A little pressure is good and helps to keep us motivated. But too much can lead to stress, which can affect your health and performance.
This guide will help you understand the symptoms and causes of stress.
Is it stress?
Identifying what is causing your stress is the first step towards dealing with it. All these things can create stress:
- Eating on the run or in a disorganised way.
- Smoking or drinking excessively.
- Rushing, hurrying, and being available to everyone.
- Doing several jobs at once.
- Not taking breaks.
- Taking work home with you.
- Having no time for exercise and relaxation.
Spot the symptoms
All these symptoms are indications that you're under stress and not coping with it:
- Anxiety, irritation, anger or feeling flustered.
- The feeling that things are hanging over you.
- Poor concentration and difficulty making decisions.
- Headaches, palpitations or hot flushes.
- Dry mouth, lump in the throat and shaky hands.
- Problems with sleep.
- Excessive intake of caffeine, cigarettes or alcohol.
- A repetitive tic, such as scratching or hair pulling.
- Tearfulness, depression or feeling suicidal.
- Chest pain.
- Problems eating or swallowing.
- Diarrhoea or constipation.
- Loss of sex drive.
- Worsening of skin conditions or breathing conditions.
Causes of stress
- The type of work you do: long hours, a heavy workload, infrequent breaks, boring tasks that don't use your skills, poorly defined goals, too much responsibility.
- Feeling left out of decisions: not being involved in decision-making, poor communication, a lack of family-friendly policies.
- Receiving no help or support: a lack of support or help from co-workers and supervisors, people having conflicting expectations of you.
- Worries about job stability: job insecurity, a lack of opportunity for growth or advancement.
- Working in an unhealthy workplace: unpleasant or dangerous physical conditions, such as overcrowding, noise, air pollution or ergonomic problems.
Keep a diary
If you're not sure of the causes of your stress, keep a stress diary at work for two to four weeks and then review it to spot the triggers. Every day, make a note of:
- The tasks you did and meetings you had at work that day.
- How you felt at the start of the day: whether you're cheerful and optimistic, or dread going to work.
- Specific times when your mood changed.
- If you avoided certain tasks or people.
- Any situations which led to difficult scenes or unpleasant feelings.
- Whether too much is being asked of you.
- Whether you're worried that you might lose your job.
- How you feel when the day ends: whether you've made progress or whether your in-tray seems bigger than ever.
- If you left work behind you at the end of the day or took work home, either literally or as worries in your mind.
- Whenever the job demands more time and responsibility than you want, or are able, to give.
- If there is pressure for promotion or career progression that makes you feel uncomfortable.
- Any threat that you might be made redundant.
- If you enjoy what you are doing, or not. Quite simply, are you in the wrong job?
In some cases, prolonged stress can lead to physical and/or mental ill health. If you think you're currently experiencing stress-related ill health, you may benefit from a discussion with your GP.
