Stress at work - how to reduce stress, causes and ways to deal with it

Breathing
. Breathe deeply: inhale for 2 counts and exhale for 4 counts, and so on up to 10 times. Very relaxing and brings the psyche into balance.

Trainings – working with stress

There is bodily hygiene, but mental hygiene is an equally important component of today’s life, so if it is not entirely clear how to relieve stress after work on your own, you can sign up for a training in your city. Such training on working with stress and emotional tension can be completed at social psychological centers for free. There are many webinars on this topic on the Internet; it is important to set the goal of overcoming stress.

Working with stress in psychotherapy

Psychology as a science has many methods for solving problems, if we take stress, then body-oriented therapy helps to take a holistic approach to eliminating stress. The human body, or rather its muscles, is a storehouse of stuck, unprocessed emotions; by working through the body through movements, massage, and vocal practices, tension is released.

Body-oriented ways to relieve stress at work:

inhale for two counts and exhale for 4, pronouncing or singing the vowels: a, i, o, u - several times, while paying attention to what sounds the chest expands or contracts, the stomach should be relaxed;
relaxation of the lower jaw, to do this, freely lower the lower jaw down, relaxing it as much as possible, stay in this state, feeling how the whole face relaxes and tension goes away.

Stress among industrial workers

Occupational stress, like other types of stress, has its own symptoms and can manifest itself in different conditions. In order to determine whether it is really professional stress, you need to know the specifics of its symptoms.

Signs of stress at work:

Physical signs of stress in the workplace: migraines, toothaches, heart pain, shortness of breath. Characteristic symptoms may also include increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, pain in muscle joints, digestive system disorders, increased sweating, irritability and fatigue.
Psychosocial signs of stress in the workplace: anxiety, bad mood with swings and manifestations of anger, apathy, depression, anxiety, feelings of helplessness and loneliness.
Behavioral signs of stress at work: poor appetite or excessive eating, anger, inattention, alcohol and drug abuse, smoking, self-isolation and refusal to communicate with others, irresponsibility, poor family relationships.

The symptoms of stress also have their phases. The first phase is characterized by a slight slight nervous overstrain, which gradually turns into the stage of irritability. Constant stress can go into a phase that can lead to a nervous breakdown, and sometimes to the development of a disease such as schizophrenia or mental insanity.

In industrial production, the phenomenon of frustration often occurs. This is a specific psycho-emotional state of a person that occurs when it is impossible to overcome obstacles and achieve a certain goal.

Basically, people working at an industrial enterprise are physically tired and often cannot meet the standards set by management. Therefore, it is necessary to clearly compare requirements and human capabilities. This will help cope with the current situation and prevent the development of emotional stress and frustration in the industrial workplace.

How to deal with stress at work, what approaches and techniques exist for analyzing stressful situations, how to learn to overcome the strong emotionally unstable factor of irritability and get rid of it? In the process of developing stress and its consequences at work, you should not ignore this situation.

In the modern world, you should adhere to priority guidelines in your professional activities. Recommendations for relieving stress at work by improving your routine:

Correct schedule. It is necessary to review your work schedule, analyze your daily routine, responsibilities and daily plans, taking into account the specifics and characteristics of work. You should teach yourself to perceive work not as a game of survival, but as a pleasant pastime, a hobby or a source of inspiration. It is important to find a balance between work and family, time for relaxation and responsibility for a certain type of work, which must be done exclusively during working hours.
Down with overload. The causes of many stresses at work are constant psychological discomfort and overload. It is necessary to divide the amount of work into groups and perform everything planned one by one without overloading yourself. It is important not to put off what can be done here and now until later, as fatigue will accumulate later, resulting in psychosomatic diseases.
Effectiveness of work breaks. You should take short breaks throughout the working day. During your lunch break, you should try to leave work, which will allow you to relax a little and continue your activities more productively.

This will lead to stabilization of the emotional background, and when communicating, it will help you remain calm, balanced, and get rid of prejudices about your work.

Taking a break from work will help you relax

Stressors are factors that contribute to an increase in emotional stress of the psyche and a decrease in performance. Let's list the main ones.

