Stress at work seems to be ubiquitous these days. According to Switzerland’s Work Stress Index for Health Promotion, one out of every four people employed in this country is under stress. About 30 percent of workers in Switzerland are emotionally exhausted.
Stress triggers in business life are very diverse. They destabilize day-to-day work and put enormous pressure on the workforce. Productivity drops – and health problems can occur if stress isn’t reduced. A weakened immune system or tension are just a few of the physical symptoms. Stomach problems or cardiovascular problems may also occur. The psychological consequences of stress can be seen, for example, in an increased sense of fear or aggression.
The way out of the hamster wheel is not always easy. People are often afraid to turn down tasks or express their opinions because it could cause problems. However, being aware of one’s wishes and goals and pursuing them is of great importance in terms of health.
These can be causes of stress at work
The first step to taking action against stress in the workplace should be to find out what is causing the stress. Then you can get down to the heart of the matter and try to solve problems to bring more peace to daily working life.
Reason 1: Insufficient staff
If the team is tight, all the work falls to a few employees. This can lead to a high workload and thus put a great deal of pressure on the workforce.
Reason 2: Heavy workload
You are overwhelmed by a pile of tasks, due to a lack of staff or for other reasons. This can lead to high stress.
Cause 3: Too many emails
A common reason people feel stressed at work is the flood of emails they receive every day. It usually takes several hours a day to answer them. Communicating with your colleagues via other platforms can already have a very relaxing effect.
Reason 4: No connection at work
Interpersonal aspects play an important role in stress in professional life. If you can’t find a connection at work, you will suffer and feel uncomfortable. Unpleasant co-workers and ugly office gossip can therefore mean a lot of pressure.
Reason 5: Not enough support from above
It can be stressful when employees feel that their managers don’t know exactly what their workload is. Excessive pressure from the boss and lack of management skills from above are the main stressors. If there is also a lack of cooperation with colleagues, the pressure increases. Miscommunication or constantly waiting for others creates stressful situations.
Reason 6: Unproductive meetings
You spend much more time in meetings than you spend at work. This puts you under time pressure when you have to give birth and you feel stressed as a result.
Reason 7: Not enough scheduled breaks
Breaks are important to clear your head and get away from the stress of everyday life. Therefore, short breaks at work should be planned logically and ideally combined with fresh air. Taking a deep breath in your busy business life is a must to combat stress.
Reason 8: Insufficient sleep
A healthy sleep is the beginning and the end of everything to master the stressful daily life. Only those who get enough sleep are fit enough to perform at their best at work. The amount of daily sleep required varies from person to person, but on average an adult needs seven to eight hours of sleep per night.
Reason 9: No nerve food
Only when you are full can your brain work at full speed. Proper nutrition provides strength and is therefore of paramount importance. If you just shovel your meals quickly and don’t treat yourself to pesky snacks in between, you’ll be under constant pressure and stress.
Reason 10: Too much multitasking
Multitasking can be tempting. However, if you can never fully concentrate on one thing and are constantly busy with several tasks at the same time, it causes a lot of stress. It is better to divide the work well and do it one by one.
Reason 11: You put too much pressure on yourself
You usually put too much pressure on yourself, which really shouldn’t be the case. Everyone makes mistakes, they’re human too. If you constantly blame yourself when you fail and put yourself under pressure, you are under stress. It doesn’t have to be perfect all the time, you should keep that in mind. And: Anyone who stresses out getting to the office early in the morning will be chasing time all day long. That’s why you should work as soon as you wake up on a routine day to avoid stress.