Everyone faces stress in daily life. It is a very normal part of our life. Optimum stress would be beneficial for us when we take it as motivation to improve ourselves and to accomplish our tasks more efficiently. However, too much stress may be harmful to us and it can even deteriorate our mental health. Monday is blue for most of you as it is a brand-new hectic working week and it was found that work-related stress is rising at an alarming rate around the world, including Malaysia.
“Most people find it hard to deal with the problems they face at work and cannot handle the stress, and it is harder when an individual faces problem from family members and do not receive emotional support.”
–Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye–
What is work-related stress?
Work-related stress is a reaction that experienced by employees when they feel pressured with the work demands and tasks that do not match their abilities. Excessive ‘stressors’ that exceed employees’ ability to cope in the working environment will lead to prolonged pressure and consequently, it leads to high work-related stress.
Why work-related stress happens?
High job content and demands is the main factor that causes work-related stress. When you experience heavy workloads and long working hours, you may feel exhausted and lack of motivation to accomplish your tasks within deadlines. Overstressed is a harmful when too much tasks are assigned and required to accomplished within tight deadlines. Work-life imbalance is the most common issue faced by most of the employees which causes them to be overwhelmed with workloads.
Little support from your supervisors and colleagues. When you work in a working environment that has poor communication and conflict among colleagues, you may feel depressed and stressed due to unsupportive relationships. A lack of friendly working environment decreases your motivation to work and it creates a stressful working environment.
Little control over the work demands and the processes. You may face job insecurity or lack of career development in your current job. Unclear role or conflicting roles may reduce decision-making opportunities in your workplace which causes you to have low confidence on your work performance. Additionally, you may feel stressed when you receive lower pay than you deserve that makes you anxious with your unstable monthly incomes.
Strict, inflexible, unpredictable and poor working hours may be one of the factors of work-related stress. Poor shift system may affect productivity and work performance because inconsistent working hours can impact your sleep quality, which makes you more vulnerable to stress. Besides, long working hours and tight deadlines may stimulate stressful working situations which reduce your attention and concentration during working.
