# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In tough economic times, workers at every level experience increased tension and uncertainty. Learn how to manage your workplace stress.

Cite this

American Psychological Association. (2020, September 10). Stress in the workplace. http://www.apa.org/topics/healthy-workplaces/workplace-stress

In today's economic upheavals, downsizing, layoffs, mergers, and bankruptcies have cost hundreds of thousands of workers their jobs. Millions more have been shifted to unfamiliar tasks within their companies and wonder how much longer they will be employed.

Adding to the pressures that workers face are new bosses, computer surveillance of production, fewer health and retirement benefits, and the feeling they have to work longer and harder just to maintain their current economic status. Workers at every level are experiencing increased tension and uncertainty, and are updating their resumes.

The loss of a job can be devastating, putting unemployed workers at risk for physical illness, marital strain, anxiety, depression, and even suicide. Loss of a job affects every part of life, from what time you get up in the morning, to whom you see, and what you can afford to do. Until the transition is made to a new position, stress is chronic.

A sense of powerlessness

A feeling of powerlessness is a universal cause of job stress. When you feel powerless, you're prey to depression's traveling companions, helplessness and hopelessness. You don't alter or avoid the situation because you feel nothing can be done.

Secretaries, waitresses, middle managers, police officers, editors, and medical interns are among those with the most highly stressed occupations marked by the need to respond to others' demands and timetables, with little control over events. Common to this job situation are complaints of too much responsibility and too little authority, unfair labor practices, and inadequate job descriptions.

Employees can counteract these pressures through workers' unions or other organizations, grievance or personnel offices, or, more commonly, by direct negotiations with their immediate supervisors.

Your job description

Every employee should have a specific, written job description. Simply negotiating one does more to dispel a sense of powerlessness than anything else we know. It is a contract that you help write. You can object to what don't want and insist on what you do want. If there is a compromise, it's because you agreed to it. With a clear job description, your expectations are spelled out, as are your boss's.

A good job description is time limited. Set a specific date for a review and revision based on your mutual experience with this initial job description. If you and your boss can't agree on what your job description should be, look for another job, either within the same company or outside. Even in these tough economic times, it is important that your job be a source of satisfaction and respect.

When you're a square peg and your job is a round hole

Remember the old saying, "Find a job you love and you'll never work another day in your life." Most people spend about 25% of their adult lives working. If you enjoy what you do, you're lucky. But if you're the proverbial square peg and your job is a round hole, job stress hurts your productivity and takes a serious toll on your mind and body.

There are many reasons for staying in a job that doesn't fit you or that you don't particularly like. One reason can be the "golden handcuff"-having salary, pension, benefits and "perks" that keep one tied to a job regardless of stress consequences.

Many people are in jobs they don't like or aren't good at. The quick answer is to get a job they like or one that better matches their skills, abilities, and interest-easier said than done. Some people have no idea what kind of job they would like or what kind of job would be better. Worse, they don't have a clue on how to go about finding out this information.

Traumatic events on the job

Some jobs are inherently dangerous and others can suddenly become so. Criminal justice personnel, firefighters, ambulance drivers, military personnel, and disaster teams witness many terrible scenes and are exposed to personal danger routinely. They usually handle such incidents capably.

But occasionally a particularly bad episode will stay with them, appearing in memory flashbacks and nightmares. Sleep disturbance, guilt, fearfulness, and physical complaints may follow.

Even ordinary jobs can become traumatic: a coworker, boss, or client physically threatens an employee; a bus crashes on a field trip; an employee is robbed or taken hostage; a shooting occurs. Such events can create posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and result in workers' compensation claims if left untreated by a trauma specialist.

Work setting

Sometimes your work setting creates physical stress because of noise, lack of privacy, poor lighting, poor ventilation, poor temperature control, or inadequate sanitary facilities. Settings where there is organizational confusion or an overly authoritarian, laissez-faire or crisis-centered managerial style are all psychologically stressful.

Act through labor or employee organizations to alter stressful working conditions. If that doesn't work, try the courts, which have become increasingly receptive to complaints of stressful working conditions. Recent rulings created pressure for employers to provide working environments that are as stress free as possible.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is the federal agency charged with monitoring the work environment in the interest of work safety and health. If you think your work environment is dangerous to your health and safety from a physical standpoint, give them a call.

