What is work-related stress?

Stress is a feeling of being under too much mental pressure and can occur in all aspects of our lives. In the workplace, stress is not always a bad thing, it can be a useful motivation but when it becomes excessive making you feel unable to cope it can have an adverse effect on work performance and health. It's estimated that over 50% of occupational illnesses are stress-related.

Symptoms

We react and respond to stress in different ways. It's useful to know the signs and symptoms of workplace stress so you can get help, these include:

Causes of work-related stress

Stress at work can be caused by lots of things, the most common include:

Behavioural changes

If you are affected by workplace stress you could experience one or multiple changes in behaviour, such as:

Treatment

There's no specific treatment for work-related stress, but if you're finding it hard to cope, your GP is usually the first port of call. There are treatments available that could help you manage better.

Talking therapies

Chating with a trained professional can help you learn to deal with stress. Common types of talking treatments are Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR).

Medication

There's no specific medication for work-related stress but there are various medications available which your GP may prescribe to help to reduce or manage some of the signs of stress.

Ecotherapy

Ecotherapy is a way of improving wellbeing & self-esteem by spending time in the natural environment and commonly involves exercise, gardening and conservation.

Complementary & alternative therapies

You might find some complementary therapies that help you manage the feelings of stress, such as acupuncture, massage, aromatherapy, yoga and meditation.

Self-help

Nobody knows how you are feeling as well as you, looking after your wellbeing is the priority. Recognise what’s making you feel stressed at work and what helps you work better:

Support from your employer

It can be hard to admit to being stressed about your work but this can happen to anyone. In the first instance, chat with a trusted colleague if you can, but you must talk directly to a manager because your employer owes you a duty of care. Mindful employers are aware of stress-related problems and should have policies in place to help deal with them.