviate stress. Successful interventions should involve both an employee and the organization by providing training that helps one to identify the stress and the cause, the approach or method to be used to tackle them. Collaborative decision-making processes and problem-solving processes in an organization increases support and improve communications in an organization reducing frictions between employees or workgroups besides on-the-job training on how to cope with stress and resolve conflicts. By creating a conducive work environment and providing social support to employees in distress, the management can be able to motivate their staff to reach their full potential with significant improvement in production. This, in turn, translates into a competitive organization in the market with a healthy workforce.

Colligan, W.T, Higgins, M.E,(2005). Workplace stress: Etiology and the Consequences. Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health. Vol. 21(2) 2005. Richardson, M.K, Rothstein, R.H, (2008). The Effects of Occupational Stress Management Intervention Programs: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. New York. Vol. 13, No. 1, 69-93. Michie, S., (2002). The Causes and management of Stress at Work. Occupational Environment Medic. London. Vol. 59, 67-72. Saha D, Sinha R, Bhavsar K., (2011, April 15). Understanding the Job Stress among Healthcare Staff. Online Journal of Health and Allied Sciences. Mangalore, South India.Vol 10 (1) 2011.

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• Mental Health

How to Manage Stress at Work

Updated 12 December 2023

Subject Mental Health ,  Work

Downloads 32

Category Health ,  Life

Topic Stress

Stress and its Effects

Stress is just a way the body naturally responds to a threatening situation or a situation that puts the body under some kind of pressure (Nevid and Rathus). Minimal stress is good for the body since it makes the person under it to respond quickly and be active on important issues, but when it becomes too much, stress can cause health problems. Basically, as much as stress is good for the body, it is important for one to learn how to cope up with and manage it to ensure it doesn’t interfere with one’s personal or professional life.

Managing Stress in the Workplace

Being in the working environment can sometimes lead to overwhelming situations where sometimes I find myself under pressure of meeting deadlines of some duties that are assigned to me. As much as I love my work so much and always try my best to enjoy what I do without being pushed, stress is a normal situation that I cannot completely avoid at work. Apart from being under pressure of meeting deadlines at times, there are other factors that result to stress at work, for example, low salaries that don't satisfy a month's needs, the situation of having no say in important decisions made by seniors at work and lack of enough support from fellow employees. However, stress is still completely unavoidable at work as much as anyone can try to balance everything professionally, the solution to it is learning to cope with professional stress and never allowing to always control how I do my job.

Coping with Professional Stress

According to a survey carried out by the American Psychological Association on annual stress in America in the year 2012, a minimal percentage (37%) was actually doing well in managing work-related stress. Basically, this means that professional stress is still an issue to be dealt with. For instance, taking my personal career as an example, I have suffered from professional stress many times as a result of workload and pressure from meeting work deadlines. At some point, stress made me think of quitting work but luckily I was able to manage it. I have learned to cope up with stress at work by frequently taking some time to relax whenever I feel under pressure, hence helping myself to recharge and start off better. I also try to talk to my supervisor to see if he is at least able to extend work deadlines that can put me under unnecessary pressure. By doing this, I have always been able to keep professional stress in a manageable state.

Impact of Personal Stress on Professional Life

Although learning to cope with professional stress can be easy, personal stress can affect one's professional life. Personal stress can result from relationship issues or family issues, for example, having a sick member of the family. Low self-esteem can also be another personal stressor and can lead to depression if not well managed. I have personally suffered from low self-esteem in the past, and I can say dealing with low self-esteem is not an easy task. However, I get to learn earlier that it was directly affecting my professional life and I had to deal with it. After identifying my stressor, I learned on healthy ways of helping manage personal stress like leading a unique lifestyle. I also try to reach and talk to many people who are of help like therapists, hence managing stress.

Rathus, Navid. 4 Ways To Cope With Stress. 2012.

American Psychological Association: Coping with Stress at Work, 2012.       www.apa.org>helpcenter>work-stress. Accessed 1 May, 2018

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