If nothing helps and the working environment remains stressful, exercise your avoidance options and get a new job. Job hunting can be stressful, particularly in times of high unemployment, but being ground down day after day by work is far worse.

Adapted from The Stress Solution by Lyle H. Miller, PhD, and Alma Dell Smith, PhD.

The full text of articles from APA Help Center may be reproduced and distributed for noncommercial purposes with credit given to the American Psychological Association. Any electronic reproductions must link to the original article on the APA Help Center. Any exceptions to this, including excerpting, paraphrasing or reproduction in a commercial work, must be presented in writing to the APA. Images from the APA Help Center may not be reproduced.

Recommended Reading

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In tough economic times, workers at every level experience increased tension and uncertainty. Learn how to manage your workplace stress. Cite this American Psychological Association. (2020, September 10). Stress in the workplace. http://www.apa.org/topics/healthy-workplaces/workplace-stress In today's economic upheavals, downsizing, layoffs, mergers, and bankruptcies have cost hundreds of thousands of workers their jobs.

# data[].attributes.headline
How managers can help prevent burnout at work

# data[].attributes.subject
How managers can help prevent burnout at work

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Employee burnout is a problem during stable times let alone during stressful times. Lower productivity, emotional and physical exhaustion, lack of concentration, less recognition from managers, negativity, and a decline in health are all signs of burnout at work.

Burnout can lead to high turnover of your top performers - highly engaged employees are at the highest risk for work burnout. An employee has to be all in and care deeply about their work in order to get to the point of feeling burned out.

And turnover can have a significant impact on your business. Replacing an employee is estimated to cost 90% to 200% of an employee's annual salary.

So when workload increases and engagement fizzles, it's time to take action.

How to prevent employee burnout in your organization? Invest in well-being.

According to a recent employee engagement study , "burnout is responsible for up to half of all employee attrition." Limeade Institute research found that turnover rates were four times higher for employees who weren't registered for a well-being program compared with employees who were. When people have and use a well-being program, they're more likely to stay at their organization.

5 ways managers can prevent burnout at work

1. Communicate with your employees

Make sure every voice is heard. As a manager, it's your job to motivate and lead your employees. Hold regular 1:1 meetings, focus on the positives before communicating the negatives, send cheers and show your appreciation on a regular basis.

2. Eliminate roadblocks

Are there any tools, policies or equipment keeping an employee from completing their daily work? Removing roadblocks will increase efficiency and boost performance. Setting your employees up for success directly impacts their well-being and helps prevent burnout at work.

3. Create realistic goals and expectations

Design a plan for your employees to achieve their goals. Challenge your employees to grow in their career but don't raise the bar too high. Balance is key.

4. Encourage healthy work-life integration

Set clear boundaries and expectations for working after hours or at home, time off, and availability. Leaders help highlight and define the value of well-being improvement with their personal examples and reinforcement. When managers or executives support well-being improvement, employees will follow.

5. Give them a break

Encourage employees to leave an hour early after a particularly stressful day. Schedule weekly team lunches, go on a walking meeting, or plan a team-building activity or happy hour. Celebrate your employees, and bring teams together to refresh and rejuvenate as a company to prevent work burnout.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Things Managers Can Do To Prevent Burnout at Work

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Employee burnout is a problem during stable times let alone during stressful times. Lower productivity, emotional and physical exhaustion, lack of concentration, less recognition from managers, negativity, and a decline in health are all signs of burnout at work. Burnout can lead to high turnover of your top performers - highly engaged employees are at the highest risk for work burnout.

# data[].attributes.headline
How to Cope with Job Stress and Build Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic

# data[].attributes.subject
How to Cope with Job Stress and Build Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Working hard should not be confused with overworking at the expense of relationships and physical health.

Cite this

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

Everyone who has ever held a job has, at some point, felt the pressure of work-related stress. Any job can have stressful elements, even if you love what you do. In the short-term, you may experience pressure to meet a deadline or to fulfill a challenging obligation. But when work stress becomes chronic, it can be overwhelming-and harmful to both physical and emotional health.

Unfortunately, such long-term stress is all too common. In fact, APA's annual Stress in America survey has consistently found that work is cited as a significant source of stress by a majority of Americans. You can't always avoid the tensions that occur on the job. Yet you can take steps to manage work-related stress.

