Many employees experience more and more stress at work every day. In fact, this issue is very important for both employees and the employer. After all, the effectiveness of completed tasks and assignments will depend on the psychological and emotional health of the team. And in a state of stress, maximum efficiency, and even more so the desire to perform their duties as expected, is not and cannot be. So what can be the source of negative emotions in the workplace? How to deal with this phenomenon? What are the consequences?
Relevance
Stress at work is one of the hottest topics that can only be encountered in relationships between employees and employers. It has been proven that if you enjoy going to the office and fulfilling your duties, then the efficiency and quality of your assignments will be on top. That is, it will favorably affect both you and the employer will be an incredible plus.
Only work is constant stress. For the most part, this is true. There are more than enough negative emotions here. If you do not learn how to get rid of them, you can forget about a successful career and success at work in general. It has been proven that every second employee, sooner or later, because of his labor activity falls into depression. This must be fought. But how? And what causes stress at work?
People
Let's start with the most common cases. After all, they play an important role. The more common this or that cause, the easier it is to establish and eliminate it. Working with people is stressful for some. Yes, man was originally created for communication. But not all clients and even colleagues are pleasant to us. This results in stress and negative emotions.
In addition, there are people like misanthropes. In principle, they do not enjoy communicating. And sometimes, in general, it almost leads to hysteria. It can be said that such employees are best able to cope with official duties on their own. You shouldn't be surprised. So, the first reason why you may have work-related stress is the team. And, more precisely, communication with certain people. Or with clients/colleagues in general.
Load
Sometimes it is recommended to turn your hobby into work. In some cases, this really helps. For example, you can open your own business. Yes, such a thing is not for everyone, but it very often brings a positive result. Remember, forcing yourself to work through force, and even in an unloved place, is stupid. Especially when you have an option for employment in another corporation.
If it's not yours...
What other arrangements are in place? Think about it, maybe you are not made for a career and work in general? This conclusion should not be surprising. All people are different: someone is a careerist, and someone is not. Some are able to work, while others, on the contrary, at the mere thought of employment, fall into panic and stress. But such people usually have a predisposition to something else. For example, to housekeeping. We are not talking about pathological lazy people who simply do not want to do anything. Not at all. Psychologists need to work with them.
As for the rest, maybe you should just quit your job? To avoid constant stress. Engage in self-development, housekeeping and raising children. This is also a kind of work, but it is simply not paid in monetary terms. Don't beat yourself up if you find that "working for your uncle" and making money isn't your forte. This also happens. In this case, you can get rid of stress through dismissal. Or taking a long vacation.
findings
What conclusions can be drawn from all of the above? Work is stressful in and of itself. After all, you have to work hard in order to earn a living. Negative emotions can be dealt with successfully. Everyone must find their own way to help them.
Sometimes, to get out of their stressful state, it is recommended to take a vacation, take breaks, or even change jobs. You can also contact a psychologist for help. There is nothing shameful in this. If you realize that you are simply not made for work and there is an opportunity to stop your activity, try! Use the alternative - open and practice own business. Sources of stress in modern world full! Learn And then they will not be afraid of you! Emotional stress at work is terrible. But you have to master it to succeed in your career!
Stress is not always destructive to the body. “In some cases, it even increases the adaptive abilities of the body, contributes to the development of a creative approach to solving any situations at work,” believes Vadim Demchenko, business coach at CASE. - Such acute situations include, for example, an extracurricular project related to a promotion, new functionality, minor troubles with colleagues. On a ten-point scale for assessing stress, they equate to 3-5 points. But if at work you constantly experience problems and pressure, then the stress level approaches 10 points. For comparison, we experience about the same tension after losing a loved one.
If you work in a "high voltage zone", you can act in two ways: flee (read - quit) or try to minimize the consequences of this stress. Together with our experts, we have analyzed the most common stressful situations that you can face at work.
Stressful situation 1. You are entrusted with something that is not in your competence
To bring coffee instead of a secretary, to clean the office space for a cleaning lady - in some companies, both the chief accountant and the head of the department can be puzzled by such requests. But there is another extreme - when an ordinary employee is entrusted with the mission to make a fateful decision for the organization, which actually does not fit into his functionality.
