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Managing Job Stress

Does this sound familiar?

Christmas crowds fill the aisles, and your cash register 
breaks down....

You're short-staffed at the restaurant, and a bus-load of tourists stream 
through the door....

You're giving a presentation to your biggest client company in an hour, 
and your materials and lost luggage are heading for Europe!

No matter where you work or what you do, you'll undoubtedly face stress on the job!  In fact, research surveys and studies reveal:

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According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, job stress can be 
defined as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the 
requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker.

Job stress is often linked or equated with challenge, but the two are very different.  
Challenge motivates and energizes us psychologically and physically to learn new skills 
and master given tasks.  When a challenge is met, we feel a great sense of 
accomplishment.  We feel relaxed and satisfied. Challenge is beneficial in the work 
environment as it helps increase productivity.  This is what people are referring to 
when they say - "a little bit of stress is good for you."  It might be more accurate to 
say - "a little challenge is good for you."

Stress, on the other hand, is when job demands can't be met, relaxation has turned to 
exhaustion, and a sense of satisfaction has turned into feelings of tension.  In short, the 
worker feels overly taxed both psychologically and physically, and the stage is set for 
illness, injury, and job failure.

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Quite simply, job stress results from the interaction of the worker and the conditions of the 
work.  Views differ on the importance of worker characteristics versus working conditions 
as the primary cause of job stress.

Some view differences in individual characteristics, such as personality and coping style, 
are most important in predicting whether certain job conditions will result in stress.  What 
may be stressful for one person may not be a problem for someone else.  This viewpoint 
leads to prevention strategies that focus on workers and ways to help them cope with 
demanding job conditions.

Although individual differences can't be ignored, research studies indicate certain working conditions are stressful to most people.  This scientific evidence places greater emphasis on working conditions as the key source of job stress, and job redesign as the primary prevention strategy.  Excessive workload demands and conflicting expectations, for example, are key sources of job stress.

Short-lived episodes of stress pose little risk.  But if stressful situations go unresolved, 
the body can suffer from wear and tear, and the ability of a person's body to repair and 
defend itself can become seriously compromised.

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The following may indicate signs of stress:

Signs of stress may also be associated with increased absenteeism, tardiness, and 
intentions of workers to quit their jobs.

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Job stress may need to be approached in two ways.  The two approaches would include:

Be aware management is often uncomfortable with the "organizational change" 
approach because it can involve changes in work loads, work routines, work schedules, 
work production, or changes in the organizational structure.  As a general rule, however, 
it takes organizational change to improve working conditions, and it takes improved 
working conditions to reduce job stress.  And it takes reduced to job stress to boost 
morale and retain workers.

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Helpful organizational changes may include:

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Worker characteristics that can cause job stress may include:

The worker feels a need to be in control at all times;
The worker views lack of control as a sign of weakness;
The worker has difficulty delegating assignments to others;
The worker avoids showing signs of weakness or nervousness.

The worker feels his or her work is inferior compared to others;
The worker feels he or she makes poor judgments;
The worker feels a lack of common sense;
The worker feels doubts about his or her competence and ability
to do the job.

The worker relies on favorable opinions and input from others
as a basis for building self-esteem;
The worker fears he or she may disappoint others;
The worker cares more about others' needs than his or her own;
The worker avoids communications and actions that would
displease others.

The worker feels under pressure to achieve;
The worker is highly self-critical;
The worker feels a job well done could have been done 
even better;
The worker sacrifices pleasure in order to excel and achieve.

 

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If one of the above profiles rings true for you, the following suggestions may help.

Mentally Reframe:

1.     Identify situations that are stressful for you.   At what times, and under
        what circumstances, do you feel job stress?  Make note.

2.     Gauge your thinking.   During those stressful times, do your thoughts turn
        negative and self-defeating?  Do your thoughts only add more pressure?
        Consider these examples:

3.     Change your thinking.   If during stressful times you find yourself thinking negative
        or pressure thoughts, stop those self-defeaters in their tracks and reframe your
        thinking!

        Using the above examples, let's reframe.

Replacing self-defeating thoughts with positive ones takes practice, but the results are 
worth the effort!

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The following strategies are also helpful for reducing job stress:

1.     Organize your time.   Use a schedule planner and schedule tasks.  Stick to
        the schedule!  Be sure to schedule in time you need to meet deadlines, make
        phone calls, send correspondence, write reports, and so on.

2.     Follow your bio-clock.   Try to schedule the hardest tasks during your hours
        of peak performance and concentration.

3.     Make "TO DO" lists.   List everything you need to do in order of priority.  As you
        finish a task, check it off and go to the next one.

4.     Throw it away.   Don't let things accumulate!  Sort mail and toss what you don't
        need.  Sort e-mails and delete what you don't need to read.  Sort files and toss
        what's out-of-date.

5.     Organize your work space.   Organize papers, files, or items so that you know
        where everything is, and things can be found quickly.

6.     Don't procrastinate.   Don't wait.  Do it now.  You'll be happy you got it done!

7.     Think in steps.   Take a large project and break it down into small steps.  Then do
         the project one small step at a time.

8.     Take breaks.   Avoid working around the clock.  Go get a cup a coffee.  Eat lunch
        away from your desk or work area.  Try to go home on time.

9.     Share a problem.   If you encounter an unusually challenging work problem, talk
        with co-workers.  They may not have a solution, but it helps to talk through issues.
        Sometimes just by talking through a problem, you can recognize a solution.

10.  Sleep.   Make sure you get enough sleep.  Lack of sleep impairs concentration
       which can add pressure and anxiety.

11.  Target ideas.   Each time you feel stress, write down a list of targeted things you
       need to do to reduce the stress for that event.

12.  Take a real vacation.   When you take time off, avoid thinking about work.  Focus
        on things you enjoy.  This applies to your time off on weekends as well.

13.  Transition.   Between work and home, do something to get your mind off work.
        Listen to the car radio, stop for a coffee, drop by the library, stop at the store.

14.  Leave work at work.   Take home as little work as possible.

15.  Practice relaxation techniques.   During times of stress, try:

These are just a few suggestions that will hopefully help should you encounter stress in the workplace!

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Source:

A portion of this section is based on information obtained from  Stress at Work  from: 

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

NIOSH is the Federal agency responsible for conducting research and making 
recommendations for the prevention of work-related illness and injury.  NIOSH is part 
of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

As part of its mandate, NIOSH is directed by Congress to study the psychological 
aspects of occupational safety and health, including stress at work.  NIOSH works in 
collaboration with industry, labor, and universities to better understand the stress of 
modern work, the effects of stress on worker safety and health, and ways to reduce stress 
in the workplace.

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