Workplace Stress

Stress resulting from job demands such as time pressure, added responsibility, and cognitive demands are not necessarily bad as they can stimulate and motivate employees to put extra effort into their work, foster the development of organization and time management skills, and contribute to personal growth. Stress resulting from some other job demands such as role/work overload, role ambiguity, job insecurity, unfavourable and/or unsafe work environment, constraints, and interpersonal conflicts, on the other hand, can interfere with or inhibit an individual’s ability to achieve their work goals, elicit negative emotions, and often have a negative impact on an employee’s wellbeing.

Having a certain amount of work related stress is common and can in fact motivate as well as challenge most employees to stay focused, strive further, and perform better. However, when high job demands are met with low control over one’s work and work environment combined with a lack of support and resources that could moderate, buffer, or deal with those demands, employees’ level of stress can eventually become unmanageable and this can turn into distress, disengagement, and burnout. Ample research has found the association between high work stress or burnout and the increased rates of absenteeism, exhaustion, and injuries; the onset serious physical health and/or mental health problems including depression, chronic pain and coronary heart disease; the deterioration of work and personal relationships; and a noticeable decline in work engagement, productivity, and/or performance.

Symptoms & signs of workplace stress

The signs or symptoms of work-related stress can include the following:

Psychological symptoms

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Restlessness
• Irritability and anger
• Pessimism
• Defensiveness
• Feelings of being overwhelmed and unable to cope
• Cognitive difficulties, such as a reduced ability to concentrate, think clearly, or make decisions.

Physical symptoms

• Fatigue
• Muscle tension or pain
• Headaches
• Heart palpitations
• Chest pain
• Increased blood pressure
• Sleeping difficulties, such as insomnia
• Fatigue
• Gastrointestinal upsets, such as diarrhea or constipation
• Weakened immune system
• fatigue / insomnia
• increased cholesterol and fatty acids in blood for energy production system

Behavioural symptoms

• An increase in sick days or absenteeism
• Diminished creativity and initiative
• Neglect responsibilities
• A drop in work performance
• Problems with interpersonal relationships
• Irritability, impatience, and lower tolerance of frustration
• Mood swings, outbursts, and aggression
• Disinterest
• Withdrawn and isolated from others
• React poorly in normal activities that require hand-eye or foot-eye coordination