Stress at Work

What is work-related stress?

For many people, work stress feels like being under constant pressure. Having too much work, too many demands and little control over your job often causes excessive stress. 

You may be worried about your performance, unfulfilled job, or feeling disconnected from colleagues. Complicated relationships and bullying will increase your stress, as will a lack of stability in your job role, department and line manager. 

How every day is work stress?

Many people in the UK and worldwide suffer from job or work stress. Around 1 in 4 working adults say they feel stressed at work, while only 1 in 5 say they never feel stressed. 

Staying stress-free doesn’t mean you are superhuman. Nor does it necessarily mean that you are more resilient.

Resilience is not the ability to withstand toxicity. You need a thick suit of armour for that. Resilience is your ability to bounce back from adverse events, which often depends on having a supportive environment and skills in psychological flexibility. Often learning these skills will be enough, but you may need to alter your environment too.

Jim Lucas, Psychotherapist.

There are many causes of work stress, which is why we must help you identify the sources of stress in your life.

What are the symptoms of work-related stress?

Stress is more than a feeling; it also causes changes in your body. You produce stress hormones called adrenalin and cortisol. While they are necessary for your functioning, too many can negatively affect your health and well-being. 

If you’re consistently stressed, then it will likely give you at least one of the following indicators:

• Muscle tension
• Irritable bowel
• Headaches
• Disrupted sleep/insomnia
• Tiredness
• Mood swings
• Higher Anxiety
• Self-doubt

The more stressed you feel, the more you doubt your abilities. Many of us suffer from imposter syndrome, the belief that we are a fraud or inadequate and will eventually get found out. Unhealthy self-doubt increases when your stress levels are always high. 

What other factors cause stress?

Events outside work can cause stress—for example, ill health, grief and money worries. Relationship problems, family, friends, or loneliness, can negatively affect your well-being. 

If you suffer from other emotional, psychological or mental health problems, they can also affect your stress. For example, chronic anxiety, depression or addiction will make it challenging to tolerate work demands.

Many of these problems can stem from childhood experiences, and you may lack the necessary skills to help you manage your emotions. It’s not your fault, of course. Sadly, you didn’t get the guidance you needed.

We are to help. By offering you support and teaching you how to manage your stress, we can help you find fulfilment at work. Whether staying in your current job or exploring different opportunities, we’ll help you identify the road you want to travel.