Your actions. First of all, pay attention to the type of instructions. They show respect for you. Perhaps by trusting something extremely responsible, the leader sees your potential. And if you are regularly given assignments that are significantly below your competence, you should think about how you have shown yourself in your position as a qualified specialist.
“Often people do things that are not their own, because they fall into the delusion: if you follow all the instructions of the authorities, then this will help win his favor and get a promotion,” says Eka Kadagidze, psychologist, gestalt therapist. - Practice shows that they usually promote those who respect professional and personal boundaries. Learn to label them in a way that is comfortable for you. It doesn't mean being rude and uncomfortable."
For example, if we are talking about assignments below your competence, you can use the phrases: “I think this task is for a secretary / specialist. It would be wiser to use my time for ... ". When it comes to decisions that are beyond your competence, convey to management that you are ready to perform this task, but do not take responsibility for the result, since this is beyond your job responsibilities.
And another helpful tip. « If you are trying to defend your positions, pay attention to your posture. Proudly straightened shoulders will give confidence to your words, - says Vadim Demchenko. Practice at home the pose of confident presence. Stand up, neck stretched up, chin slightly raised, chest open. It is very important not to cross your arms in front of you, not to cover your stomach with them: this is your place of power. The knees should be soft, the feet completely on the floor.
Stressful situation 2. You are not accepted by the team
You can convince yourself for as long as you like that you come to work to earn money, and not to communicate. But if you feel like an outcast in a team, then you don’t want to think about your financial condition either.
Your actions. “When a person says that he is not accepted by the team, it is more often not about actions, but about feelings,” Eka Kadagidze believes. . - For example, you want to gain the favor of all colleagues - in this case, it is reasonable to build relationships with each person individually. Struggling to get close to co-workers? To begin with, take a closer look at how they interact with each other: maybe excessive closeness in your team is not welcome. Perhaps you yourself do not like someone, and you are trying to project your dislike on others. In this case, it is important to understand that you do not like this person, not you. This approach will take you out of the victim position and help you choose the appropriate way to communicate, for example, respectful-polite.
And another helpful tip. “The barrier between you and the team may be related to your communication style,” says Svetlana Shnaidman, coach, master of NLP, holder of a master's degree from Weizmann University in Israel. - If you want to get closer to a colleague, you can tell him some interesting story from your life, and facial expressions at the same time will betray fear or arrogance. Think about what qualities in this person annoy you the most and why. If equal relations in a team are important to you, train facial expressions in front of a mirror, learn to smile and practice a politely neutral tone of voice.
Stressful situation 3. Your boss is a boor
Dust up to the ceiling, caustic remarks or silent contempt - there are a great many ways to express disrespect for your subordinates. Many managers masterly use them, believing that the salary will more than cover the psychological costs of such treatment.
Your actions. To tell the truth, the chances that you will prevail in this situation are not very good. “The reality is that when it comes to the boss, then either you will have to endure humiliation and aggression, or be ready to leave your job if you try to stand up for yourself,” says Eka Kadagidze. “What is important to do in this situation is not to enter into an aggressive reactive relationship and not wait for the situation to change painlessly.”
And another helpful tip. If you have to work in such conditions, it is important to minimize the effect of stress on health. Physical activity can help with this. “Thanks to it, the body quickly utilizes biologically active substances that are released during stress,” explains Vadim Demchenko. “Immediately after an unpleasant conversation, you can do 15-20 squats or walk for 5-7 minutes at an average pace.”
Stressful situation 4. You are in limbo: the company can be closed, you can be laid off.
This is one of those working situations in which the experience is normal and natural. The main thing is not to increase stress by excessive demands on yourself.
Your actions. To Reduce Anxiety, Start Parallel Searching new job, go to the interview. This behavior allows you to highlight the area that you can influence, keeps you the authorship of your own life.
And another helpful tip. “If you are afraid of losing your job, go through this fear to the end,” advises Svetlana Shnaidman . “What will happen to me if I get fired? I will have to save. And then? I'll move in with my mom. What next? You will have to agree to any job, ”etc. As soon as you go through the most severe scenario with your fear, having reached the mental end, you will relax, and the degree of your anxiety will decrease by itself.