Common sources of work stress

Certain factors tend to go hand-in-hand with work-related stress. Some common workplace stressors are:

Low salaries

Excessive workloads

Few opportunities for growth or advancement

Work that isn't engaging or challenging

Lack of social support

Not having enough control over job-related decisions

Conflicting demands or unclear performance expectations

Effects of uncontrolled stress

Work-related stress doesn't just disappear when you head home for the day. When stress persists, it can take a toll on your health and well-being.

A stressful work environment can contribute to problems such as headache, stomachache, sleep disturbances, short temper, and difficulty concentrating. Chronic stress can result in anxiety, insomnia, high blood pressure, and a weakened immune system. It can also contribute to health conditions such as depression, obesity, and heart disease. Compounding the problem, people who experience excessive stress often deal with it in unhealthy ways, such as overeating, eating unhealthy foods, smoking cigarettes, or abusing drugs and alcohol.

Taking steps to manage stress

Track your stressors. Keep a journal for a week or two to identify which situations create the most stress and how you respond to them. Record your thoughts, feelings, and information about the environment, including the people and circumstances involved, the physical setting, and how you reacted. Did you raise your voice? Get a snack from the vending machine? Go for a walk? Taking notes can help you find patterns among your stressors and your reactions to them.

Develop healthy responses. Instead of attempting to fight stress with fast food or alcohol, do your best to make healthy choices when you feel the tension rise. Exercise is a great stress-buster. Yoga can be an excellent choice, but any form of physical activity is beneficial. Also make time for hobbies and favorite activities. Whether it's reading a novel, going to concerts, or playing games with your family, make sure to set aside time for the things that bring you pleasure. Getting enough good-quality sleep is also important for effective stress management. Build healthy sleep habits by limiting your caffeine intake late in the day and minimizing stimulating activities, such as computer and television use, at night.

Establish boundaries. In today's digital world, it's easy to feel pressure to be available 24 hours a day. Establish some work-life boundaries for yourself. That might mean making a rule not to check email from home in the evening, or not answering the phone during dinner. Although people have different preferences when it comes to how much they blend their work and home life, creating some clear boundaries between these realms can reduce the potential for work-life conflict and the stress that goes with it.

Take time to recharge. To avoid the negative effects of chronic stress and burnout, we need time to replenish and return to our pre-stress level of functioning. This recovery process requires "switching off" from work by having periods of time when you are neither engaging in work-related activities, nor thinking about work. That's why it's critical that you disconnect from time to time, in a way that fits your needs and preferences. Don't let your vacation days go to waste. When possible, take time off to relax and unwind, so you come back to work feeling reinvigorated and ready to perform at your best. When you're not able to take time off, get a quick boost by turning off your smartphone and focusing your attention on nonwork activities for a while.

Learn how to relax. Techniques such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, and mindfulness (a state in which you actively observe present experiences and thoughts without judging them) can help melt away stress. Start by taking a few minutes each day to focus on a simple activity like breathing, walking, or enjoying a meal. The skill of being able to focus purposefully on a single activity without distraction will get stronger with practice and you'll find that you can apply it to many different aspects of your life.

Talk to your supervisor. Employee health has been linked to productivity at work, so your boss has an incentive to create a work environment that promotes employee well-being. Start by having an open conversation with your supervisor. The purpose of this isn't to lay out a list of complaints, but rather to come up with an effective plan for managing the stressors you've identified, so you can perform at your best on the job. While some parts of the plan may be designed to help you improve your skills in areas such as time management, other elements might include identifying employer-sponsored wellness resources you can tap into, clarifying what's expected of you, getting necessary resources or support from colleagues, enriching your job to include more challenging or meaningful tasks, or making changes to your physical workspace to make it more comfortable and reduce strain.

Get some support. Accepting help from trusted friends and family members can improve your ability to manage stress. Your employer may also have stress management resources available through an employee assistance program, including online information, available counseling, and referral to mental health professionals, if needed. If you continue to feel overwhelmed by work stress, you may want to talk to a psychologist, who can help you better manage stress and change unhealthy behavior.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Working hard should not be confused with overworking at the expense of relationships and physical health. Cite this American Psychological Association. (2018, October 14). Coping with stress at work. https://www.apa.org/topics/healthy-workplaces/work-stress Everyone who has ever held a job has, at some point, felt the pressure of work-related stress.