30 Possible Reasons Why Do I Get So Stressed About Work

Post Views: 55

(Last Updated On: September 19, 2021)

Have you ever thought, why do I get so stressed about work? Workplace stress used to be considered beneficial. Even life-saving. Our forefathers’ instinctive fight-or-flight reaction warned them if a stealthy saber-toothed tiger was poised to attack while they were hunting. They bolted.In this article we will be going to find out answer why do I get so stressed about work?

The adrenaline had worn off. They carried on with their lives, wishing for a nearby Trader Joe’s to open so they could stock up on munchies. Bad bosses and the loud talker in the next cubicle are the only creatures we have to deal with in our day jobs in 2016.

Nonetheless, pressure (not to mention every E-mail ping) can constantly activate the fight-or-flight response, leaving us in a state of perpetual tension.

We begin to produce more cortisol, a stress hormone that may affect everything from memory to sleep. We can’t control other people—we can only manage our emotions, as with everything else in life.

That’s especially important when it comes to job stress, since Harvard study shows that professional stress is just as hazardous for our health as secondhand smoke.

But you already knew that since some days it seems like your body is about to burst from the stress. Here are the telltale indications that you and stress don’t get along at work.

Why do I get so stressed about work

We can’t control other people—we can only manage our emotions, as with everything else in life. That’s especially important when it comes to job stress, since Harvard study shows that professional stress is just as hazardous for our health as secondhand smoke. But you already knew that since some days it seems like your body is about to burst from the stress.

These are the telltale indications why do I get so stressed about work:

1. Uncertainty of employment

This is the most crucial element that causes people to be stressed at work. Today’s economy is highly volatile, and competition is fierce.

Both of these considerations compel businesses to pursue cost-cutting strategies such as layoffs. Companies are driven to raise effort and expectations for the same reason.

As a result, employees experience unnecessary stress as a result of their worry of losing their jobs and having to fulfill high standards.

In such circumstances, the pressure to perform rises as well. The individual has the opportunity to demonstrate their skill and strength in this circumstance.

Employees that have been retained labor overtime. People have no choice but to do better than expectations when the economy is poor. Such high expectations from anybody might lead to job stress.

2. You don’t take lunch or coffee breaks very often. Even taking a toilet break is considered a luxury.

You require enough nutrition, sleep, exercise, and social interaction as a human being. It’s too bad you didn’t get the memo at work. You’re too stressed if you’re under so much pressure at work that even your most basic requirements have been neglected, according to Stevan E. Hobfoll, Ph.D., head of Behavioral Sciences at Rush University Medical Center.

Science, thankfully, has the answers: Working exercise in the middle of the day (take a midday power walk), listening to music (put in those ear buds), and just taking deep breaths (inhale!) have all been shown to help lower cortisol production.

3. The volume of work

A heavy workload is the most evident source of job stress.

a) Overburdening

The current industry tendency is to maintain a small number of personnel and make effective use of them.

Organizations want to know two things as a result of the preceding logic:

What is the extent to which employees are working smarter?
Whether or if staff are continuing to do what they have always done despite the increased burden.

An employee may be required to work longer hours than normal due to increased job demand.

Their bosses expect them to finish a huge quantity of work quickly or before the deadline.

In this type of deadline-driven workplace, any employee will become anxious. High expectations and a heavy workload are two more factors that contribute to job stress.

Unfortunately, as more organizations strive to save money by lowering the number of people working on greater workloads, high workloads are becoming more prevalent, putting more and more strain on fewer personnel.

The job requirements may not always be compatible with the employee’s skill set. Nonetheless, an employee is given a task and must use every ounce of his strength to do it to the satisfaction of his superiors.

He may need to work longer hours if necessary to accomplish the assignment. Because the task’s deadlines are likewise unreasonable.

b) When you’re under loaded

Employees that are under load are required to complete less work in a shorter amount of time. In such circumstances, employees start questioning their competence and feel overwhelmed.

4. A scarcity of resources and training

If a person is not trained and available for the project, it is extremely difficult to meet the demand.

