Signs that employees are under pressure at work... and ways to overcome them

(Health mental)  Work pressure

The stress of life are many and varied, and the work pressures may be the most effect on mental health, which can develop and pose a threat to physical health as well.

No matter what job you do, you probably struggle with work pressures sometimes, even if you love what you do.

Feeling nervous during work is very normal, because of dealing with an annoying customer, or a difficult boss, or when delivery dates are approaching, these are all moments when the work pressures are at their height.

However, sometimes the work pressures may exceed the usual level, which generates stress.

Excessive and chronic work pressures can negatively affect your productivity and performance, your physical and mental health, your relationships, and your personal life.

Work pressures are widespread, as some studies estimate that the percentage of employees who suffer from work pressures reaches 80%, of whom 40% suffer from workload pressure.

 

Signs of falling into the work pressure trap:

The Harvard Business Review mentioned some of the signs that appear on the individual, indicating that he has fallen into the trap of work pressures and tension:

1- Catastrophic thinking: 

In this case, the worker always expects the worst outcome, such as being fired, just because of any defect in his previous offer.

2- Passively read other people's thoughts:

 In an example of this situation, someone might think that a colleague does not want to work with him for some reason.

3- Generalization: 

Putting a unified picture of all similar situations, its consequences are not good, such as telling someone that he failed last year when making his offer to the CEO and things did not go well for his promotion, so he will fail this year as well because failure is his ally when it comes to it Advance to senior management!.

4- Negative prediction:

Some people may resort to negative thinking, regarding future events, without evidence or statistical data to confirm the matter, as if an employee believes that the new team members will not get along with him.

Other signs and symptoms of work pressures:

According to the American Press Association:

- Feeling anxious, nervous, or depressed.

- Apathy, lethargy, and loss of interest in work.

- sleep problems.

- fatigue.

- Difficulty concentrating.

- Muscle tension or headache.

- stomach problems.

- social introversion.

- depressed mood.

- Loss of confidence, or feeling angry and irritable.

- Weight gain or loss.

- Teeth grinding.

- Panic attacks.

- Sweating hands or feet.

- nausea.

- Obsessive-compulsive disorder.

 
How to deal with work pressure and stress:

If you feel that work pressures drain your energy and affect your professional and personal path, you should look for solutions to get rid of these pressures.

The first step in dealing with work pressures is to identify its sources.

These sources may come from the work environment, colleagues, or the nature of the work itself, and may be temporary, or permanent.

The American Business Insider website points out some steps to face and overcome the work pressures:

1- One should watch oneself; When the effects of anxiety and stress appear, it is necessary to confront rather than neglect the feelings.

2- Experts believe that including some activities in the diary, such as meditation or yoga, Playing sports contributes to stimulating the individual's feeling that he is fully present.

3- Facing fears of failure at work instead of giving in to failure by planning to attend a training course, which helps in acquiring new work-related skills, which leads to raising self-confidence.

4- Take a short vacation if necessary and change the atmosphere such as going for a walk to a nearby park, local tourism, or laying in the sun to break the routine.

5- In the case of anxiety, morning coffee doesn't seem to help, because it can increase heart rate and physiological symptoms of anxiety.

6- Reach out to a professional or a friend for support, because sometimes all you need to relieve stress is to share how you feel with someone close to you.

 

Some other solutions to face the work stress:

1- Ensure proper eating habits:

Sugar or fatty foods, such as pizza, fast food, and ice cream, make us feel lethargic and discourage us from facing the problems we are facing.

Recommended foods:

-Complex carbohydrates, such as wheat bread, pasta, and vegetables.

-Foods that contain antioxidants, which help improve mood, such as blueberries and chocolate.

-Lean proteins such as chicken.

Foods to avoid:

-Foods rich in fat, such as cheese and red meat, lead to inactivity.

-Foods rich in refined carbs or sugar.

-Caffeinated drinks such as coffee and soda, cause insomnia.

2-Get enough sleep:

Researchers at Harvard Medical School have found that lack of sleep is one of the contributing causes of high stress.

The ideal sleep hours are between 7 and 9 hours per day.

3- Set your priorities and organize your time:

Organizing your time makes you better able to perform the tasks assigned to you.

4- Avoid multitasking:

Working on two or more things at the same time affects the speed and accuracy of work and thus increases stress.

If there are a lot of tasks waiting for you, arrange them in order of priority, and complete them sequentially.

5- love your work:

You may have to work in a job that you do not like, but you must adapt and love your work. It is said: “If you don’t do what you love, love what you do.” This will make you happy and help reduce stress.

6- Don't look for perfection:

It is good to strive to master everything you do and to hold yourself to high standards.

The perfectionist mentality will make you live under constant pressure, but it is better to do your best, master your work as much as you can, and set yourself acceptable and realistic standards, you will see that your productivity and performance have improved and that the workstress become lighter for you.

7- Stay away from problems and conflicts in the workplace:

Conflicts between co-workers exist, try to stay away from them as much as possible.

8- Be honest with the employer:

Communication with your manager at work is required for the general interest, that will may make everyone happy.

9- Learn to say "No":

Do not accept doing anything that harms you or harms others, as this is a weakness of character, this does not mean being stubborn and uncooperative; just do the correct things.

 

The bottom line:

Do not ignore the work stress, and do not allow it to accumulate, as this will harm your mental and physical health, and your personal and professional life.