The First Step In Tackling Workplace Stress

 / 

The First Step in tackling Workplace Stress

Why do you feel stressed at work? Do you know your stressors?
The first step in tackling workplace stress is understanding your stressors.

Sometimes the first step in understanding something involves simply labeling it. This can come from a medical diagnosis, but it can also come from your own insights. One area that can greatly benefit from labeling is your work life, and whether you’re thriving in it or just surviving.

Workplace Stress
The First Step In Tackling Workplace Stress

To begin with, it is helpful to understand what your potential stressors are, and what is actually causing you to feel stressed. Let’s back upโ€”what are stressors versus stress? It seems like a simple question that is either obvious, or that doesnโ€™t really matter to differentiate. But teasing these things apart will help you have a better understanding of why you are stressed and what you can do to address it.

Stressors are anything in your work environment that could potentially lead to stress.

Understanding 5 stressors at work:

1. The content of your work:

  • Monotonous work
  • Meaningless of tasks
  • Lack of variety
  • Physical labor
  • Emotional labor

Read 3 Ways To Like A Job You Loathe

2. The way your job is designed:

  • The amount of workload (too little, too much)
  • Time pressure
  • Working hours (long, shiftwork, graveyard shifts)
  • Role ambiguity

3. How you interact with others:

  • Role conflicts with others
  • Supervision (micro-managing, inadequate support)
  • Lack of colleague support
  • Bullying/harassment

Read 8 Signs of A Toxic Person At Work

4. Your environment:

  • Loud noises
  • Harsh lighting
  • Noxious smells

5. Spillover into home life:

  • Inadequate pay
  • Working hours/shift work
  • Spillover of home into work (sick kids, aging parents)

These are stressors (and not stress) because they may or may not result in you feeling stressed. You may like having a job where you can “turn off your brain” and do repetitive tasks. You may not be bothered by noise.

Read 22 Tips To Improve Mental Health In The Workspace

This is why one person with a heavy workload is drowning, and the other is energized by it. When these stressors turn into stress, this is where we need to be concerned. That is, these stressors somehow affect your psychological, emotional, or behavioral well-being2 3 4.

Stress Us Who You Think You Should Be.
The First Step In Tackling Workplace Stress

Recent research5 6 7 discusses how the psychological evaluation of stress can be boiled down to three basic needs: the need to feel competent, the need to act with volition (have a say in the matter), and the need to feel connected with others.

If we think back to the example of the person who is energized by the heavy workload, itโ€™s likely that they see it as challenging, and it allows them to demonstrate their skills. Versus the person who is drowning, who likely feels that they arenโ€™t in control anymore and either don’t have a say in their work or don’t feel competent in what they are producing.

Read How To Effectively Resolve Conflicts In The Workplace

What do you need to do to understand why you may be experiencing stress?

1. First, identify all the high-level tasks or situations at work (see list above).

2. Label whether it causes you stress, you feel neutral about it, or it invigorates you.

3. For the tasks that cause you to stress, reflect to understand why (e.g., lack of control, not feeling like it achieves anything, isolates you).

4. Then, identify how you can either adapt the task or limit how much of the task you do on a given day.

The First Step In Tackling Workplace Stress
The First Step In Tackling Workplace Stress

Source: Lauren Florko

This first step in labeling your stress and figuring out the root causes will help you determine whether you know an upcoming workday will be stressful and plan around it. It will also help you take control (of what is within your control) to help reduce stress.


References
(1) World Health Organization. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/occupational_health/topics/stressatwp/en/
(2) Folkman, S., & Lazarus, R. S. (1990). Coping and emotion. In N. L. Stein, B. Leventhal & T. Trabasso (Eds.), Psychological and Biological Approaches to Emotion (pp. 313-332). Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum.
(3) Ganster, D. C. (2008). Measurement challenges for studying work-related stressors and strains. Human Resource Management Review, 18, 259-270. doi: 10.1016/j.hrmr.2008.07.01
(4) Lazarus, R. S. (1966). Psychological stress and the coping process. New York, NY US: McGraw-Hill
(5) Gagnรฉ, M., & Deci, E. L. (2005). Self-determination theory and work motivation. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 26(4), 331-362. doi:10.1002/job.322
(6) Van den Broeck, A., Vansteenkiste, M., De Witte, H., & Lens, W. (2008). Explaining the relationships between job characteristics, burnout, and engagement: The role of basic psychological need satisfaction. Work & Stress, 22(4), 691-706. doi: 10.1177/0143831X11428228
(7) Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2002). Overview of self-determination theory: An organismic-dialectical perspective. In E. L. Deci, R. M. Ryan, E. L. Deci, R. M. Ryan (Eds.), Handbook of self-determination research (pp. 3-33). Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press.