Stressful situation 5. Your work involves stress
Customer service, call centers, collection agencies - work where you often have to communicate with people is associated with great stress. Accumulating, it can become a trigger for serious nervous disorders.
Your actions. It is important to understand that the entire work cannot be stressful. Most likely, some part of it causes increased anxiety or nervousness. “For example, if you are a collector, then you need to leave a minimum of space for improvisation in your work,” Eka Kadagidze gives an example. . - Do not try to find the right words “in the midst of the battle”, think over all the phrases and scenarios in advance. This will allow you not to personally get involved in the situation.”
And another helpful tip. Make it a rule to start and end your day in a calm environment. For at least half an hour after waking up and an hour before bedtime, give up gadgets, listen to calm music or sounds of nature, do yoga, do some breathing exercises.
By learning how to deal with difficult situations at work, you will significantly reduce the impact of stress on your body.
Work is constant stress. Especially if it is associated with constant communication with people. Especially if she's tense. In general, every working day is a minefield. To return safe and sound, you need to be able to bypass the most dangerous places. can cause fatigue and problems with concentration. And this, of course, is not good for a career. Stressful situations at work cannot be avoided, but you can make sure that their impact is minimized.
How to deal with stress at work
Stressful situation: gossip in the team
There is only one way to completely destroy gossip at work - to hire robots instead of people. And not all conversations at work should be only professional. But since gossip can be harmful, you should keep your eyes open.
- The first way: vote with your feet. As soon as you get into a dubious conversation, leave your gossiping colleagues, for example: “Oh, I urgently need to hand over the document, there’s no time for chatter.”
- Method two: change the subject. Or emphasize the good, at least like this: “Are you talking about Sidorov? Well, it doesn't look like him."
- The third rule: do not make a tragedy out of rumors. Gossip is like a cold, it's not a cancerous death sentence. People are quickly distracted by other topics, it is much more important not to fuel the chatter with your emotions.
If you show that all kinds of gossip and gossip do not interest you, those around you will no longer involve you in the discussion process. It will become clear to colleagues with whom it is possible to wash the bones of colleagues, and with whom one should not conduct such conversations.
Stressful situation: professional burnout
At work, we are required to be “positive”, which is annoying. Such joyful games seem to be the desire of the leadership to squeeze out even more strength and resemble the poster “Smile!” in the service sector. In fact, even memories of pleasant events are good for health, and if you deny yourself them, professional burnout syndrome will come with all its might.
Make it a rule at the end of each day to remember three pleasant events that happened to you at work. Were you treated to delicious coffee? Great. Praised by the boss or colleagues? It counts. Was there a wonderful view from the window in the morning? Lucky.
Scroll on the way home from work or before bed good moments, consciously focus on them: this is how you change reality. Our psyche tends to notice the bad, and consider the good to be ordinary, because of this, the picture of life is distorted, and even in career matters it seems completely hopeless. Bring your perception into balance, and there the mood will catch up.
Stressful situation: you are smarter than the boss
Career consultants shrug their shoulders: the world is full of bad managers, so the thought of your superiority is quite real. If this is not the first time it comes to mind, first cut off the excess - probably a slight arrogance is part of your nature, you always need to feel head and shoulders above the rest. Analyze how often you recognize others as smart and worthy of your attention. If the result can be counted on the fingers of one hand, most likely it's all about you. Take comfort in the thought that even bad leaders can learn a lot.
If you are still frankly incompetent, do not rush to share your discovery with others. When you speak negatively about a leader, it puts you in a bad light. People around you begin to worry that you will also speak badly about them behind your back. Set a high goal - the interests of the business or company. If you slide down to the level of reasoning, just as you were unlucky with your boss, you will get bogged down in an interpersonal conflict. Look for a mentor that impresses you the most and learn the skill. And in order not to start the working day with valerian, find something worthy of respect in an incompetent boss - it won’t save you in general, but it will soften the picture.
Stressful situation: incompetent colleagues
It happens that colleagues are clearly non-professionals, very often they make mistakes. And okay, if it affected only themselves. The common cause suffers! How to be in such a situation?