Team

The work collective is a second family. But it contains ill-wishers, envious people, rude leaders, and unscrupulous subordinates. The need to communicate with the listed categories of people heats up the work environment to the limit. Unfortunately, clients and partners also “add fuel to the fire.” The field of activity with “person-to-person” relationships is the most stressful.

If you work “under pressure” and do not approach your work with your soul, the work is done mechanically, without enthusiasm and dedication. Such a situation makes a person think about changing his field of activity, but various circumstances can keep him in the service. Having to go to a hated office every day causes a lot of negative emotions.

Lack of time

We often hear the phrase: “I don’t get anything done.” It is pronounced by those who do not know how to effectively organize their workday or by people who have taken on too many responsibilities. As a result, work efficiency and personal life suffer.

Hyper-responsibility

Most managers struggle with this feeling. High responsibility puts pressure on the psyche of people who are responsible for the lives of others or those whose work involves financial risks.

The main purpose of labor is to satisfy material needs. Unfortunately, there are important but low-paid professions, such as an emergency medical technician or a kindergarten teacher. Earnings equal to the utility bills for an apartment lowers self-esteem and causes job dissatisfaction. This is especially true for the male half of humanity.

Working conditions

To work effectively, you need to have a comfortable workplace. Insufficient lighting, the location of the monitor opposite the front door, the lack of windows and fresh air flow into the room, unpleasant odors and noise negatively affect the emotional state of the employee. Frequent business trips and the need to spend several hours a day on the road to the office or enterprise lead to stress.

Reach the point

If you feel tired and irritated, and the amount of negative emotions accumulates with a vengeance, doctors recommend relieving stress right at your workplace - it will take you very little time.

The best remedy is to give yourself a little rest and refreshment. For example, you can chew nuts. They are rich in nutrients involved in the production of serotonin, vitamins B and E, and antioxidants that will help you overcome stress.

A massage of the earlobes, where a huge number of acupuncture points are concentrated, effectively relieves tension. The Chinese knew thousands of years ago that the ear is one of the most important acupuncture systems in our body. Massage both ears at the same time with well-warmed hands; the ear massage should last at least a minute, and it is recommended to press on each point for about 5 seconds.

A cup of tea can also help relieve stress quickly. Black tea contains substances that help the body effectively cope with stressful situations.

Basic work organization can significantly reduce stress. Take the time to clean up your workplace at the end of the working day. The table can be cleared of excess papers, tools, utensils, and garbage. Planning will also help to anticipate the emergence of moral stress during the working day - it is best to think through your next day the day before, note important things and sort out what can wait.

In addition, it is very important not to skip lunch and breaks. It is not recommended to have lunch at your workplace; it is best to go somewhere, change the environment - otherwise the rest will not be complete.

Exercise is one of the best ways to cope with stress. Do not neglect sports, walks in the fresh air and basic warm-up. If work is not going well, everything is falling out of hand and it seems that you are about to lose control, find a secluded place in the office and do the most ordinary exercises. Basic physical exercises - swinging your arms, legs, a few squats - will help you distract yourself, stretch your body and get ready for work.

Why is stress the plague of the 21st century?

According to sociological surveys, a significant part of the world's population employed in one service or another suffers from constant psycho-emotional stress associated with professional activity. Stress is becoming an epidemic and, according to scientific research, is one of the most important social problems of modern humanity.

becomes the reason for every second absence of an employee from the workplace;
is the main factor leading to the dismissal of an employee at his own request;
reduces physical and mental health to such an extent that the employee seeks medical attention.

stress causes psychosomatic disorders in the body, as a result of which a person constantly feels unwell, becomes unproductive and can no longer live normally without medication

Stress and its causes

Team

A person who is regularly under the influence of professional stress is characterized by irritability and anger. This has a bad effect on the quality of work and overall performance, and therefore it is better not to fight stress, but to prevent its occurrence. In addition, a sign of professional stress is low productivity and problems communicating with superiors and colleagues.

Why do people experience stress in their workplace? The causes of professional stress at work can be very different:

Fear of having to quit, since job loss is often associated with stress.
Increased work commitments on the part of management without adding salary.
The need to regularly maintain the established operating level.
Uncomfortable atmosphere in the team, the presence of gossip and conflicts.

