Stress In The Workplace – Is Your Job Performance Suffering?
On-the-job stress is a commonly occurring problem in today’s society. For most workers, job-related stress comes with the territory so it’s important to develop coping skills. Stress can be minimized if you know the things that cause it in your workplace and develop ways to keep your sanity in the midst of it all.
Common sources of job-related stress and coping strategies include:
Unprofessional Co-Workers
Most of us have had to deal with rude co-workers at one time or another. Having to be exposed to that rudeness can be stressful for anyone, making their job performance suffer needlessly.
There are a few ways to handle this kind of situation. First of all, decide if it’s something that really bothers you or not. Sometimes just ignoring them is all you need to do your job effectively.
If this tactic doesn‘t work, try discussing the problem with them directly. There are times when they may be unaware of the way their attitude comes across to others. An open and honest conversation can be a simple solution that brings down the stress level immediately.
If direct confrontation does help quell the bad behaviors contact you supervisor. State your complaints in writing in a formal tone. Make sure to explain what behaviors are bothering you and how they are affecting your work performance. Try to avoid emotional pleas and high temper complaints. Remain factual and offer supporting information and your superior will most likely side with you and assist in rectifying the situation.
Poor Management
If unprofessional co-workers are unpleasant to deal with then poor management has to be twice as stressful. The options for dealing with poor managers are more limited, but there is no reason to let poor management style give you stress or anxiety. As will co-workers ignoring the behavior is the first and most preferable option.
Bosses have bosses too. If a manager is creating a hostile or stressing work environment for you do not hesitate to involve their supervisor in your complaints. As with co-workers you will want to make sure that your complaints are factual, non-emotional, and supported by appropriate documentation. Write down offenses and document all inappropriate behavior before bringing the case to upper level management
Most companies do not want the hassle and expense of hiring and training new employees. In most cases, if the offenses of the manager are valid they will take steps to correct the behaviors and resolve any problems. Do not allow poor management to cause you undue stress. Always take action.
Assignment Overload
Trying to manage an unreasonable workload will certainly cause a lot of anxiety. Accept only the amount of work that you can deal with in a given period of time. Take any assistance offered by co-workers and return the favor when they need help. Working together can have far reaching rewards.
Discovering, reducing, or eliminating workplace stress where possible is a positive step towards having a fulfilling and productive work experience. Stress in the workplace is inevitable, but correctly managing stress can help prevent job burnout and increase job satisfaction.
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