If an employee has been trained and is available for the project, he will be able to do the work and fulfill the quality and deadline expectations.

However, if a person is assigned to a task for which his skill set does not fit the job requirements, he will be fired. Then the demands, ranging from deadlines to task quality, will lead him to become stressed and apprehensive.

At any one time, the stress level will be quite high. Aside from that, the possibility of losing a job looms big if a person fails to meet expectations.

5. Inability to exercise control over work activities

Employees who are given responsibility but not authority in their employment experience workplace stress.

They also lose interest in their professions since they have no control or decision-making authority.

6. Leadership Style

Employees’ stress levels are influenced by supervisors’ controlling styles. Managers that use an authoritarian management style give their workers very limited decision-making and planning independence.

Employees working under such bosses are anxious because they have little control over their job and are subjected to a lot of limitations.

7. Organizational transformation

Employees are affected in numerous ways as a result of the organizational shift. Everyone is not enthused by the shift and does not feel at ease with it. Some employees are excited about the move, while others are concerned.

If not managed and communicated properly, changes in the organizational structure, policy, process, or procedures, team, one’s job, cultural, or work environment changes may cause worry and stress for employees.

8. Workplace Challenges

Employees like difficult work in their jobs — not overworked, nor underworked, but just the perfect amount of both.

Consider a job where there is no challenge. Will you love your job or will you become bored with the same tasks?

As a result, work stress should not be mistaken for a challenge. You are motivated to acquire and master new abilities when you are faced with a challenge. A challenge is the most crucial component of productive labor.

Stress will be reduced if there are fewer problems. If there are more obstacles, there will be greater stress.

For example, if a better educated and qualified person is assigned to a lesser position. He will become bored or stressed if he feels like he is going through the motions.

9. You have a case of tech ADD

You’re hurriedly attempting to cram a morning’s worth of work into minutes while messaging coworkers, responding to emails, organizing your schedule, and getting started on that major project.

According to Heidi Hanna, Ph.D., executive director of the American Institute of Stress and author of Stressaholic, “stress may shift you into restless motion, without concentrated concentration toward job completion.”

Multitasking, on the other hand, is frequently inefficient. When you try to perform two things at once, your attention to the first activity declines by 37%, according to a research published in the journal Brain Research.

10. Working Hours

Employees may have a variety of physiological issues as a result of working long and irregular hours, which can contribute to stress at work.

11. You’re suffering from a severe case of brain farts

What was the name of that Finance guy again? What happened to the report you had in your hands? In any case, what day is it? When your brain is overworked, it’s difficult to think clearly. Cortisol has been shown in studies to affect memory and potentially induce premature brain aging.

12. The use of technology

Every day, new technologies emerge. Employees are under a lot of pressure to keep up with the latest advancements.

13. Disagreement with the boss or coworkers

At work, there may be conflict or difficulty getting along with coworkers and colleagues. A typical source of stress in the job is one’s employer.

You’re putting forth too much effort to be exceptional.

“Great is frequently the adversary of the good,” Hobfoll adds. We all want to excel at work, but having the desire to ace everything adds to the pressure.

Instead, according to Hobfoll, focus on mastering one or two specific tasks at a time. There’s no need to hurry to world dominance.

14. Work-Life Integration

The employee should have total faith in his or her boss. The more the mutual trust between the employer and employees, the lower the stress level in the workplace and the better the performance.

You should keep in mind that striking a balance between work and personal life is critical; otherwise, job pressure and the associated stress might damage one’s personal life as well.

15. Unpredictable Interruptions

This is one of the most common occupational afflictions. During working hours, it creates tension, interruptions, and needless straining.

According to a research, disruptions cost businesses an average of 28% of their output. What impact does it have on us?

It equates to an additional 2.25 hours of labor in an eight-hour workday!

As a result, in order to fulfill deadlines, an employee must either remain late or start early. If it happens often during the day, it will raise stress levels and cause irritation.

Telephonic calls, walk-in visits, regular internet usage, email notifications, and supervisory requests are just a few examples.