Decreased performance due to constant stress at work can also negatively affect your personal life, so it is necessary to take timely measures to prevent the occurrence of a stressful situation. First of all, emphasis should be placed on the state of emotional and physical health. People who are in good health can deal with and resist stress on their own.

A low salary with large volumes of work is a source of constant stress.
Stress is usually called a state of mental tension that appears in a person due to long-term difficulties in a certain area.

In the modern world, it is impossible not to encounter this phenomenon, at least in “small doses”: traffic jams, torn tights, lack of sleep and other phenomena.

Conflict at work and in the family. Most people are trying to cope with stress caused by work problems and misunderstandings with loved ones.
Too much or too little workload. A person is entrusted with many tasks, and due to the inability to complete them on time, he experiences anxiety. Insufficient workload leads to idleness, boredom, and depression.
Uncertainty. The lack of a complete idea of what to expect next leads to a stressful state.
Uninteresting field of activity. People who do jobs they don't like often think about how to cope with stress. They are more susceptible to illness, bad mood, and apathy.

Sometimes negative emotions arise spontaneously, they are difficult to predict, sudden events are not uncommon (the death of a loved one, an unexpected illness, a phone breakdown, etc.).

Stress is also provoked by situations caused by the need to make a serious decision (moving, divorce, dismissal).

How to quickly relieve stress at work - communicate

No matter how you look at it, you spend about a third of the day with the people you work with. That's really quite a lot. It is worth working to ensure that these relationships develop, at least positively. Don't try to please everyone around you. It is enough that there will be several people around with whom you will have friendly and warm relations. Conflicts at work are inevitable, but they must be resolved personally with the person affected by the problem. If someone's behavior in a group is bothering you, suggest introducing rules that will help you cooperate better. And above all, smile.

How to get rid of stress. Stress management techniques (video)

Types of occupational stress

Stress that develops during work depends on the profession and can have different types. Modern psychology distinguishes the following types of professional stress:

traumatic form;
accumulated stress or chronic form.

Traumatic stress occurs in people in extreme professions where there is a risk factor: rescuer, firefighter.

Psychologists and sociologists distinguish 3 types of work stress.

Informational

Associated with increased mental workload. Occurs when the brain is unable to process a large amount of information. Its reasons are high workload, conflicting information that has to be processed during project implementation, and the receipt of unstructured data.

Communicative

Arises from the need to contact unpleasant people. For example, going to planning meetings every day with an unbalanced boss, managing the activities of unscrupulous and slow performers, finding a common language with “difficult” partners.

Emotional

Caused by dissatisfaction with the result of work or working conditions, unresolved conflict situations and the inability to separate personal relationships in the team from workers.

Whose activity is the most nervous?

Risk factors vary depending on the profession. According to research by scientists, the activity of a librarian is recognized as the quietest and most peaceful. Surgeons, miners, aviation pilots and journalists experience constant and severe stress at work. In between these categories are politicians, actors and teachers. Creative people and freelancers are also under constant pressure to deal with work issues on their own time.

According to statistics from modern psychology, about seventy percent of legal professionals believe that they are most often exposed to stressful situations. Legal work is working with people who have their own individual characteristics and different characters.

In the work of a lawyer, it is very important to be restrained and attentive, because the fate of a person often depends on his internal state. Therefore, it is necessary to learn to control yourself and your psycho-emotional state.

Relieve stress at work - avoid things that irritate you

Easier said, worse done. Of course, we cannot get rid of a boss at work, the sight of whom instantly puts us in a pre-infarction state. But there are things we can influence. Don't be intimidated by the fact that you are always late and arrive at work at the last minute, because this can be easily changed. It is enough that you leave earlier. And if traffic jams are driving you crazy, in which you spend too much time a day, then maybe you should change your route to work, or at least your mode of transport. Subway, tram, or even better, a bicycle instead of a car. It will, of course, be healthier and cheaper.

try to avoid the main causes of stress at work

Stress in HR

In management management, it is possible for management personnel to experience stress, since the category of managers belongs to a special group of people who are often exposed to stress. Managers have to endure a lot, which negatively affects their health. Managing people is a difficult moral work, since it is necessary to often point out mistakes to a subordinate in a business style, without emotion, but with a cool mind.

