Workplace stress is a situation where a person gets completely exhausted energetically, physically, emotionally and mentally. In the hectic pace of today’s life, this silent killer has swallowed many lives.
ET report states that around 80% of professionals experience workplace stress while 60% decide to leave their job at an early stage. This is often seen in small organizations because they assign multiple roles to a single workforce leading to pressure on one hand.
There has been less talk around this subject and even lesser on its solution.
Very often, freshers face double trouble. It is because they are relatively new and hardly know the dynamics of a corporation. It is high time that we address the elephant in the room. Here is a detailed manual of Workplace stress. It aims to bring out the root cause of this problem and discuss real solutions to promote work-life balance. Scroll down below to know more.
Causes of workplace stress
Many factors are leading to job pressure. However, here are some common ones that will help you get a clear picture of the root source:-
i. Unaddressed Mental Health Issue
Mental health is rubbed under the carpet as if it never existed. It is rather one of the biggest causes of job stress. The more nonobvious it may appear, the more obvious it becomes. A lot of employees battle unaddressed programs and this, in turn, reflects on their work. Especially, freshers face a lot because often they are clueless about the new work environment. Such issues can be rooted in these main causes:-
a. Personal issues,
b. Family/Relationship problems,
c. Dreading deadlines,
d. Fear of being fired, etcetera.
ii. Hard skills but lack of soft skills
It has been observed that though students are surprisingly talented in their chosen field. Yet, they fail to do well. Most of the time, the reason being a lack of communication or more. It may not appear significant but soft skills like empathy, time management etcetera can bring about a 180 degree turn in the work culture. Therefore, the lack of soft skills may also lead to workplace stress.
iii. Overload
If the workload exceeds the limit then it can lead to excessive burnout. While many people blame it on the organization. Sometimes it is true also. However, there is another side to it and this is quite subtle. Many times, people lack the required discipline to manage their time well. In the process of procrastination, they end up piling up the work which later overloads them. As a result, it causes heavy work stress.
iv. Long Work Hours
This is a subjective topic. However, many times long work hours along with intensive travel may lead to severe burnout. This is another reason for increasing workplace stress in current times.
Lately, it had been estimated that due to the coronavirus Pandemic, most of the work had got a tight deadline. No wonder because the market was adversely affected. However, this practice took a toll on many workers. Working more than 10 to 12 hours can squeeze one’s energy. Otherwise, also, it has been a common matter in India that people work for long hours leading to damage to the overall system.
v. Postural Deformity
It may sound insignificant. However postural deformity slowly exhausts a person’s attention span. Not only that, it causes drowsiness in a short duration. A person naturally feels fatigued with a relatively less amount of work. It in turn leads to irritability and eventually stress in offices. So don’t underestimate the power of work egonomics.
Work Stress Status in India
India has been regarded as one of the most overworked nations across the world. Global leader of HR, ADP reports that 70% of Indian workers reported being stressed with their jobs.
Kindly Note. This survey was done with more than 1900 employees by ADP.
The good sign was, unlike earlier times more people were aware of mental health and its impact.
Micromanagement is equivalent to “Macro-Problems”
Nitpicking every little task of an employee can be regarded as Micromanagement. Controlling every activity of the workforce kills their creativity and imagination. Henceforth, it makes the manpower powerless. They will feel conscious of every little step. Hence, they are hardly able to take any step further. Here are a few signs of micromanagement:-
1. Namecalling on minutiae on subjective matters (varies from person to person) can bring down one’s morale significantly.
2. Controlling one’s leave and timings can also affect the employee’s mental health. No one is a machine. Even machines have burn-out if not lubricated well. Therefore, one must understand this situation towards holistic growth.
3. No appreciation just tight deadlines will suck out one’s stamina to work.
How to create a stress-free environment in the workplace?
