The Work Stress Epidemic: 7 Steps You Must Take To Sustain Career Success

April is Stress Awareness Month—dedicated to raising awareness about the impact of the stress epidemic and finding healthy ways to cope with stress. Job stress has become a worldwide problem. A Gallup Poll reported that 80% of American workers suffer some type of stress on the job. And half say they need help learning how to manage it. Some work stress is normal, but extreme or chronic pressures can leave workers with a whiplash, harming their health and interfering with the ability to function. Studies show that chronic work stress can be just as bad for your mental and physical well-being as smoking or lack of exercise. Prolonged job stress keeps defenses on high alert and raises your risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, chronic pain and a lowered immune system.

The Covid-19 pandemic has further added to work stress, disrupting nearly every aspect of our lives, from home to school to work. Stress related to work increased significantly during the pandemic. Recently, Joblist surveyed 1,016 current employees about their experience with stress specifically related to work. Respondents were 51.8% men and 47.7% women. The survey also investigated what role companies play in promoting a stress-reducing culture. Almost three-quarters of employees experienced moderate or high levels of overall stress. That said, only about one in three respondents said they were very or extremely stressed by work specifically.

Effects of Stress On Employees

• 48% of employees fear negative consequences such as being denied a raise or promotion, if they talk about their work stress. Over one-third of employees don’t feel they can talk openly at work about their stress.
• People were more likely to say they won’t talk to anyone about their work-related stress when working remotely. This is particularly concerning given the rise in working from home.
• 47% of respondents shared that venting to coworkers is very or extremely effective at alleviating stress.
• Large workloads are contributing to stress followed by worries about job security.

Effects Of Stress On Managers

When the survey looked at stress levels relative to job position, it found that being a manager actually slightly reduced the levels of reported stress among respondents. Managers were also more likely than non-managers to report low levels of overall stress.

•  Nearly 75% of non-managers said they experienced moderate or high stress due to work, compared to less than 68% of managers.
• Non-managers were nearly twice as likely as managers to report high levels of overall stress.

Company Culture And Stress

Company culture plays a key role in how employees manage stress. Companies with a culture of safe and open communication are key to employee well-being. And yet company cultures that encourage employees to speak up about their stress are rare.

• Only 17.6% of respondents said their company’s culture encouraged them to speak up about stress to a great extent, and 11.1% said their company culture didn’t encourage such communication at all.
• The majority of respondents said their company culture encouraged them to talk about their stress to a moderate degree.
• As overall stress levels increased, productivity levels decreased.
• Almost 86% of people said they were highly productive at low levels of stress, compared to only 53% of people under high stress.

It behooves companies to encourage an open, safe and stress-free work environment. Employees who are less stressed are more productive and happier at work, and that enhances the company’s bottom line.

Identify Your Job Stressors

According to British researchers, long workweeks in high-pressured jobs contribute to risk of heart attack. Employees who put in more than eleven hours a day were 67% more likely to have a heart attack, compared to those who put in fewer hours. Employees working double or triple duty to offset budget cuts were the most likely to be plagued by stress-induced headaches, muscle pain, metabolic disorders and fatigue outside the workplace. Studies also show that a noisy workplace causes stress hormones to rise to unhealthy levels—a condition that constricts coronary arteries and reduces blood supply to the heart. People exposed to chronic loud noise on the job are twice as likely to have heart disease and heart attacks as those who toil in quieter places. Work style also can contribute to job stress. If you’re attracted to a high-stress career, you’re more likely to pressure yourself with unrealistic job demands, fail to monitor work habits, skip lunch breaks or eat your desk and allow your career to dwarf other aspects of your life.

Devise A Work Health Plan

What are your biggest job stressors and what can you do about them? Chances are you’re not aware your stress response is on high alert when you’re working. Perhaps you get swept up in your commitments and don’t realize the toll—both mental and physical—job stress can take on you. You can’t fire your boss or take over the company and restructure it, but you can be a better stress manager. Here are some tips to reboot your health when you feel like job pressures are crashing down upon you:

1. Be proactive with self-care. Make sure you realize you’ve hit your breaking point long before stress-warning signs set in. Instead of pushing past them, cushion your workday to soften stress blows. Avoid putting yourself under unrealistic deadlines. Replace “deadlines” with “lifelines.” Take “health days” in addition to “sick days.” Spread job tasks over reasonable time frames. Build time cushions between meetings. Try leaving for work 10 or 15 minutes earlier so you won’t start your day in a hurry and ease into your workday instead of catapulting into it. Unplug at the end of the day and set boundaries to protect your personal and private time.

2. Stay grounded and come up for air. Be mindful of your surroundings. Pay attention to what’s around you and bring your attention into the present moment to reduce stress and generate more performance energy in a demanding job. Take off your socks and shoes and feel your toes against the floor. Pay close attention to how the floor feels against your feet. If you have an opened window, focus your senses on nature: sounds of chirping birds, fragrance of blooming flowers, or sight of squirrels in the trees. Take 60 seconds to identify the sounds around you (traffic in the background, voices off in the distance, the gurgling of your stomach) then notice your heart rate slow, your muscles loosen and your mind clear.

3. Change your scenery. Getting outside, even if it’s only for 10 or 15 minutes, not only gives your fatigued mind a break, it also boosts your mood. Dine away from your desk or take a walk around the block or in a park before returning to work.

4. Dial back on overtime. To cut your health risks, reduce overtime work when possible. Toil by the adage of working smarter, not longer.

5. Meditate. Practice relaxation exercises such as progressive muscle relaxation. Mindfulness meditation at your desk for just five minutes is also restorative. It helps you unwind, clear your head and refresh your mind, body and spirit.

6.Have a place to vent your stress. According to nearly 47% of respondents in the Joblist survey, venting is very or extremely effective at alleviating stress. Perhaps this is the reason one in 10 people said their team meetings at work often or always turn into vent sessions. Don’t hesitate to talk about your work stress with a stress buddy or with someone you feel comfortable. It helps to have a helping shoulder to lean on who understands the situation. Sometimes that could be a co-worker who is under similar pressures. Or if that’s not possible, reach out to HR or seek help from a counselor.

7. Stay fit outside the office. Think of your work site as the Olympics. Your physical and mental endurance at work hinges on being in good shape. Prepare yourself for your workdays by taking care of your physical health outside of work. Prime yourself with good nutrition, vigorous exercise and ample sleep. Avoid nicotine and use alcohol in moderation.