Addressing Stress at Workplace

In this report, Sunday Ehigitor recently spoke with the Head of Health Services, Bastion Health, Dr. Tokunbo Otitoju, on some leading causes of workplace stress, its impact on performance, and possibles ways to manage stress at the workplace

Simply put, stress is the feeling of being overwhelmed and unable to cope with physical, mental, or emotional pressure. Workplace stress is when this feeling is associated with your workplace.

Anyone who has ever held a job long enough has, at some point, felt the pressure of work to the extent that they feel a sense of being unable to cope. Workplace stress is quite common, and it happens to even the best of us.

Admittedly, not all stress is bad. According to Dr. Otitoju, “Some stress can have the potential for gain. For instance, stress can make your work faster and teach you to prioritize. It can also cause your creative juices to flow when writing an article with a steep deadline. But when work stress becomes chronic, it becomes harmful to physical and emotional health,” he noted.

Causes of Workplace Stress

According to Dr. Otitoju, the most common cause of workplace stress is related to workers who are faced with demands that are not matched to their knowledge, skills sets, or abilities that challenge their ability to cope.

“Other causes include, working long hours, overworking or underworking, job insecurity, lack of autonomy, poor organisational support, and workplace bullying.”

Signs and Symptoms of Stress

Otitoju said the manifestations of stress often differ from one individual to another; however, he identified, “low energy, decreased productivity, frequent headaches, irritability and anger, anxiety and agitation, and absenteeism or presenteeism” as some common and universal signs of stress.

How to Manage Workplace Stress

On how to manage stress at the workplace, he advised workers to try to strike a balance between every workplace task and the individual task they have to carry out.

“Striking a balance is the first and most important rule of stress management. You cannot pour from an empty cup. This is the easiest way to understand the importance of managing workplace-related stress.”

He added that managing workplace stress was an organisational responsibility, with both the employer and employee having roles to play.

“For the Employee, identify and track your stressors to know which situations create the most stress and how you respond to them. Note your thoughts, feelings, and information about the environment, including the people and circumstances involved.

“Note your reactions to it as well. Did you raise your voice? Cry? Go for a walk? Say nothing? This knowledge will help you find patterns among your stressors and your reactions to them.

“Stay organised and keep multitasking in check. This can significantly decrease your stress at work. Being organised with your time means less rushing in the morning to avoid being late. It can also mean avoiding the adverse effects of clutter and being more efficient with your work.”

Otitoju said multitasking was once celebrated as a fantastic way to maximize one’s time and get more done in a day, however, not everyone can multitask adequately, hence, workers need to phase their work if multitasking isn’t for them.

“Also, participating in recreational activities outside of work could help deal with workplace stress. Exercises, going out with friends, staying home to watch a movie, etc., are ways to release the feel-good hormones in your brain and cause a significant drop in stress levels.

“Rest is also very important. Being available around the clock will easily stress you out. Take time out to lie down and do nothing. Just rest your body and your brain. It’s essential to create clear boundaries between your work and home life to help you avoid potential stress.”

Otitoju equally advised workers to seek help when deemed necessary and also learn to engage in healthy communication with trusted parties, “such as your line manager, HR, or even external help through your organisation’s Employee Assistance Program provider. You can also talk to trusted friends and family members about it.”

On the employer side, he advised employers to ensure they provide conducive working environments, leverage on technology as much as possible, and ensure the workplace is safe for their workers.

“Employees working conditions should be adapted to their different physical and mental capabilities. In some cases, employees should be allowed to participate in the design of their workstations and the processes of change and development.”

“If technology can do it and make work easier, use it. Organisations can leverage technology to make employees’ work more accessible and more efficient.

“Organisations should also aspire to make the workplace a safe space where employees can freely express themselves and collaborate easily as safe working conditions will provide personal and vocational development opportunities. Trust should be built and maintained, while bullying of any kind must be discouraged.”

Briefly speaking about Bastion Health and the services it offers, which also includes stress management therapy, he described it as “an organisation that prides itself on having built a healthy work culture in a safe space.

“We offer a range of products and services curated to ensure a stress-free work environment for our customers. This includes 24/7 access to doctors through our Telemedicine application.

“We also offer psychological and psychotherapy assessment through our EAP benefit while ensuring our enrollees can relax with our free access to Gym and Spa services nationwide. We routinely conduct company-wide health talks on effective stress management as a value-add.”