It may seem that a fast-paced work situation can lead to high-yielding outcomes. However, the more relaxed a work environment is the more an employee feels motivated to work. Various mediums have pictured a good work-life as coffee in one hand and back-to-back calls on the other. But, that’s not the case. Also, that is just a scene/picture. It is not reality. So here is how we can create a better work environment:-
i. Eustress but no stress
Yes, the situation becomes challenging sometimes. However, escapism is not a solution. Do you think that all your problems will vanish one day? The answer is no. What you are calling problems are situations. If you handle it well then you succeed and vice versa. Some amount of stress is good for you. Unless you are challenged by a situation, how will you move out of your comfort zone? Until you are lying under your comfort zone how would you grow? Therefore, appreciate that little amount of stress which helps you develop yourself.
ii. Declutter your environment
Do you know your environment affects the way you feel? Probably most of us do but yet we resort to stay in a cloistered environment for too long. This may sound like a trifling reality. However, by keeping your surrounding clean and organized you can feel light. So the next time you walk into your office, ensure that you arrange your space.
iii. Break your shell to curb workplace stress
It is important to network with everyone. By just being in your shell, you may find yourself left out on various occasion. This will indirectly impact you. Therefore, break your woven shell. When you know more and more people, you become comfortable with the office environment. In this way, you can speak your mind whenever required.
How to stop stressing Work-From-Home?
COVID 19 brought us an unanticipated outcome altogether. Things shifted at home and we felt uncomfortable with this change too. As the market was severely affected. Therefore, the working hours rocketed at an exponential rate. While employers got tensed about their businesses, employees suffered anxiety. On the other hand, some became a little laid back due to the comfort of home. See both the scenarios are very much true. Neither of these can be disregarded. Therefore, here are few tips to stop stressing WFH. Kindly note. these are equally applicable in an official environment too. Check below:-
i. Connect yourself with the higher goal- See ultimately, your growth is the company’s growth. So stop using your sceptical eyes whenever anything goes wrong. Instead, work on upskilling yourself. Blend your goals with the organization’s aim. Things will fall into the right places once you are aligned.
ii. Don’t run after recognition- Everyone likes appreciation. However, if that becomes the sole motive, then you will never enjoy the process. You will just look at the final goal. That’s not how big things happen. You need to learn to involve in the process even if you like or do not. Henceforth, the outcome will never be up to the mark. Thus, just be with the process, recognition will naturally come.
iii. Time Management- While at home, we all tend to get a little more complacent spending the family time. But remember, you are still working. Therefore, you still need to prioritize between your professional and personal life. Don’t compromise on the dedicated work hour. Just give your 100% there and 100% to the person too.
iv. Meditate- Your minds need to function well to be productive. Unless the inner-chatter is settled how would it be focussed? Therefore, take out 10 to 15 minutes to meditate to build your mental stamina.
Solutions to cope up with Job Burnout
See, the situation is always not as worse as we tend to amplify in our head. Undeniably, if you face a dire circumstance that takes a toll on your health then you’d need to take strict actions about it. However, there are a few shifts that you can make and see visible results in your day to day life. Have a look below:-
i. Time Yourself,
ii. Prioritize well,
iii. No phone before you fall sleeping or waking up,
iv. Focus on your eating habits,
v. Avoid negative talks/self-talks,
vi. Learning is not just about job skills but also about lifeskills
vii. Take individual responsibility like an intrapreneur.
viii. Follow a proactive approach instead of becoming a bottleneck.
Stay Relevant by Upskilling Yourself
There is no need to take your time off to learn something new to escape workplace stress. You see, if you don’t learn t deal with it then you’ll invite the same situations in different faces in the next workplace. Therefore, learn the dynamics of jobs before jumping to conclusions. Upskill yourself by taking online courses or certification. For instance, AMCAT provides certifications for different job roles. Not only that, but it also provides certifications for English language skills. Vernacular skills are imperative in business communication. Henceforth, there are n numbers of options you can try. The only thing it requires is your willingness.
AMCAT offers both Technical and Non-Technical certifications. Some of these are:
i. Full-stack Developer in Java,
ii. Data Scientist,
iii. Big Data Developer, etcetera.
Check the links for all the certifications below:-
1. English Language Skills- Click Here to get certified. 
2. Technical and Non-Technical Skills- There are many options you can take certifications of. Click Here to get certified.
Now, that you know the problem and the solutions, go make the best out of your work-life. Let it become a springboard for your professional advancement.
All the best!
