Dread getting out of bed in the morning to get ready for work? White knuckle the steering wheel on your drive in? Consume too much caffeine or sugary snacks to get through meetings or the afternoon? You just might be experiencing significant workplace stress.
Today, I have a guest post featured on HealthierLivingIdeas.com. Below is a snippet, but please click on over to read the whole post on what causes significant workplace stress.
Stress shows up as tense muscles, especially in the neck and shoulders. It causes headaches and clenched jaws. You may experience heartburn and digestive issues. Stress can cause chest pains, a rapid heart rate or palpitations.
Sleep is often lost, energy levels are erratic, and sex drives are diminished from stress. Depression, anxiety, irritability, and anger are not uncommon symptoms. Food is both a treat and a vice often resulting in weight gain.
Stress and our inability to adequately cope with it often leads to a whole host of chronic health issues.
Stress Is All Too Common
Information resourced from the Statistic Brain Research Institute, and the American Institute of Stress show the following stress statistics.
Top Causes of Stress in the U.S.
- Job Pressures – Work overload, bosses, tension among co-workers
- Money – Loss of job, reduced retirement income, medical expenses
- Health – Health crisis, terminal or chronic illness
- Relationships – Divorce, death of a spouse or immediate family member, arguments with family or friends, loneliness
- Poor Nutrition – Improper nutrition, caffeine, processed foods, refined sugar
- Media Overload – television, radio, the internet, email, social media, marketing
- Sleep Deprivation – Inability to release adrenaline and other stress hormones
U.S. Stress Statistics
- Nearly 80% of people experience some form of physical symptoms and 73% experiencing psychological symptoms as a result of stress
- 76% cite money and work as the leading causes of stress
- Almost half (48%) report lying awake at night due to stress
Stress Impact Statistics
- 48% say stress has negatively affected their personal and professional life
- One-third claim their jobs interfere with their family or personal time causing a significant source of stress
- More than half claim stress causes them to fight with people close to them
- 30% say they are “always” or “often suffering from workplace stress, and 31% of employed adults claim they have difficulty managing their work and family responsibilities
Not surprisingly, job pressures and money top the list of causes of stress. Which results in… please click to continue reading and then return here to share your thoughts and comments below.
Suggested Reading:
Spending Your Health On Wealth? Gain Control And Let Stress Go
Feeling Significant Workplace Stress? Try these Relief Tips!
Excellent topic to cover, and covered-well, Amy! If only we could better manage work place stress, we wouldn’t be in such a rush to retire early and skip out on valuable years in the process.
Thanks, Cubert! Yes, I think you summed that up well. Fortunately, I think the closer one gets to financial independence the less workplace stress seems to affect us. 🙂
I certainly have work related stress. But it should be ending in a few months, as my retention period will be over, and then I’ll have to find a new job. But for now, it’s miserable working a job that I know is being eliminated, and not agreeing with the future direction of the company. I’m still struggling with the added stress, but having a great support structure really helps. And knowing that it is almost over.
Thanks for the post.
Hang in there, Chris! I’ve seen you have a loving and supportive wife and great kids, that’s the best support system. Thanks for reading. Wishing you all the best in these next few months and with the new job search.
Stress is deadly. As you wrote, it causes so many different health issues. I try to control it as much as possible. Part of the solution that I found is to know my limitations. I seem to balance it well by only working 40 hours per week, eating healthy most of the time, and 30 min or more of daily exercise.
I’m glad you’ve found some ways to help control any negative effects of stress, Dave. I’d just add make sure you get plenty of sleep. Thanks for sharing!
These are great tips to get rid of unnecessary stress at the workplace. A stress management programme may also help.
Thanks for reading and commenting Stephanie!