To relieve such stress, you need to clearly define the mechanisms of working in a team and learn to control your emotions. To overcome this problem, there are also modern methods, such as psychodiagnostics or psychocorrection. In the management field, such methods are recommended to be used during training for employees, which will help the manager to be morally stable and correct in relation to his subordinates.

Personnel management is mentally difficult work

The teaching profession belongs to the group of professions that are exposed to frequent stressful situations. Teachers need to know the basics of psychology, the psychological characteristics of schoolchildren in order to be able to manage their psyche and keep emotions under control when conflicts arise between children or colleagues at school.

Psychotechnical games have their own approaches to solving the problem of stress and help the teacher:

get rid of tension;
find inner harmony and freedom;
expand your professional self-awareness.

It is very important for teachers to maintain their mental health, to be calm and balanced in communication with both children and their parents, and with other teachers, and to find a source of inspiration and relaxation. Therefore, you need to be able to relieve stress and distract yourself from work, relax.

Stress at work and its consequences

Any extreme influences, for example, extracurricular work, additional obligations, strict time frames for completing a project are factors that trigger professional stress, which negatively affects the employee’s psyche. Causes of stress at work:

the journey to work takes considerable time and effort;
difficult working conditions;
unhealthy psychological atmosphere in the team;
the nature of the work is monotonous;
excessive workloads given the current shortage of specialists;
lack of career growth and development prospects;
low resistance to stress as an individual characteristic of a person;
threat of layoff or dismissal;
excessive responsibility;
inability to delegate authority and share responsibility.

Stress at work - consequences:

performance decreases noticeably;
professional burnout syndrome occurs;
desire to relax with the help of alcohol and other psychoactive substances;
deterioration of stopping in the team;
formation of neuroses, depression.

In order to effectively cope with psycho-emotional stress, you need to understand what kind of stress there is at work:

informational – occurs as a result of information overload, when working in emergency mode;
communication stress more often occurs in workers whose professions involve direct communication with people; often such stress is the result of the inability to cope with manipulative influence;
emotional stress is a conflict between what one has to do at work and a person’s deep psychological values and attitudes.

How to cope with stress at work:

distribute the workload according to the importance of tasks;
learn techniques to counter manipulation and aggression;
stop taking work home;
increase resistance to stress through sports, hardening;
in case of a conflict of values, analyze what is important and valuable this work activity brings.

It’s easy for someone to change jobs every 2–3 years, but for most people who have worked in one place for a long time, it’s a huge stress, even if it’s a simple transfer to another branch or city, there’s always a lot of doubts and fears: how will they be received in the new team, “ Can I handle it?”, “Is it worth it?” Stress at a new job still arises due to a change in the usual, because for a long time it drags you back, the previous team and place of work have become family. If stress arises at a new job, psychologists advise the following to reduce it:

nothing lasts forever, so a new job is a new stage in the development and revelation of greater professional potential in a person;
treat changing jobs as some kind of exciting adventure;
improve your qualifications if the job involves higher functional responsibilities.

Pregnancy is both a pleasant event in a woman’s life, but at the same time an alarming and exciting one. Pregnancy itself is a strong stress for the body, because the whole body is undergoing restructuring. How to deal with stress at work while pregnant - advice from doctors and psychologists:

avoiding stressful situations (not participating in conflicts between colleagues);
if an unpleasant situation is inevitable, you need to change your attitude towards it, find the positives, instead of focusing on the unpleasant;
increasing stress resistance: walks in the fresh air, light warm-up in between work, timely balanced nutrition and rest;
taking care of yourself and your body - listening to your body’s signals and meeting its needs in a timely manner;
understanding that pregnancy is the most important thing at the moment.

Stress associated with work, or rather with its loss, is considered a great emotional shock for a person, bordering on divorce or the death of a close relative on the Holmes Ray stress scale. What to do if you lose your job, recommendations from experts:

It’s urgent to change your thinking and look at the situation from the positive side - if you didn’t like the job, it’s time to find yourself in what you love.
Losing a job is not the time to withdraw into yourself and suffer; it is important to start making new contacts, turn to friends for help and turn this period of life into no less fruitful than your previous job.
Learning a new profession and improving your qualifications will give you confidence in your abilities and increase self-esteem.

