All diseases from nerves. This folk wisdom, known to all. Then why do we continue to worry about trifles, exposing ourselves to extreme psychological stress and causing chronic stress? We have long been used to living in a state of constant stress. Is there anything we can do about it? And is it necessary? After all, we have already got used to it, and so far (it seems) nothing terrible has happened?
Everyone is subject to stress. The majority of people are even used to them – what kind of life is it without shocks and conflicts? Some people even like this way to cheer up.
However, according to the statistics of basepointpsychiatry.com: 27% of the interviewed workers of different firms said that most of stresses in their lives were caused by work, 45% believe that work-related stress is very high or extremely high, one third of workers thought about leaving solely because of work-related stress, 70% said that stress at work reduced their physical and mental health.
Stress in itself rarely causes serious illness, but it clearly contributes to “breaking down” the weakest part of the body. Alas, this “failure” is irreversible under severe chronic stress.
Reasons of stress conditions
To name everything you will have to not only take off your own clothes, but also ask your colleague to do it, otherwise your fingers will not be enough.
Let’s try to mention the most common: critical information load; excessive responsibility; growing demands of the bosses, oppressive state of uncertainty; lack of time and chronic shortage of good rest; conflicts within the team and within individuals; non-compliance with working conditions by partners and contractors, financial and other problems of the company, the threat of dismissal, troubles at home.
What can be done about it? A question for all time, because the causes of stress are not going anywhere. We will have to be patient and remember the well-known truth: if we cannot change the circumstances, we must change our attitude towards them.
Let us start by admitting that we are already under stress. It is important not to “blink” the first (albeit subtle) signs of impending danger.
The main “stressogenic” factors can be referred to:
- Physical and hygienic conditions of work, including the ambient air temperature;
- illumination level; air quality; noise, vibration;
- compactness, crowding of workplaces;
- insularity of the workplace;
- Inconsistency of work with biological rhythms of the body (for example, sleep-waking, meal time);
- monotony of work, or vice versa, “race”, aurals;
- availability and duration of breaks for recovery.
Factors of emotional nature:
- level of responsibility (the higher, the higher the stress);
- realistic expectations of the employee (the less realistic, the higher the stress);
- level of danger to the employee’s life and health (the higher the stress).
Information factors:
- specificity and certainty of job duties (the more specific, the less stressful);
- clear and precise work algorithms (the clearer and more precise the less stressful the job);
- the level of heuristic activity (the higher the stress, the higher the stress);
- the level of training in working skills and management of the necessary equipment (the lower the stress, the higher the stress).
CommuniStress At Work? That Is Fixable!cative factors:
- level in the hierarchical structure of the organization (the higher the higher the stress);
- management style (the more “poisonous” and critical, the higher the stress);
- opportunities to communicate with colleagues (the more, the less stressful).
The most “stressful” professions, in descending order on a 10-point scale: miners, civil aviation pilots, journalists, construction workers, dentists, actors, politicians, doctors, teachers, bus drivers, salespeople, diplomats, and farmers. If you are not on this list, don’t worry, it increases the risk of stress.