Anecdote from life
How do you spell the word "ikebana"? - Irina Vladislavovna asked, looking up from the crossword puzzle for a moment. Least of all, Alice expected such a question from the head of the department. Their department was not some kind of technical department, but the Russian language. And such ignorance of this very language struck the new teacher to the core. She was taken aback and squeaked in a strangled voice:
- Through "and" ...
The head teacher nodded in gratitude and finished off her young colleague:
- What is the first letter?
It is easy to see that the large cohort of incompetent employees is not so monotonous. And they are divided into several subspecies.
Category one. Young professionals
This, of course, is not a dropout in the literal sense of the word. Remember yourself in the first days at work and your panicky thoughts about how and where to apply what you were taught at the institute, and where to get the knowledge, skills, skills required for a particular job.
How to be? Such "dropouts" can seriously irritate only those who themselves have completely forgotten how they once were the same fledgling youth with a diploma, but no experience. Want to speed up the process? Take on the role of a mentor. By doing this, you will not only help a young colleague, but also raise your authority in the eyes of others and superiors.
Category two. People know how to get along!
These pseudo-undereducated are not stupid. They just realized that pretending to be a non-professional is quite profitable. Exhausted by the ostentatious stupidity of such employees, colleagues prefer not to trust them with important work. Meanwhile, the sly ones are rubbing their hands rather: they receive a salary, almost without bothering.
How to be? Do you suspect a colleague of cunning? Try to sharply "stupid" yourself. Perhaps the sly one will not stand your unprofessional reasoning or even actions and will give himself away.
Category three. Dropouts classic
They belong to different age groups. They have in common a chronic unwillingness to learn, improve and do quality work. However, many of them are not devoid of career ambitions. And some are so blind that they sincerely consider themselves indispensable specialists.
How to be? Try not to work "in conjunction" with the classic dropouts. Otherwise, only you will have to work! And if there is an initiative representative of half-educated people nearby, then also rake after him! If joint activities can not be avoided, trust the half-educated to do at least something on their own. And then report back to your superiors. Perhaps it will still seep through.
Category four. Ties around the head
A relative of the boss or another privileged member of the team can work on an equal footing with everyone, or can act as an interior decoration, and even that is doubtful.
How to be? To act, as with the half-educated classical. The downside is that your general superiors understand everything perfectly, but do not want to do anything.
Situation: constant stress at work
You are constantly under stress: on the eve of negotiations, conversations with the manager, project defense. It is so familiar that it becomes a backdrop - and you will have to pay a huge bill for it later. The main weapon against stress is awareness, and the best ally here is our body. Learn to listen to his voice - headache, fever, chills, numbness of hands and feet. So the brain sends signals that the psyche is overloaded. Take immediate remedial action.
How to relieve stress without leaving the workplace
Inhale-exhale
By inhaling, you muffle the noise of consciousness and give yourself the opportunity to come into balance. Inhalation is able to send you inside the body, allow you to look at what is happening from the outside, and then make a decision about where and how to move on.
The big role of small things
Learn to find small joys in Everyday life. A person is arranged in such a way that he perceives pain more readily than pleasure, but if you constantly tune yourself to perceive different things in a positive way, you can feel joy all day long. For example, from the fact that I managed to sit down after several hours of work on my feet; from the fact that in the hands was a beautiful pen with a pleasant to the touch surface; from bursting laughter at a good joke; from a delicious lunch; from the fact that he managed to throw off the hairpins under the table.
There are several effective methods that will help relieve stress right at work.
1. Exercise
- Raise your left hand to the height of your shoulder, take the elbow of your left hand with your right hand and pull it to your right shoulder. Do the same with the other hand. You will feel the muscles in your shoulders stretch. Do several repetitions of this exercise.
- Place your fingers in the lock, keep your hands at chest level, then straighten, without opening your fingers, and turn your palms outward. Repeat this several times.
- Massage your neck with your palms, do a few circular motions head.
- Stand with your feet slightly apart, raise your arms up and reach as if you are trying to reach an item from the top shelf. Stretch your whole body, rising on your fingertips.