As we already mentioned, occupational stress is called the plague of the 21st century or the “silent killer”, and all because it:

leads to decreased concentration;
reduces immunity;
provokes insomnia;
worsens the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
leads to migraines, heart disease;
causes early skin aging;
causes overeating and obesity.

A person exposed to stress at work becomes depressed, apathetic, and irritable. He transfers professional problems into the family, loses interest in life and ruins relationships with family and friends.

in order to reduce the likelihood of the destructive consequences of stress, you need to pull yourself together in time - change your lifestyle and thinking, because a lot depends on our perception of what is happening and the fullness and brightness of our lifestyle

Walk instead of smoke

Research shows that physical activity has a positive effect on our well-being. So even if your company's smoking area is a social spot where you can catch up on the latest gossip, avoid it. Instead of smoking another cigarette, take a few minutes of walk outside or try relaxation exercises. You can try inviting one of your colleagues to participate in such activities. If you feel overwhelmed by a huge amount of work, it is good to “breathe through your nose.” A few deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth will allow you to fill your body with clean air and reduce stress levels. After work, it's time to think about yoga or martial arts, it all depends on taste and personality. We should also talk about the benefits of running for the health of your body; we can advise you on how to start running.

How to overcome stress and calm down, life hacker video

How to learn to cope with stress on your own

Want to quickly cope with stress?

What you can do to distract yourself:

A funny video. Laughter is a wonderful way to relieve stress and lift your mood. A video with funny situations (funny cats, oddities) can quickly set the mood for a positive wave.
Deep breathing. When stressed, the body produces adrenaline, which increases panic. Reduce your adrenaline level and slow your breathing. Take deep breaths and exhales - in a minute you will feel better.
Take up coloring. Coloring books are not only children's entertainment. Anti-stress coloring books for adults are gaining popularity, helping to calm down, get distracted, “reboot” and return to business with new thoughts.
Call a loved one. A conversation with someone who loves and supports you gives you confidence, calms you down, and puts you in a positive mood.
Light exercise and stretching. Even a little physical activity allows the body to produce endorphins, which help relieve stress. Without leaving your workplace, you can do basic stretching, while vividly imagining how your muscles are stretching. Do this regularly.

What do psychologists say about this? Let's find out how to cope with constant stress at work.

Admit the problem

This simple advice will help you understand how mentally exhausted you are. Many people are designed in such a way that they prefer not to notice problems with the nervous system and health. Psychologists recommend writing down what causes you negative emotions at work and acting based on the reason.

Take breaks

A short break helps you relax and recuperate. Several times a day, arrange five-minute sessions during which you will switch to something unrelated to your current activity. Do eye exercises, enjoy a cup of herbal tea, and tidy up your desk.

Listen to music

Did you know that classical music has the healing properties of reducing stress? It also normalizes blood pressure and reduces the level of the stress hormone cortisol. As soon as you feel like you’re about to boil, turn on the melody of Beethoven and Chopin and lose yourself in the music for a couple of minutes.

Don't try to control everything. Surely there are those among your subordinates who would be happy to take on a little more responsibility. Feel free to give out assignments if your position requires it, or ask colleagues for help. Learn to trust people.

Show up at your workplace 15-20 minutes before the start of the work day. During this time, you can drink a cup of coffee, ventilate the room and get ready for activity. This groundwork will allow you to collect your thoughts and smoothly enter the work day. You may have to reconsider your routine and wake up a little earlier. By coming to work on time or being a little late, you create an additional stressful situation.

There are no exclusively urgent and important matters. Complete important and urgent tasks first, important but less urgent ones second. Afterwards you can get down to routine and routine. Leave the remaining time for minor tasks, and if you don’t have enough, assign them to colleagues or put them in a “distant drawer”. Someday you will return to them.

If you feel like you don't get anything done or are constantly late at work, think about whether you are organizing your workday correctly. Read popular literature on time management. In these books, psychologists and successful managers share tips on how to organize the space around you and allocate time to work effectively.

