Symptoms of work stress How to overcome it?

According to recent data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), Spain is the third European country with the most work stress, reaching almost 60% of workers.

Difference between work stress and pressure

It is important to differentiate between stress and pressureas they are often raised as synonyms. Pressure is a normal aspect of our lives and refers to the commitment and demand that a person adopts with the different challenges of his life to try to do things as well as possible.

We all need a certain level of pressure to work well, but there are those who need more (or less) pressure to achieve optimal work performance. Stress can occur when a situation overwhelms us, but also when the challenge before us is not stimulating enough.

This pressure can be:

• Internal: wanting to do the job well.
• External: when there are deadlines, evaluation criteria of supervisors, etc.

What are the symptoms of job stress?

Stress responds on four levels:

Physiological symptoms

In a state of imminent danger the body prepares to fight or flee from the danger / stressor, causing a internal alertness:

• The pupils are enlarged to improve vision and hearing is sharpened
• The muscles tense to respond to the challenge,
• It increases blood pressure by preferentially pumping blood towards the head to optimize the oxygen level in the cells and thus speed up mental processes.
• The heart and respiratory rates increase and so does the production and secretion of adrenaline. In the short term, these reactions help us to adapt to the demands of the environment.

However, when alertness is maintained and we run out of efficient resources to deal with it, appear the chronic stress, which produces physical symptoms such as:

• Insomnia
• Loss or increase of appetite
• Headaches
• Exhaustion or lack of energy
• Musculoskeletal problems in the back and neck
• stomach, intestinal, or sexual
• Allergies
• High blood pressure
• heart failure
• diabetes

Emotional symptoms

• Frustration
• Afraid
• Anxiety and panic attacks
• Irritability
• Confusion or dullness
• Demotivation

Cognitive symptoms

• Ruminant thoughts
• Excessive self-criticism
• Memory problems
• Reduced ability to solve problems and learn
• Perception field reduction
• Lack of concentration
• Catastrophic concern for the future
• Excess self-criticism

Symptoms affecting behavior

• Social isolation
• Binge eating
• Increase in toxic substances (alcohol, tobacco, drugs ...)
• Reduced work performance

Causes of stress at work

Some of the main stress triggers are:

• High demands on performance (contradictory or unclear).
• Poorly defined or changing responsibilities or roles.
• Work overload and lack of time.
• Lack of participation in making decisions that affect the worker.
• Long working hours or few breaks.
• Little stimulating job.
• Exposure to physical hazards.
• Increased competition and competitiveness.
• Low chances of promotion.
• Lack of support from supervisors and / or colleagues or poor communication.
• Difficulties to reconcile the.
• Verbal or physical violence. Psychological (mobbing) or sexual harassment.

It is also worth mentioning the sudden explosion of the telecommuting. The provision of services at a virtual level, remote equipment, technological difficulties, etc. they have generated that many workers have to, often with much more demanding dynamics.

Tips to deal with it

To cope with work stress, it is essential to expand the repertoire of coping strategies, in order to enable rehabilitation and recover biopsychosocial health.

The American Psychological Association proposes the following recommendations to cope with work stress:

• Identify your stressors: make a daily record of stressful situations that have occurred, where it happened, who was present, how they reacted, the thoughts it generated and your feelings.
• Develop healthy responses:, hobbies, healthy sleeping and eating habits, reduction of stimulants ...
• Set limits: do not mix professional and personal life (for example, answering emails during dinner).
• Take some time to disconnect: it is important to rest both during working hours and also in the form of vacations or days off. Give yourself time.
• Learn to relax: do one thing after another, not all at once. Meditation, or breathing exercises can help.
• Talk to your supervisor: communicate your needs and establish together an action plan for specific problems.
• Seek support from family and friends.
• See if all of the above is insufficient.

• Work stress can occur when a situation overwhelms us, but also when the challenge we face is not stimulating enough.
• The sudden explosion of telecommuting It has become a factor that generates work stress, as it has made many workers have to learn a new way of working, often with much more demanding dynamics.
• Identifying our stressors, learning to set limits and relax, seek support from others ... these are strategies to adapt and learn to deal with work stress.