Identify sources of stress at work

Identifying sources of stress at work can be very helpful. No one wants to feel bad at work all the time. However, if you don’t learn to handle the stress you experience at work, you are headed for a burnout. Once you know what is making you feel stressed, then you can take steps to relieve the stress or make a change in the way you react to the stressor.

A stressor is anything you perceive to be causing you stress. Stressors come in many different forms, and affect people differently. For instance, one person may react negatively to something that someone else may not think is stressful at all. Stress in the workplace generally comes in five forms. These forms are: environmental, situational, physical, mental, and in relationships.

Some examples of environmental stressors are noise, such as other people talking, office equipment being used, phones ringing, etc. Traffic is another cause of stress. This can be traffic on the way to and from work, or the traffic of people in the office. Distractions are a real cause of stress. These can be a ringing phone, email notifications, people dropping into your office or by your desk, etc. The temperature can also cause you to feel stressed if it is too hot or too cold. Your furniture may be uncomfortable. You may feel stressed if you have problems with your computer, printer or other piece of office equipment or machinery.

Examples of situational stress include feeling pressured by deadlines or the demands of a boss or co-worker. It can include job changes that are new and unfamiliar. Or perhaps you are in charge of a team that is having problems, or you have to fire or hire someone.

Physical stressors include lack of sleep or exercise, an illness or allergies, eating junk food, smoking or drinking too much coffee. It can even be substance abuse such as drugs or drinking.

Mental stressors are things we do to ourselves. Many people have negative self-talk and are exceedingly hard on themselves. Low self-esteem can be a cause of stress or constant thoughts of problems at home. Negative thoughts can cause you to be overly sensitive, anxious or depressed, and these things can interfere with your productivity at work.

Relationships are often an area of extreme stress for many people. Dealing with a demanding boss or difficult co-worker can really increase personal stress. When your relationships outside of work spill into the workplace, this can also cause problems. Most employers frown on personal calls that constantly interrupt your work time.

The next step is to identify which of these things is causing you to feel stressed. By identifying your stressors, you can take steps to improve how you react to them. How you react to a situation is a choice, and you have a choice to get stressed or to handle things in another, less stressful way. Learn relaxation techniques that you can use when faced with a stressful situation. Lack of being able to control a situation is probably at the root of most of our stress. Realize that there are some things you can control, but there are many that you cannot. Let go of the things you can’t and concentrate on the things you can. When you are faced with a stressor at work, think to yourself, here are the things I can control and here are thing things I can’t. Allow yourself to be assertive, but not aggressive.

There are other things you can do to help relieve or prevent stress at work. Get enough sleep. Eat well and exercise. Stop smoking and limit your caffeine intake. Improve your self-talk and self-esteem by being good to yourself. Make a mental effort not to take your work home with you. Leave it at the office. Take time for yourself and for doing the things you enjoy. Little by little you can learn to decrease the stress at work and therefore improve your productivity and job satisfaction.