The Japanese workplace organization system has proven its effectiveness. It is believed that at work we spend about 10% of our time finding the necessary item. As a result, we do not have time to complete some task or get nervous, creating even more chaos around us. The method includes 5 steps:

sorting and deleting - get rid of souvenirs on the table, old documents, sort folders on your computer according to an understandable system, delete unnecessary files;
maintaining order - label the papers, leave one stationery item on the table;
maintaining cleanliness - keep your work area tidy, regularly wipe away dust, remove food crumbs;
standardization of processes - maintain order by constantly monitoring the implementation of the previous three steps;
improvement - think about how you can improve the space to make it more comfortable for you to work.

Only a fully-rested employee works effectively. If you have already discovered a problem with sleep due to constant psycho-emotional stress at work, consult a doctor or think about how to change your daily routine so that you can sleep at least 6 hours a day. Do not use gadgets in bed, do not watch TV, take a relaxing bath or shower before bed, and drink herbal tea. Go to bed at the same time every night.

Do not skip meals, regardless of whether you are busy with physical or mental labor. The nervous system needs food in order to recover and receive enough minerals and vitamins to keep it functioning in a healthy state. Your lunch should be complete and your snack should be light and nutritious.

The most effective method to get rid of constant stress at work is to leave it within the walls of the office or enterprise. Don't drag problems into your family. At the end of the day, you are a family man, a friend, a parent or an athlete. No job is worth neglecting family and friends, these are the most important things life gives us. If you don't have enough time for your family or hobbies, you won't be happy even if you follow all the above tips.

Think about why your professional activity no longer brings you satisfaction. Perhaps you have no reason to stay in this place and should look for something new. Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone if your current position is stressing you out. What if it's time to ask for a raise (especially if you deserve it) or send out your resume to other employers?

Don't fight stress, but organize your workday correctly and set priorities. Professional activity, no matter how important it is, should not replace family and relaxation with friends. We hope that thanks to our article, you understood how to reduce the level of emotional stress associated with the professional sphere.

Coping with stress in the workplace.

Stress is an integral part of people's lives in any country. It affects one's internal sense of comfort, one's relationships with family, friends, colleagues and strangers, and one's ability to carry out one's responsibilities at home, at work and in the community. If stress is excessive, it causes physical and psychological symptoms, and if it lasts for a long time, it can lead to disability and various diseases. Stress changes people's attitudes to the surrounding reality and their behavior, affecting the life of the entire organization.

An effective workplace stress management program contains a number of interrelated elements that operate simultaneously. Some are called stress management programs, others are part of the overall management of an organization but are designed to control stress. Some elements are aimed at individual workers and groups; others are directed generally at factors that cause stress in the workplace and impede the functioning of the organization as a whole. These stress factors inevitably affect the activities of individual workers or the entire team. Below are the elements of a stress management program. 1. Managing symptoms of stress. Cases are considered where people are already suffering from stress. This “medical model” attempts to identify people with symptoms caused by stress and persuade them to voluntarily seek help from a workplace or professional who can assess their problems, diagnose the causes and offer appropriate treatment. This could be done by an employee health service, an employee assistance program, or a counseling service. A wide range of services includes individual conversations and examinations, hotlines for extreme situations, multidisciplinary centers with a staff of qualified specialists in various fields. The professionals at these centers may work full-time, part-time or on contract. Specialists may be invited to the enterprise to work with individual cases. Some units look at all problems, while others focus on specific stress-related syndromes such as high blood pressure, back pain, alcoholism, drug addiction, or family problems. The inclusion of these elements in stress management programs is based on the following principles:

awareness that many recurring or persistent somatic complaints (muscle pain, back pain, headaches, gastrointestinal disorders, and others) are caused by stress. Instead of offering reassurances and advice, a caring professional or counselor will understand the situation and direct attention to the factors causing stress;
if in a specific department of the organization such functional complaints are identified among many employees, you need to start searching for stress factors;
working with people who have been involved in or witnessed situations such as fatalities or violence;
If possible, it is better to suspend the employee’s performance of his duties or influence his behavior in order to further reduce the level of stress and restore the person’s normal well-being and performance.

