We have all experienced stress at some point in our working lives, however some people are more familiar to it than others. It is important to tackle the causes of stress sooner rather than later as it can be a significant cause of illness.
Stress in the workplace can appear due to a number of different reasons. There are many indicators of stress that you can look out for in the workplace in order to prevent your colleagues from becoming worse. Being able to recognise these signs gives you the head start to managing the problem.
The indicators of stress that you can look out for in the work place include:
- Low self-esteem, fatigue, anxiety, Poor Motivation
- Deteriorating relationships with colleagues, irritability, indecisiveness, absenteeism, excessive smoking, drinking, overeating, etc
- Making mistakes, having accidents
- Headaches, dizziness and general aches and pains.
Stress can affect your body, your thoughts, your feelings and your behaviour. The Long-term health effects that can occur due to stress include:
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Ulcers
- Thyroid disorders
- Psychological effects, such as anxiety and depression
- Skipping meals, drinking too much alcohol and excessive smoking.
Stress in the workplace can occur when work exceeds your capability to cope. Work related stress hazards include:
- Poor physical or environmental conditions, e.g. noise, heat, lighting or cleanliness
- Excessive workloads
- Irregular working patterns
- Changes in working times or unsocial hours
- Task-related factors – physically or mentally beyond the individual’s capacity, repetitive or boring, etc
- Interpersonal factors – day-to-day interaction with people, abuse and harassment
- Role ambiguity – no clear idea of what is expected
- Role conflict – opposing demands are made
- Little or no recognition for work done
- Personal threat – to personal safety or fear of redundancy or dismissal
- Lone working
- Major changes occurring within the organisation
- Pressure from time constraints or deadlines, etc
You cannot control everything that happens at work, however helping to prevent stress levels is vital.
The responsibilities that you can carry out in order to reduce the risk of stress occurring in the workplace include:
- Raise any issues of concern with your line manager or human resources department
- Accept opportunities for counseling when recommended
- Cooperate and be meaningfully involved in the risk assessment process
- Be supportive of colleagues
If you can relate to this article or know someone who can and does not feel like they have any one to turn to for help and support, Contact Walker Health and Safety Services today, they are here to help.
Website: http://walkersafety.co.uk/
E-mail: info@walkersafety.co.uk
Telephone: 0845 834 0400
Fax: 0845 834 0401