Many would consider job stress as non-existent especially when their jobs are not demanding. It occurs primarily when the job requirements supersede the individual capability, capacity and resources to meet the set objectives. It has been established that job stress can be consequential especially in terms of health. Therefore, when the job necessities are excessive, an individual lacks the ability to cope with the excess pressure (Maravelas, 2005). The response to job stress is considered to be specific to a person. This is because what one would consider stressful would not be the same for another. In addition, the degree of response to stress is also variant depending on an individual where the type and severity of the response is heavily dependent on the individual. Indeed, job stress can be recognized and managed and the purpose of this paper is to discuss its symptoms and management.
Recognition of Job stress
Like any other condition that human beings are susceptible to, job stress can be recognized via its symptoms. It is vital to note that job stress might be best identified by an individual where he or she watches out for some of the symptoms. Some of known physical symptoms of job stress is headaches, insomnia, muscle pains, and reduced immunity (Livingston, 2016). Job stress that is experienced for lengths of periods exacerbates the situation by developing into a chronic condition. In other words, the physical develops a chronic condition that might express as high blood pressure or digestive disorders like the stomach ulcers. The sheer fact that the body is in elevated stress implies that the internal system is in chaos because of the interplay of stress hormones (Naess, 2016). The development of chronic conditions is because of the elevated levels of the stress hormone. This explains the development of chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertensions when some people are stressed. There is a solid association that has been proven between life-threatening chronic diseases and conditions like impaired immunity with stressful working conditions.
Apart from the physical features of the disease, there is bound to be psychological features as well which might include depression, apathy, and lack of morale, concentration and poor memory as well as abnormal behavior (Stress is a Silent Killer, 2016). Depression arises when an individual begins to feel inadequate and it begins when he or she cannot manage to fulfill the duties that have been set for him or her. The lack of concentration during work hours is typical considering that an individual lacks sleep and morale. Apart from the psychological symptoms, there are behavioral ones too. As established, an individual develops unusual behavior like memory loss and substance abuse (Livingston, 2016). For example an individual increasingly drinks coffee or alcohol and withdraws from the usual practices and contacts. In addition, performance and productivity goes down as the rate of absenteeism increases.
Causes of Job Stress
There are several factors that have been considered to be the primary causes of job stress. They include task design, management styles, relationships, roles, career and environmental concerns. Heavy tasks coupled with dictator type of management can be a cause of stress in a career (Workplace Stress). Causes of job stress can be categorized into many categories including demand, control and roles. Demand refers to activities that are insistent requests that are made authoritatively. The result of demand is that an individual is overworked and bored leading to job stress.
Additionally, inadequate resources in a poor working environment and at the job for long hours is bound to lead to stress accumulation. When it comes to the control dimension, an individual is unable to meet the demands made of him or her at the job or there are conflicting demands with no independence or freedom whatsoever. As a result of the many demands, an individual becomes stressed. In the role dimension, an individual is not conversant with the roles he has to fulfill forcing him or her to overwork (Maravelas, 2005). Other causes include poor relationships at the workplace or the inability to respond effectively to change. Furthermore, poor communication in the office can result in various stresses at the workplace. Inadequate job training can also result to stress where an individual is faced with many uncertainties at the job.
Job Stress Management
The first step in any stress management practice is for an individual to acknowledge that he or she is stressed at the workplace. The next step is to identify the stressors at the job that might be causing the increased discomfort and inability to be productive at the workplace. In order to minimize or mitigate the stressors, it is best that they are known and coping strategies are put in place (Naess, 2016). In addition to managing stressors, an individual ought to look after himself or herself particularly in activities that work to reduce the stress levels such as yoga, and exercise. A nutritious diet is also important coupled with adequate levels of sleep. Ensure that there is adequate communication at the workplace, adequate training and sleep so that job stress can be kept at bay. In a nutshell, job stress can be recognized and mitigated.
References
Livingston, S. (2016). Employers help lift the veil on mental health. Business Insurance, 50(5), 0004.
Maravelas, A. (2005). How to Reduce Workplace Conflict and Stress: How Leaders and Their Employees Can Protect Their Sanity and Productivity From Tension and Turf Wars. Franklin Lakes, NJ: Career Press
Naess, S. (2016). The High Price of Employee Stress. Benefits Selling, 14(3), 32-33.
Stress is a silent killer. (2015). People Management, 7.
Workplace Stress. (n.d.). Workplace Stress. Retrieved April 24, 2016, from http://www.stress.org/workplace-stress