Reducing individual vulnerability. The most common elements in stress management programs are those that help people cope with stress by reducing their vulnerability. They include a series of seminars and work groups, supplemented by audio or video recordings, brochures and other publications, that teach employees how to effectively manage stress. They have the following common elements:

training on recognizing signs of increasing stress and the factors causing it;
Assertiveness training, which enables employees to become more dynamic when faced with stress;
stress reduction methods.

Interpersonal relationships in the workplace. Organizations are becoming increasingly aware of the stress factors associated with a diverse workforce and interpersonal issues within the workforce. Prejudice and bigotry do not remain outside the gates of the enterprise and are often exacerbated by insensitive and discriminatory behavior of managers and supervisors. Religious and racial prejudice can take the form of harassment or even cause acts of violence. If such attitudes prevail, it is necessary to correct them by developing a detailed action plan, including disciplinary measures against the perpetrators and measures to protect victims who dare to complain.
Managing stressors in the workplace. The organization has a responsibility to minimize stressors that may have an adverse effect on an employee's ability to work effectively. It is essential that supervisors and managers at all levels receive appropriate training to recognize and effectively deal with employee problems that are inevitable in the workplace.
Managing stress within an organization. The organization as a whole is subject to stress, which, if not managed, penetrates the environment of employees, interfering with work at all levels. This provision requires the formulation of ambitious but achievable goals and objectives regarding the early identification and assessment of potential stressors that could disrupt plans, as well as the coordination of the organization's ability to address these issues and communicate the results of these activities to employees. The latter is especially important during times of economic stress, when employee cooperation and optimal performance are especially important in the face of senior management replacements, threats of mergers and divestitures, company closures or relocations, and workforce reductions.
Help combat personal stressors. Although coping with family and community stressors is largely a personal issue, employers are finding that these types of stress inevitably spill over into the workplace and, when combined with other stressors, can impact well-being workers and jeopardize their ability to work. Accordingly, employers find it advisable (and in some cases necessary) to create programs designed to help employees manage these types of stressors.

Stress management programs should be based on the following basic principles.

First, it is important to remember that there are no boundaries separating stress in the workplace, at home and in society. Each person represents a unique combination of all factors that have no clear boundaries. This means that the program must, of course, focus on problems that arise in the workplace, but at the same time recognize that these problems affect personal life. Problems that arise outside of work should also not be overlooked. The work itself and the support of employees and management help in solving personal and family problems. Loss of such support can lead to loss of ability to work, for example during retirement, even if the refusal to work is voluntary.

Secondly, stress is transferred to other people. It does not affect not only specific people, but also work colleagues. Thus, stress management can be both therapeutic and preventative.

Thirdly, only the person himself can cope with stress. Workers with problems can be identified and offered counselling, support and stress management training and, if necessary, referred to qualified clinicians for more intensive and long-term treatment. However, this requires the consent and participation of the individual, which in turn depends on the structure of the program, its status in the organization, the competence of the staff, its reputation and the availability of the program. Perhaps the most important factor in the success of the program is strict adherence to the privacy policy regarding personal information.

Fourth, managing stress in the workplace is primarily the responsibility of managers. The program should be based on organizational policies that place great importance on the health and well-being of employees. And this policy should be reflected in daily activities through the behavior of managers and their relationships with subordinates at all levels.

Fifth, employee participation in program design, implementation, and especially in identifying factors that cause stress is an important part of the program's success.

Finally, a successful stress management program requires a keen understanding of employees and the environment in which they work. The program is most successful when stress-related problems are identified and resolved before any harm occurs to the individual.

The primary goal of occupational medicine and safety is to protect and promote the health, welfare and productivity of the entire team and each employee. This task cannot be accomplished without an understanding of the nature of stress and how it affects people and the organization, and without a well-planned program to mitigate its harmful effects and, more importantly, prevent them.

Protecting workers from psychosocial risks and work-related stress

Psychosocial risk is a concept unfamiliar to labor law that has emerged in the field of occupational safety and health in the last 30 years. In most cases, psychosocial risks refer to work-related stress, psychological harassment, and depression.