Do this set of exercises several times a day to loosen up stiff muscles and relieve tension.
2. Music
If you can listen to music in the workplace, be sure to use this opportunity. Listen to a selection of tracks that you enjoy. Alternate songs - relaxing with tonic and invigorating.
3. Sedative
If you can't handle the stress on your own, take a mild sedative.
- Mint tea with the addition of valerian roots and oregano.
- Glycine - sweet tablets that do not cause drowsiness. Glycine normalizes the work of mental activity and reduces irritability.
- Novo-Passit copes well with stress, but may cause drowsiness in some people. It is best to drink Novo-Passit at bedtime.
- Green tea with lemon and a spoonful of honey is a natural energy booster. Especially this drink is suitable for people who are forced to spend a lot of time at the computer.
Stress prevention
Regular exercise helps a lot in dealing with stress. Set aside 30 minutes a day for training and after a couple of days you will feel better. Sport tones not only muscles, but also allows you to clear your mind, calm nervous system. Any physical activity, even a regular walk in the evenings, will help you relieve tension and fight negative emotions.
In addition, sports and fresh air before bed are a great way to solve the problem of insomnia. Most people who experience stress at work experience a decrease in productivity. You must sleep at least 7 hours a day.
Try to eat healthy foods rich in protein and magnesium. Eliminate alcohol, cigarettes and fast food.
Surround yourself with positive music, movies and people. Laughter is what you need if you are feeling on edge. Watch a comedy, go bowling, or make new friends. Reconsider your views on life, if something gives you anxiety - do not criticize or become depressed, but try to fix it. Take care of relationships with your loved ones, meet with relatives and friends more often. Don't forget to pamper yourself with gifts and relaxation. The feeling of happiness, fun contributes to the release of endorphins (happiness hormones) and is a shield against stress.
It is one of the most common causes of nervous disorders. Here, a boss with a difficult character, and unkind colleagues, as well as unfulfilled hopes, can play a role. You are the most intelligent and talented, but no one appreciates you.
It is important to be able to cope with such a negative phenomenon in order to preserve health. Although in the modern world, career and stress are quite interconnected things.
The danger of work stress
The impact of stress at work negatively affects all areas of life. Work and family are the first to suffer. Working capacity decreases, excessive irritability, emotionality appears. Then it all goes into .
As a result, simple irritation begins to be aggravated by health problems. First of all, sleep problems may appear, moreover, both insomnia and excessive lethargy, drowsiness. In addition, sweating and shortness of breath occur - this can lead to problems with the heart and blood vessels.
As you know, any stress, without proper treatment, can develop into persistent depression. Sometimes, to get rid of stress, people delve into bad habits, for example, and this is a direct path to big problems.
But the most important danger of any stress is the burden on the psyche. A person ceases to control himself, negative phenomena develop, up to severe disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system. In addition, among all chronic diseases, there are none that could not be provoked by severe stress. Liver, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract - pathologies can develop everywhere if you are in a state of constant stress. Therefore, it is essential to know how to deal with stress at work.
Emotional exhaustion at work
Emotional exhaustion is a human condition in which all the resources of the body are depleted. If work stress leads to emotional exhaustion, then the patient has the following symptoms:
- Persistent feeling of fatigue.
- Decreased appetite as well as weight.
- Frequent heartbeat.
- Sleep problems.
- Decreased sex drive.
- Bad mood, negative thoughts.
In addition, a person is visited by thoughts of loneliness and uselessness. Psychologists distinguish several professions in which emotional exhaustion occurs most often. These are psychologists themselves, doctors, teachers, policemen, social workers. Actually, those specialists who are most often exposed to stress at work, including emotional.
So that emotional exhaustion does not take you by surprise, doctors recommend taking a break from work and engaging in physical activity.
How to deal with work anxiety
In order to avoid stress, you must be able to cope with all nervous situations. It is important to follow a few rules that will help you avoid stress at work:
- Ability to concentrate. If a person knows how to focus on one thing, without being distracted by unnecessary breaks, without doing several things at once, then stress does not threaten him.
- The ability to say "no". Stress is an overload. If a person does not take on more than he can do, he is always calm and in control.