Written by: Lauren Florko
Originally appeared on: Psychology Today
Republished with permission
The First Step in tackling Workplace Stress PIN
The First Step In Tackling Workplace Stress

— Share —

— About the Author —

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *



Up Next

What Is Bed Rotting Trend? How Taking A Break Can Improve Your Well-Being

What Is The Bed Rotting Trend And How You Can Embrace It

Do you feel stressed and overwhelmed most of the time? Do you just want to take a break from all your responsibilities and just relax? Well, you are not alone. The latest bed rotting trend is taking social media by storm and it is exactly what we might need! 

If you’ve spent any time on social media recently, you may have come across a new trend called “bed rotting.” But what is bed rotting trend exactly, and why is it so popular? Let us explore the origins of the term, the reasons behind its popularity, and what it says about attitudes towards self-care and mental health.

What is bed rotting?

If you’re a frequent user of social media app TikTok, you may have come across a new trend called “bed rotting



Up Next

The 12 Stages Of Burnout: From Irritability To Exhaustion

The 12 Stages Of Burnout

Do you often feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and emotionally drained? Are you burnt out? You may be experiencing the 12 stages of burnout, a state of extreme stress that can have serious consequences for your physical and mental health. 

Let us explore the stages of burnout, learn how to recognize them, and discuss effective strategies for preventing burnout and maintaining your well-being. 

Understanding burnout

We live in a society where almost all of us are burnt out. We are physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted and often feel that we donโ€™t have the energy to get up tomorrow morning and do the same things again. 

But what exactly is burn



Up Next

Taking Control Of Your Workday: 13 Tips For Setting Boundaries At Work

Work-Life Balance: 13 Tips For Setting Boundaries At Work

Are you tired of drowning in an overwhelming sea of work demands? Do you feel your personal life is slowly slipping away due to deadlines at work?

It’s time to break free from the chains of never-ending to-do lists, late-night emails, and constant work-related stress. How? With some great tips for setting boundaries at work.

Picture a workplace where your well-being is respected, and your productivity soars. It’s not just wishful thinking; it’s entirely possible. All you need to do is learn the techniques for setting boundaries in the workplace.



Up Next

Psychological Safety At Work: Why It Is Important And How To Make Your Team Feel Safe

How Psychological Safety At Work Can Improve Employee Well-Being

Do you feel mentally safe at work? Do you feel included, engaged and valued? Psychological safety at work is crucial for both employees and organizations for building high-performing teams.

What is psychological safety at work?

Psychological safety meaning: Psychological safety refers to an individual’s perception that they can speak up, share their ideas, and take risks without fear of negative consequences at the workplace.

You feel safe and comfortable to speak up,



Up Next

Humor As Therapy: 35+ Funny AF Mental Health Memes To Boost Your Mood

35+ Best Mental Health Memes: The Healing Power of Laughter

While mental health is no joke, we have all laughed at funny and relatable mental health memes as it helps to relieve our stress and make us realize that we are not the only ones suffering.

Although how therapeutic these memes actually can be are still in question, such memes still help in opening up the conversation about mental health and empower us to laugh at our struggles.

Relatable jokes make us realize that we are not alone and it is okay to feel this way as long as we seek treatment and try to get better.

What are mental health memes?

<



Up Next

The Power Of Emotional Security: How Psychological Safety Builds Stronger Family Bonds

The Benefits Of Psychological Safety: Why It Matters

Psychological safety at work is increasingly becoming a popular and important concept in the workplace around the globe. But what about feeling psychologically safe at home and in the community? How can we feel emotionally safe when we are navigating through the challenges of life? Letโ€™s find out.

What is psychological safety?

Psychological safety refers to a welcoming environment, such as a home or a workplace, where everyone feels comfortable and believes that their honesty, sincerity and truthfulness is welcomed. A lack of emotional safety can lead to feelings of anxiety and apathy.

Being psychologically safe at home and in public places means having a



Up Next

Food For Mental Health: 10 Foods That Can Help Boost Your Mood And Reduce Stress

10 Mood-Boosting Foods: The Power Of Food For Mental Health

Is diet and nutrition the secret to boosting our mental health? The answer is a resounding YES! When you know how to eat the right food for mental health, you can not only better cope with stress and anxiety, you can improve your overall mental well-being.

There are certain foods which can not only help to improve our mental health, it can also help to overcome mental health issues like anxiety and depression, along with therapy. Let us find out what foods can help you in your journey towards mental wellness.

Food and mood

The food we eat can play a significant role in improving our mood as nutrition and mental health are closely related.

Nutrient-dense foods that are r

AI Chatbot Avatar
โš ๏ธ Liza is in training with WMHA and may not always provide the most accurate information.