Work Related Stress

Birmingham: 0121 314 0330 | London: 020 360 360 08

We often wonder if work related stress is a new epidemic in this fast pace, targets and results oriented modern society.

According to the Health & safety executive in 2013/14 this may well be the case, it was found that 487,000 people in the UK reported work-related stress at a level they believed was making them ill. That’s 39% of all work-related illness. These statistics are further endorsed by Labour force survey, according to which 11.3 million workdays lost are due to stress, and 1 in 5 visits to GPs are related to stress, anxiety and depression

What causes stress at work?

Demands: heavy work loads, lengthy or unsociable working hours (e.g. evening & night shifts), difficult work environments (e.g. noisy, busy).
Control: when you do not have control over how the work is completed.
Support: Low levels of help, support and encouragement from colleagues and management.
Relationships: Issues such as bullying and harassment, constant conflicting relationships with the colleagues and management.
Role: When you are unsure about what your role is within the organisation, as a result others may duplicate your work or take credit for it.
Change: Constant change in the ways of working with poor management of pace and effects of change can be a major cause.

All this may sound very bleak and negative but the good news is that majority of times stress can be managed and reduced with the right strategies rather than using unhealthy behaviours such as smoking, excessive drinking, binge eating or isolating oneself from seeing friends and family etc. which produce more difficulties in the short & even longer term.

15 Effective Stress Busters

Recognise signs of stress early: sleep difficulties, thinking increasingly about work related problems at home, dreading working days, irritability, mood swings.
Keep your work and personal time separated, try and not bring work home unless you work from home of course or let it encroach on your ‘me time’.
Learn to say no. Do not take on more than you can, to gain popularity or seem harder working than your peers. You may end up either not delivering good results or doing nothing well.
Always take a lunch break, regular short breaks and/ longer holidays.
A few minutes of exercise every day goes a long way.
Speak to someone, preferably your manager about the issues as your employers have a duty of care, if unapproachable for any reason get outside help, for example your union representative.
Create a network of support with family, friends and colleagues by sharing your difficulties with them, they may give you a new outlook to the problems and solutions.
Get involved in activities you enjoy outside of work, for example: hobbies, charity & voluntary work, learning new skills like a language. This will help give you something positive to cherish and look forward to.
Avoid smoking/ drinking excessively as your coping strategy. Alcohol is known to worsen low mood symptoms although it may numb your emotions in the short term.
Learn how to be more efficient and produce good quality results in shorter time by using time management techniques.
Accept things you cannot change, like your ‘in tray’ that is never empty no matter how hard you work.
Learn Relaxation Techniques like breathing & deep muscle relaxation techniques from audio and video material freely available on the market. Some people find meditation & Yoga very beneficial.
Contact your occupational health department, they may help with offer of professional counseling and support.
Attack the root cause. Ask yourself questions like: Do I like my job? Is this the best job for me? Could I be even better at something else?
If all above fails then consider seeking professional advice. Sometimes depression and anxiety disorders can come in the guise of stress. These are very treatable disorders and need appropriate help, support and treatment. Your GP will be able to advise you further.

Identifying if you need more help...

If you think that the symptoms that you are experiencing are not being helped with strategies discussed above then it is likely that you may be suffering from a mental health issue such as depression or anxiety.

The Oaktree Clinic

How to combat work related stress

We often wonder if work related stress is a new epidemic in this fast pace, targets and results oriented modern society.

What causes stress at work?

15 Effective Stress Busters

Identifying if you need more help...

Lets discuss how we can help you combat your work related stress

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The Oaktree Clinic - Independent, Private Psychiatry & Psychology Services in Birmingham and London.