Common Causes of Work Stress & Their Effect

Whatever the reason for stress is, nobody likes to remain stressed, yet the irony is we all are stressed in one way or another. There are many reasons to be stressed, but one of the leading reasons is stress due to work. Work stress causes could range from anything that happens at work, whether it is because of the higher authority, improper seating arrangement, workloads, inability to manage several tasks, or any other thing.

Many job stress results in people developing long-term issues, and many employees have the anxiety of going back to work. If you are one of those people who fret over Mondays and wait for Fridays, in an abnormal way, then you might be vulnerable to work-related stress and employee demotivation resulting from it.

What Causes Stress At Work?

The causes of work-related stress cannot be put in a simple manner, but they vary from one employee to another. Since we all are programmed differently, there are several unique triggers for every person. But to study what causes workplace stress, here are some common things that lead to workplace stress.

Other People

Not to trigger hostility but teamwork is hard. It has its own virtues, but working in a team requires a lot of effort and understanding. It requires everyone to put their energies in, otherwise, there would be failure. Not being able to work in a team and take upon responsibilities is one of the leading causes of stress. Approximately 28% of people feel stressed because of their co-workers or someone in the office who doesn't seem to suit them well.

In such cases, one must not dwell too much on the other person’s habits or on ways that they irritate you to the core.

Work-Life Balance

For someone who works must realize the value of life outside the workplace. Approximately 7% of the workers complain about having no work-life balance in a typical organization. While the ratio seems tiny, it is a major reason an employee might feel stressed at work. Lack of work-life balance is one of the main work stress causes.

Lack of Job Security

This is one of the main reasons and work stress causes. With so many people looking for jobs and a small number of jobs, job security is a threat to everyone and causes work-related stress. You are always in fear of getting replaced, and this constant fear does no good for an employee.

No Personal Space

Are you constantly connected to your colleagues and reporting managers even after work hours? The advent of technology and portable devices has stopped putting a limit on work timings. This results in constant connectivity to work and thus no break, which results in stress.

Workload

Almost 50% of the employee population experience work-related stress because of the extra workload. It is the most common work stress cause. In the majority of cases, employees are asked to do more than their normal job description. Moreover, many employees are given a workload twice of their working hours, so they end up giving extra hours and disrupt their work-life balance yet again.

Effect of Work-Related Stress on Health

To manage employee stress and to promote a positive work culture is the responsibility of every business owner. While a manager and higher authority can play a vital role in ensuring no employee feels unappreciated, overwhelmed and uncomfortable in a workplace, they also need to educate employees regarding the need to manage stress.

Many employees are stressed in the workplace because they feel undervalued hence, not good enough for the job. Or many times, employees are subjected to more work than their job description demands them to do, which results in them being negative and hostile towards the company. As much as workplace stress is detrimental to the growth of an organization, it also has many harmful effects on the overall health of the employees.

Mental Health

Nearly half of the world population is now affected by anxiety and constant distress. The prolonged exposure to stressful situations trains our brain to imagine the worst. As our brains start to worry and release stress hormones, the body starts preparing for a response. This whole cycle of mental health and physical health affected by stress is closely related.

People who have had a really bad experience with work-related stress may develop PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) or any other long-term brain injury. Many people develop insomnia resulting from workplace stress. Some of the most common results of workplace stress are

• Irritation

• Anger problems

• Frustration

• Eating and drinking problems

• Negative affect on social life as well

Physical Health

Constant exposure to stressful situations will result in your body having developed ultimate responses to them. If we expose our body to a certain situation for a long time, it will acclimatize to it. People who are constantly presented to stress at work develop

• High heart rate

• Increased respiratory rate

• Rapid breathing

• Neck pain

• Headache and many other physical symptoms

For someone who works in a stressful work environment, their body will have short to long-term effects and it leads to work stress causes. Imagine having a stressful meeting one day. The next time you are called for a meeting, your body will have a similar reaction as you had in the previous situation. As your body prepares you for a negative encounter, your heart rate increases and more blood flows to the muscles. For a weak person, this could result in a stroke.

Prevent Work-Related Stress

The right answer would be to eliminate the work stress causes in the workplace, which is not entirely possible. But the good news is many of these could be dealt with. For example, an ergonomic chair can deal with your uncomfortable posture and reduce your shoulders' tension. Also, a reliable standing desk to match your chair height is a good cure to physical stress, but if the stress is not because of physical reasons, you need other ways to reduce it.

After all, there is no work without a little stress, and nothing ever grows out of your comfort zone, but if you feel too much affected because of work-related stress, then it is time to reconsider things and observe them objectively.