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Workplace stress is a universal problem. It doesn’t just exist in offices, it exists in factories, retail outlets, restaurants, bars, you name it, the list goes on. However, as we’re concerned with office work, it’s important to note that within this line of work, stress can be a major issue.
There are many benefits of working in an office environment, but there are also a few downsides too. One of those downsides is stress.
Of course, just because you work in an office it doesn’t mean it’s a given that you’re going to experience stress. It depends greatly upon what’s going on in your private life, the type of management you have, the office you work in, and the workload you are given. It also depends upon the type of training you've had and whether you feel confident in your work.
There are many reasons why a person may struggle with stress, but it’s important to know that if it does happen to you, you should not just sweep it under the rug. There is still an unfair stigma attached to workplace stress and it needs to be overcome. It’s vital to talk to your manager if you overwhelmed or stressed and to use stress management techniques to reduce the problem. Check out this infographic for a few ways on how you can reduce workplace stress.
Source - https://melissaeisler.com/infographic-how-to-reduce-workplace-stress/
So, what does stress actually feel like? What is it like being in the mind of a stressed office worker?
It varies from person to person, but the build up of pressure is a regular feature. You can be sitting at your office desk and suddenly a sense of being totally overwhelmed and unable to cope washes over you. Feeling stressed can come and go or it can be a constant thing. Your mind races, your heart rate might pick up, you breathe in a shallow way. You struggle to sleep at night, you can’t control your 100mph thoughts, and in some cases, you might start to develop anxiety too.
Stress causes you to withdraw from the things you normally enjoy doing and you end up isolating yourself from those around you because you’re so preoccupied with your own mind. All of this makes concentrating on the task at hand almost impossible. Mistakes happen, which simply make you even more stressed.
It’s a vicious cycle that needs to be broken. The only way to do that is it talk about it, knock down the unfair stigma, and work to reduce it.