Unit 7 Discussion with students

Stress in the workplace can be caused from a variety of things such as too much workload, lack of training, role ambiguity, hostile work environment and low wages. The level of stress can depend on ones profession such as law enforcement, medical field, government or education. An individual dealing with work induced stress can become easily distracted. Overtime, this can affect their ability to produce good quality work. It can cause issues in their personal lives but causing them to isolate themselves from family and friends.

Over time, this can lead to depression and if this goes untreated can be fatal. Most employers have an EAP line where employees can access free counseling sessions with mental health professionals. However, some people may not feel comfortable talking to a stranger so they may want to confide in a friend or family member. No job is perfect, if one feels stressed they should take time off and do something that the love. Also, they could work part time so less time will be spent in a stressful environment.

References

• Authors: J. Stewart Black, David S. Bright


• Publisher/website: OpenStax


• Book title: Organizational Behavior


• Publication date: Jun 5, 2019


• Location: Houston, Texas

BSmith DQ7

How might an individual manage work-induced stress?

Imagine you are in your social circle; there is talk of family, kids, hobbies, and work. You immediately tense up. Many thoughts of how much you are stressed over whatever is consuming your calm and its directly related to work. You begin to discuss it with your circle hoping for some magic advice to help you escape the pressure caused by your work. Your friends offer suggestions on what to do, how to handle it, and the ‘have you talked to your boss or HR about it’ type of questions. Then there is always someone who blurts out, “just quit”. The circle goes quiet. As simple as this seems, its usually not that easy for the majority to ‘just quit’. There are responsibilities, family, all that rely on your income, finding a new job is not that easy; and allowing work-related stress to live rent free in your head 24/7 isn't ideal. So what do you do?

Some first steps can be addressing the reasons behind the stress. What are the stressors? Make a list and become aware of what starts the heart pounding when thinking about work. Here are some common reasons for work related stress, low salary, high workload, no opportunity for growth, boredom, lack of social support, possibly a coworker conflict or performance expectations (APA, 2018). These are some common factors of work-related stress. How you handle it is what takes practiced skill.

One of the most important skills for me is too set boundaries concerning work. I live by the philosophy of leaving work 'stuff' at work, no emails answered, texts, when not in the office. Many experts agree that bring work home only compounds the stress, its like carry an emotional suitcase wherever you go (APA, 2018). Alternatively, I'd suggest leaving home at home, do not bring your home stress to work, it can add to the chaos already in place.

The fact is stressful situations that go untreated can cause many health-related problems, for example anxiety obesity, depression and high blood pressure (APA, 2018). You need to ask yourself, is the stress worth it?

Reduce those stressors through physical exercise, meditation, or just leave the building for a few minutes to regroup, being proactive in calming those stressors can make a difference in your overall physical and mental wellbeing (Schermerhorn, 1997). Yet, if talking to your organization’s supervisors, work offered counseling or other means of which are set up to handle stress among employees are ineffective, then leaving your job may be the healthiest move of all (J. Stewart Black, Jun 5, 2019).

Overall, personal wellness is important here. It is your responsibility to enhance and maintain wellness through a disciplined approach to physical and mental health. The lifestyle of a person who is proactive in a comprehensive commitment to health makes a great deal of sense as a preventive stress management strategy.

References

APA. (2018, October 14).Coping with stress at work. (© 2021 American Psychological Association) Retrieved February 2021, from apa.org: https://www.apa.org/topics/healthy-workplaces/work-stress

1. Stewart Black, D. S. (Jun 5, 2019).Organizational Behavior.Houston, Texas: OpenStax. Retrieved from https://openstax.org/books/organizational-behavior

Schermerhorn, H. O. (1997).Organizational Behavior 6th edition.New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.