- Priority. It is important at work to understand what is more important and what can wait.
- Teamwork. You can't try to do everything yourself. One person cannot do the work of the whole team. Therefore, it is necessary to contact colleagues and subordinates.
- Don't put things off until later. Sometimes, for unloading, some postpone certain tasks for later. They accumulate, and as a result, everything has to be solved in an emergency mode. This creates the conditions for unnecessary stress and provides nourishing soil for stress. Especially if deadlines are running out.
In addition, you need to get rid of all bad habits. They can contribute to a depressive state, provoke a stress problem. The more an employee takes on himself, the faster it will lead his psyche to a nervous overload.
Work should be during working hours, but, in addition, you also need time to rest, to relax. In the evenings, warm herbal baths should be taken, and weekend work should be banned altogether.
How to eliminate stress at work
To eliminate a stressful situation at work, it is necessary to remove all factors that can cause negative emotions. It is required to ventilate the room, choose the right temperature so that everyone is comfortable. The authorities are obliged to competently organize the work process so that all employees have time to rest and do not experience physical and emotional overload.
In addition, if the profession is associated with hazardous production or with difficult working conditions, it is necessary to properly establish the process in order to reduce the risks of stress in the workplace. It is important to control relations between employees so that conditions of pressure or harassment of certain members are not created in the team.
The employee should be able to drink green tea, coffee, and also change the position of the body. In large companies, you can organize corporate trips to the gym - and team spirit increases, and the impact of stress at work decreases.
It is also recommended to consult a psychologist. And try to fix correct mode day. It is supposed to sleep at least 7 hours a day. It is important to organize proper nutrition, as well as to be in the fresh air more often.
Work-related stress can be transferred to other areas of life. Therefore, it is important to separate work, family and leisure. And do not be shy - you need to contact a psychologist at the first symptoms.
Finally
Career and successful work imply certain stresses on the nervous system. But the qualitative fulfillment of basic duties occurs only when a person is healthy both physically and psychologically.
And this is possible only with the correct calculation of one's strength, a healthy diet, as well as constant physical activity. And in no case should you confuse work and other areas of life. It is important to understand that the profession can be changed, but new health is not acquired.
Instruction
Protect yourself from stress at work by becoming an organized, executive worker. An employee who completes all the tasks set by the management on time, and does an excellent job with his duties, has fewer reasons to be nervous. Make sure you use your time efficiently. Think carefully about your work schedule. Be careful and conscientious about your work.
Don't take negative work moments to heart. If there is a conflict with a colleague, boss or client, do not worry too much. Manage stress with visualization. Imagine a situation in which the person who gives you trouble is completely dependent on you or appears in an unsightly light. Good help in a critical situation is breathing exercises and slow counting to yourself.
When an unpleasant situation arises, focus not on your feelings, but on how to correct the situation. Think about what you can do, what actions it is better to take immediately, which of your colleagues to ask for help. If the situation is global, notify management and offer your plan of action.
Avoid excessive workloads. In a tired, exhausted state, even ordinary, minor troubles will be perceived by you exaggeratedly sharply. Therefore, you should not take on several projects at the same time, work without breaks and holidays. Try to stick to your work schedule. Constant delays in the workplace can lead not only to stress, but also to any disease.
Don't have everything under your control. Some people prefer to do everything on their own and follow everything that colleagues do. Learn to delegate your responsibilities and distribute the load. Don't take on too many responsibilities. You run the risk of not doing it at all or doing the job poorly. In both cases, you will experience stress due to overload.
If you feel that your nerves are on edge, stop working. Get distracted immediately, go for a walk, listen to music, do something personal. Even the most zealous worker should have moments for themselves. Call a friend or have a coffee. The main thing is to break away from the workplace and think about something else.
When some moments related to the performance of work duties haunt you not only at work, but also at home, reconsider your attitude towards them. Remember that this is just work. Sometimes such excessive responsibility deprives people of sleep and appetite. Do not bring the situation to the point of absurdity. Imagine what will happen if you fail to do your job. If your work is not associated with saving lives or a high risk to health, nothing criminal will happen. Worst case, you can find another place.