16. You have a strong desire for adventure

Whenever women are anxious, they tend to do what psychologists call “tend and befriending,” which means they spend time with people and look after them. Men crave fight and flight, therefore they seek aggressive and risky outlets.

Killing coworkers won’t help you advance in your job, and bungee-jumping over a crocodile pit (an genuine extreme sport) won’t help you live longer. Experts, on the other hand, are in favor of Thursday night basketball with the men.

17. There is no feedback, whether it is positive or negative.

If the employee does not receive regular feedback on their performance. They are concerned about their performance. They want to know how they’re doing, if they’re meeting or exceeding expectations.

Employees should receive regular and positive feedback. People who receive feedback sense more progress in their job and are closer to attaining their objectives.

18. Personal Issues

Employees who are already overworked experience stress as a result of family or personal difficulties. This is also one of the most prevalent sources of job stress.

Due to these factors, an employee will be unable to concentrate and focus on the job at hand. As a result, the increasing job pressure adds to the stress element.

19. Your favorite afternoon snack is ibuprofen

According to Kathleen Hall, Ph.D., founder and CEO of The Mindful Living Network and The Stress Institute in Atlanta, Georgia, when you worry a lot, muscles on the scalp and back of your head tense up, which can cause stress-related headaches. Stress might also cause you to tighten your neck, shoulders, and back muscles, resulting in pain. It’s too bad you can’t afford a massage.

20. Harassment or Bullying

Physical harassment at work is another source of stress for workers.

At work, female employees are more likely to be subjected to physical and sexual harassment. This issue has become a regular source of stress.

Concerning about things that haven’t happened yet (number 21)

Many employees fantasize about occurrences that have yet to occur. They become anxious as a result of this attitude since they are anticipating something that may or may not occur.

22. You’re lying in bed, looking up at the sky.

If you can’t fall asleep at night because you’re too wired, it’s possible that job stress is to a fault (provided you don’t have a coffee issue).

“When stress hormones have been elevated all day, they don’t go away just because you’re ready to sleep,” Hanna explains. Your hormones will relax if you take pauses during the day.

Also, avoid checking email right before night since the blue light from your computer screen or smartphone might interfere with the synthesis of melatonin, the hormone that causes you to sleep.

What Hanna recommends is setting an alarm for an hour before bedtime. That means it’s time to take a break from technology and relax.

23. There Is No Appreciation

The lack of a reward or acknowledgment for recognizing an employee’s contribution causes stress, which jeopardizes future efforts.

24. A lot of things going on at the same time

Regardless of whether or not you are an excellent multi-tasker. Working on too many projects at once may be difficult.

25. You’re constantly irritated

Are you the type of employee that curses at the printer the most? It may be a sign that you’re carrying work worry home with you at the end of the day if minor things get under your skin at work and you’re having more spats with your partner than normal, according to Hall.

19. Poor Communication and Response Mechanisms

You get dissatisfied and stressed as a result of poor communication and a slow flow of information inside the company.

If you don’t feel free to express your demands, problems, or frustrations. It contributes to occupational stress.

27. Inadequate Support

Workplace stress is caused by a lack of adequate support from your employer or coworkers.

28. Your stomach is a jumbled mess.

Do you get stomach problems on a regular basis? According to Hall, your body’s stress reaction might be to blame: “You can have less nutritional absorption in your stomach, as well as less oxygenation and blood flow.” Irritable bowel syndrome and other chronic problems might result from this.”

29. Poor Working Relationships

Employees in a team do not get along with one another. A number of things have contributed to this. Ego, personality clashes, and so forth.

To minimize conflict and maintain justice, a firm should encourage healthy work habits. Unacceptable behavior should be reported via a mechanism.

30. You are not a catalyst for change.

You’re an orthodox: rigid, unyielding, and unable to adapt to change.

Take away

It’s not difficult to pinpoint the sources of job stress. It does need some work.

Understanding the sources of workplace stress allows you to spot them before they become a problem?

The workplace, as you can see, is a major cause of stress. It is up to us to recognize our pressures and develop good coping mechanisms to alleviate them to find answer why do I get so stressed about work.