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The importance of managing workplace stress

If you experience stress related to your work, you’re not alone. Up to 74 % of corporate employees have experienced some degree of workplace stress7. It can be easy to tell yourself that stress at work is inevitable and something you ‘have to deal with’. But there is lots of support and strategies available to manage these stressors and improve your quality of life. Getting help early can prevent an escalation into burn out, so it’s key to find out what help is on hand for you today.

What is workplace stress?

The official UK definition of workplace stress is ‘the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand place on them’2. But what causes somebody stress will vary from person to person.

It’s important to note that some forms of pressure and stress can be beneficial and even motivating. ‘Eustress’ describes the positive reaction people can have to challenging situations – which might include increased performance and inspiration to succeed4. So, avoiding all stress isn’t the goal – without any challenges we would struggle to grow and develop.

Work related stress can become problematic when it threatens our health and becomes overwhelming2,3. This can happen when stress is prolonged, excessive, and we have insufficient time to rest and recover.

Symptoms of workplace stress include:

Stress can affect everybody differently. You may experience a range of physical and psychological symptoms, and over time, this can cause ongoing illness.

Emotional symptoms include2:

  • Feeling less motivated or confident at work
  • Feelings of low mood, anxiety or overwhelm
  • Poor concentration or memory
  • Feeling withdrawn or disconnected from colleagues
  • Mood swings or tearfulness
  • Irritability

Physical symptoms include5:

  • Sleep issues
  • Muscle tension
  • Headaches
  • Fatigue
  • Digestive issues

These issues may result in absences from work, reduced performance, task avoidance, and becoming more reactive and emotional to challenging situations2. So, getting support as soon as you notice any of these symptoms is key.

What causes workplace stress?

Causes of workplace stress will be different for everybody. But heavy workloads appear to be the main cause of stress at work1. Other contributing factors include2:

  • Lack of autonomy over tasks/time
  • Lack of information or support
  • Issues with relationships at work
  • Changes to the business
  • Lack of clarity about role and responsibilities

Whenever there is job insecurity stress can increase – particularly if employees don’t feel well informed about changes and decisions2.

People who struggle with work life balance are more prone to work stress, as boundaries can blur between home and work2.

And interestingly, a lack of recognition or reward can also contribute to stress at work, through an increase in frustration and a lack of motivation3.

Remember that stress doesn’t just come from work. You may also be experiencing other forms of stress from the rest of your life that can compound stressors at work. Causes of general stress can include6:

  • Relationship issues
  • Health concerns
  • Financial worries
  • Life changes such as moving house or having a baby

What is the impact of workplace stress?

Workplace stress can have a wide range of impacts on you, your life, and the workforce. it’s not just anxiety and depression that leads to absences from work, stress does too. Data shows that stress is amongst the top four reasons employees take leave1. It also impacts job satisfaction – employees who report work related mental health issues being less happy in their role, and more likely to quit1.

Stress at work can also carry into the rest of your life – impacting sleep, mood and general well –being2,5. You may also find it reduces motivation, affects your relationships and reduces your enjoyment of hobbies and activities2,5. So, it’s important to get a handle on work stress before it affects the rest of your life.

What help is available for workplace stress?

There is lots of support available for workplace stress. Working together with your manager to create an action plan is a good place to start. It might be that you can easily identify some steps that would help, such as:

  • Adjusting workload
  • Prioritising tasks
  • Blocking out breaks
  • Delegating tasks where appropriate
  • Taking time to rest, exercise and socialise

Beyond these changes, your manager can direct you to a range of Bupa specific services such as the following.

Employment assistance program (EAP)

the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which offers 24/7 access to qualified counsellors who can help with stress, anxiety or other concerns.

Contacting EAP promptly can help to tackle workplace stress head on and take control of things before they escalate.

Sometimes, it may be useful to access more formal mental health treatment as offered through insurance. This could include:

  • Support offered by psychologists, psychotherapists and psychiatrists
  • CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy)
  • Counselling

These services can be accessed quickly online, enabling you to get help without long waits.

Wellbeing support via My Bupa

To increase your general resilience and wellbeing you can access a wide range of free meditations, fitness classes and JAAQ at Work content via the My Bupa app. This can act as a standalone tool for work stress or complement other services and treatments.

Guides and resources

There are a range of helpful guides and resources available to help you better manage your work stress. These include:

References

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