Workplace stress can occur if what’s expected of you at work is more than you feel you can manage.
There might be a work deadline or assignment that need to be completed and you need to focus your energy to make sure the task is done right.
What happens though when your tasks repeatedly take over and become too much?
We can experience work-related stress. This can lead us to become ineffective in our work, make mistakes or even become cynical, believing that if you stop nothing will get done. It is important to know the warning signs of when your workload is becoming too much in order to put strategies in place.
Warning signs of workplace stress
Basic physical signs
- How is your sleep going? Are you staying awake at night working on a project? Are you waking up throughout the night due to an issue at work that needs fixing? Or are you simply not sleeping enough? Between 7-9 hours is recommended.
- How is your eating? In a busy time we sometimes are on edge with coffee pumping through our veins, often forgetting to eat or just eating unhealthy high energy foods.
Your normal work day
- What does your work day look like? Do you have a list of tasks that need to be completed or are you constantly chasing your tail with new tasks that come up?
- Is there ability to finish a task fully before moving onto something else?
- Do you get a break at work?
- Do you actually turn off your computer and have ‘home time’ and ‘work time’?
The work team
- Do you feel supported in your role?
- Is there someone else you can ask questions related to a task? Are you able to ask for help when you need it?
- Can you talk to someone about feeling under pressure?
Some last questions
- How are you coping? If we scaled your regular stress levels (‘0′ being calm and ’10’ being overwhelmed) how often would you hit a 10 throughout a day?
- When was the last time you had a holiday or a decent break?
- How do you slow down?
What can you do about workplace stress?
Check on your answers to these questions regularly. It will help you shape a better work/life balance because we can often miss the basic signs of overload.
Talk with a counsellor about your workplace stress. If the demands of your work exceed your ability or resources to cope, reach out to us today. We can help.
