Job Stress

According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), job stress is defined as "the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources or needs of the worker." It's not a frivolous problem as job stress can lead to poor health and even injury. (Read about "Stress")

Stress vs. challenge

NIOSH says that job stress should not be confused with job challenge. Challenge is positive; it energizes us psychologically and physically, and it motivates us to learn new skills and get better at our jobs. The point is this - you can meet a challenge, and when you do, you feel good about yourself.

Job stress is different. Stress is what happens when demands cannot be met, when there's no time for relaxation and when there's no sense of accomplishment.

What to do about job stress? Sometimes we don't have much choice. A particular job may simply be too demanding or beyond our capabilities. If this is the case, we may need to step back and ask if the compensation we get is worth the stress, if we have any alternatives and how we might successfully get ourselves moving towards the direction of those alternatives.

We may also need to ask if some of the stress we feel is self-induced. For example:

• Do we take on more than our responsibilities?
• Do we have a problem delegating?
• Are there problems in other areas of our lives that we may be bringing into our work environment?

Signs of stress

What are some of the signs of stress? Here's a list of possible signs and symptoms of stress from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP):

• anxiety (Read about "Anxiety")
• back pain (Read about "Back Pain")
• constipation or diarrhea (Read about "Constipation" "Diarrhea")
• depression (Read about "Depressive Illnesses")
• fatigue
• headaches (Read about "Headaches")
• high blood pressure (Read about "Hypertension")
• insomnia (Read about "Sleep")
• problems with relationships
• shortness of breath
• stiff neck (Read about "Neck Pain")
• upset stomach (Read about "Indigestion")
• weight gain or loss

If you recognize yourself or someone you love in the list, it may be time to slow down. There are things you can do to reduce your stress. Once again suggestions from AAFP:

• Let go of the things you have no control over and take action to control the things you can.
• Be prepared when you know things are going to be stressful.
• Work to resolve conflicts with other people.
• Don't be afraid to seek help from others including friends, family or professionals.
• Be realistic about what you can accomplish.
• Get a life; there are things to do outside of work like group sports, social activities and hobbies.
• Exercise; it will help get rid of pent-up energy and tension and it will make you healthier overall. Talk to your doctor about exercise programs before you begin.
• Meditate; deep breathing relaxes the body.

If you think you are under stress, ask for help. Most experts agree that it's important to understand that stress is a very real threat to our mental and physical well-being. Ideally, we should to be able to find balance between work and personal life, get enough support from friends and family and be able to develop a positive outlook. That's not always easy. But the benefits in terms of mental and physical health can be worth it. (Read about "Mental Health")