The Sisyphus Comments

Stress – Know When To Say When

Job stress can be 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. Increasingly, experts are drawing a direct correlation between job stress and poor health or even injury.

The concept of job stress is often confused with challenge, but these concepts are not the same. Challenge energizes us psychologically and physically, and it motivates us to learn new skills and master our jobs. When a challenge is met, we feel relaxed and satisfied. Thus, challenge is an important ingredient for healthy and productive work. The importance of challenge in our work lives is probably what people are referring to when they say “a little bit” of stress is actually good for you.

However, chronic stress is altogether different. This is the type of stress that seems never-ending and inescapable, like the stress of a bad marriage or an extremely taxing job (this type of stress can lead to burnout). Chronic stress occurs when the challenge has turned into job demands that cannot be met, relaxation has turned to exhaustion, and a sense of satisfaction has turned into feelings of stress. In short, the stage is set for illness, injury, and job failure.

Studies report that one-fourth of employees view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives and three-fourths of employees believe the worker has more on-the-job stress than a generation ago. Problems at work are more strongly associated with health complaints than are any other life stressor-more so than even financial problems or family problems.

When faced with chronic stress and an overactivated autonomic nervous system, people begin to see physical symptoms. The first symptoms are relatively mild, like chronic headaches and increased susceptibility to colds. With more exposure to chronic stress, however, more serious health problems may develop. These stress-influenced conditions include, but are not limited to:

• depression
• diabetes
• hair loss
• heart disease
• hyperthyroidism
• obesity
• obsessive-compulsive or anxiety disorder
• sexual dysfunction
• tooth and gum disease
• ulcers
• cancer (possibly)

In fact, it’s been estimated that as many as 90% of doctor’s visits are for symptoms that are at least partially stress-related! In the past 20 years, many studies have looked at the relationship between job stress and a variety of ailments. Mood and sleep disturbances, upset stomach and headache, and disturbed relationships with family and friends are examples of stress-related problems that are quick to develop and are commonly seen in these studies.

These early signs of job stress are usually easy to recognize but the effects of job stress on chronic diseases are more difficult to see because chronic diseases take a long time to develop and can be influenced by many factors other than stress. Nonetheless, evidence is rapidly accumulating to suggest that stress plays an important role in several types of chronic health problems-especially cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and psychological disorders.

Remember that you are in control of how you react to situations. If you are feeling overwhelmed, let your boss know that you need help. Don’t be afraid to admit that you need help to get the job done or that you are in over your head. In this age of “do more with less” it is easy to slip into a workload that you simply can’t handle. Employers seem to be increasingly willing to ride a good horse into the ground. Your health is simply not worth the pat on the back that you “may” receive for your Herculean efforts.