Work-related stress is one of the health problems that is receiving more attention. This is due, fundamentally, to the fact that we increasingly know more about the magnitude and importance of its consequences. Managing or preventing it will help us maintain an adequate level of health, both mental and physical.

At work in some groups, stress is perhaps the psychological disorder that most affects their health, causing alterations and dysfunctions that affect both the workers and the operation of the company. From environmental aspects, such as noise; even interpersonal factors, such as the relationship with colleagues, or the lack of reconciliation between personal and work life, can be classified as inexhaustible sources of stress for many employees at locksmith near me.

What does it consist of?

Stress is defined as a physiological reaction of the body to a situation that the person perceives as threatening; it is an automatic response and necessary for survival. When this natural response appears in excess, an overload of tension is produced that affects the whole organism, and causes the appearance of diseases and health alterations that prevent the normal development and functioning of the human body.

Work-related stress is described as a series of physical and psychological reactions that occur when workers are faced with occupational demands, which do not correspond to their knowledge, skills or abilities. Worker reactions to stress can include physiological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses:

Physiological reactions: increased heart rate, blood pressure and muscle tension, sweating, increased production and secretion of adrenaline, and more frequent shallow breathing.

Emotional reactions: fear, irritability. Depressed mood, anxiety, and anger and decreased motivation.

Cognitive reactions: decreased attention, reduced field of perception, forgetfulness, less effective thoughts, reduced ability to solve problems and learning.

Behavioral reactions: decreased productivity, increased consumption of cigarettes, drugs and alcohol, making mistakes…

What produces it?

The stressor in the work environment is an aspect that the worker perceives as harmful and of a chronic nature, feeling it as a ‘threat’ that triggers a set of physiological and psychological reactions. In general, work stressors could be divided into four categories:

Physical work environment and contents of the position held.

Performance of tasks, interpersonal relationships and career development.

New technologies and other organizational aspects.

Work-family relationships (both aspects do not match).

Professionals most prone to work stress are empathic, sensitive, ‘human’ people, with excessive professional dedication, idealistic, altruistic, obsessive, enthusiastic, prone to coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disorders, and susceptible to excessively identifying with the rest.

Get organized to prevent it

A bad relationship with time management is one of the most common causes of work stress, as it can end up turning every situation into little more than a synonym for haste, fatigue or agitation. To avoid this, you can try Covey’s Cube theory: “Let’s take a cube and put large stones in first and fill in the remaining gaps with small stones second.” This means that the large stones represent the important things in work life, and that the small ones would be those day-to-day tasks, daily activities of lesser magnitude.

Similarly, it would be desirable to plan the agenda to avoid the appearance of stressful events; giving priority to matters that are considered most important, and filling the gaps with activities and errands that are more of an obligation than the fact of achieving a goal in itself. Try to:

Say yes to your priorities before those of others.

Schedule rest periods between your activities.

Don’t eat at your work table or skip meals.

Give importance to the time you are going to dedicate to your family, do not just give them what you have left over. Also, keep their schedules in mind when planning yours.

Schedule varied activities.

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