Work Stress: Treatments And Methods To Improve

More and more people are talking about work stress. For many, work represents the purpose of life and contributes to the development of their entity. But this is not the case for everyone, some consider their occupation to be an unpleasant set of obligations. Tasks that they consider irrelevant, monotonous and very demanding, this makes them victims of work stress.

Beyond the preferences that each of us may have at work, stress can appear on different occasions. This affects health; especially if it is a constant stress over time or has very strong intensity peaks.

C hat is work stress?

Not all of us have the same ability to adapt to stressful conditions. This ability is conditioned by various genetic factors, personality traits and the physical and mental conditions of each of us.

Work-related stress can be defined as a set of emotional, cognitive, physiological and behavioral reactions. These reactions are related to certain adverse aspects regarding the organization, the content or the work environment. This state is characterized by high levels of arousal and anxiety and with a frequent feeling of not being able to cope with situations.

One factor that is gaining more and more importance and attention is the imbalance between expectations about what work should be and the reality of the working world. On some occasions there is a real gulf between beliefs or the represented ideal and reality. Unattainable or unrealistic aspirations make the chances of feeling disappointed and vulnerable to the harmful effects of stress high.

Frequent symptoms of stress

The most frequent symptoms that indicate that a person may be suffering from work stress are:

• Physiological symptoms : sweating, muscle tension, breathing difficulties, palpitations, stomach pain, dizziness, nausea, dry mouth, etc.

• Psychological symptoms : worry, fear, difficulty articulating thoughts, concentrating or making decisions, negative thoughts, insecurity, fear, etc.

• Motor symptoms : avoiding feared situations, biting nails, snowy motor activity, moving from one place to another without a concrete purpose, etc.

To reduce our stress levels, it is important to implement some basic strategies, such as the ones we recommend below.

However, if the situation persists and we are having difficulty or are unable to cope with the stress, a professional should be consulted.  Thanks to his help, it will be easier to deal with our problem.

Work Stress Therapies

The therapies for work stress are decided according to the symptoms and disorders that the person presents, also taking into account their intensity. Therapy will change according to the individual, favoring its evolution if treatment is started early. Recall that there are also group and organizational therapies.

As a rule, the interventions used are characterized by the cognitive-behavioral character. These include: stress management, cognitive restoration, emotional rational therapy and behavioral testing. From a cognitive point of view, the problem of working with wrong cognitions, unreal expectations and false hopes will be emphasized.

Among the techniques and programs aimed at work stress we can highlight: the control management strategies or focused on the problem, training in problem solving, assertiveness and time management.

On an individual level, we all seek to improve our protection or endurance resources. It is a means to optimize the methods with which to deal with the stress factors typical of the working environment and to enhance the perception of control, self-esteem and the level of personal self-efficiency.

Key points to reduce the stress level

Here are some tips for reducing high levels of stress in the workplace:

• Schedule rewarding activities outside of work, try to break away from it, both inside and out. It is advisable to dedicate a few moments of the day to do something that relaxes us and allows us to unplug.

• Having real and achievable goals.

• Don’t leave everything for the last minute. Learn to manage time and flexibly plan our activities.

• Take care of the work environment (cleanliness, order, brightness, etc.)

• Encourage social relationships at work and communicate assertively.

• Learn how to reduce tension through techniques such as meditation, relaxation or yoga.

• Avoid catastrophic thoughts and avoid becoming demoralized by mistakes made. Mistakes, in fact, are an inevitable part of a job and can also be a source of learning and improvement.

• Cultivate habits such as taking time to sleep and rest and lead adequate nutrition. We can also add exercise to our daily habits. An activity practiced regularly, suited to our abilities, improves the general mood, increasing self-esteem and decreasing stress levels.