It is customary to identify factors and manifestations of psychosocial risks. Factors include those circumstances that pose a threat to the mental health of the employee, for example, excessive work intensity, conflicts in the team. As a result of exposure to these factors, the employee may develop depression, and more severe consequences are possible in the form of myocardial infarction, hypertensive crisis, etc. Stress, for example, can be both a factor and a consequence of other psychosocial risks.

Support for developing standards for protecting employees from these types of risks was found in the definition of employee health as a combination of physical and mental health. This definition was developed jointly by the International Labor Organization and the International Health Organization back in 1950. In the second half of the 20th century. An expanded understanding of labor protection is gradually being enshrined in the national laws of European countries. In the last 20 years, norms have begun to appear in the legislation of European countries that specify the protection of employee mental health. Currently, thanks to the conclusion of the European Framework Agreements on harassment and violence at work, as well as on stress at work, the protection of employees from these psychosocial risks has received the greatest development.

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work defines work-related stress as a situation in which the demands of the work environment exceed the worker's ability to cope or control them.

The state of stress is accompanied by dysfunctions or complaints of a physical, psychological or social nature. Among the work-related factors that can lead to stress, the Framework Agreement specifies: job content, work organization, work environment, lack of communication. This agreement has been implemented differently in European countries.

For example, in Italy the need to assess stress in enterprises was established by legislative Decree No. 81/2008. The Italian Standing Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health has developed specific guidelines for assessing work-related stress.

In France, the need to assess the risk of work-related stress follows from Art. L4121-1 of the country's Labor Code, which provides for the employer's obligation to assess all risks that could affect the physical or mental health of the employee. By Circular No. 2002-6 dated April 18, 2002, employers were required to annually assess psychosocial risks, that is, the risk of stress, among other things. Thus, stress is a risk that must be taken into account and prevented within the framework of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health at European level. Recognizing stress as one of the risks entails the need to take measures to prevent it, a mechanism for identifying it and a procedure for compensating for the harm caused by it. To prevent stress, French legislation gave the Committee of Health, Safety and Working Conditions the right to receive information from the employer about working conditions, as well as the right to attract an expert to conduct an examination of working conditions or to evaluate new projects that entail changes in organizational working conditions and labor safety (Article L4614 -12 French Labor Code).

Arbitrage practice. In judicial practice, there are cases where the Committee did not support the employer’s project on the use of outsourcing; the expert hired by the Committee concluded that the new labor organization would affect the level of labor safety and could increase psychosocial risks for workers. The court overturned the employer's decision to use outsourcing, since the implementation of this project could affect the physical and mental health of employees.

Labor protection legislation assigns to employees the obligation to inform the employer about the deterioration of their health and the emergence of risks to their health. Given the broad understanding of health characteristic of Europe, the employee also undertakes to report factors that could harm his mental health. This responsibility is not developed either in legislation or in scientific research. French jurisprudence holds the employer liable for harm caused to an employee's health as a result of exposure to psychosocial factors, even if the employee did not report it.

Arbitrage practice. In one case, the stress of an employee working as an editor for a publishing house was caused by excessive workload and led to a heart attack and the subsequent declaration of the employee being unable to continue working. The excessive workload was due to the employer's cost-cutting policies: working hours were increased and the number of employees was reduced. The employer argued that it was unaware of the existence of a threat to the employee's health because the employee did not report a deterioration in his health and an inability to perform the increased amount of work. Annual medical examinations recognized the employee as healthy and capable of further performance of work duties. The court considered that, given the employee's subordinate position, he could not oppose the employer's policy. The employer did not assess the impact of the cost reduction policy on employee health, thus violating its obligation to ensure occupational safety and health results. The employee was paid compensation in the amount of 41,000 euros.

The greatest difficulty arises, of course, in finding a cause-and-effect relationship between stress and work. Since everyone experiences stress differently and has varying degrees of tolerance to stress and increased stress, it must be extremely difficult for courts to determine the “work” nature of stress.

According to the prevailing judicial practice in France, the employer is obliged to ensure the result of labor protection, which means the employer is responsible for all accidents and occupational diseases, regardless of his fault. This rule was adopted in disputes related to compensation for harm caused by occupational diseases caused by exposure to asbestos. In the last few years, the Court of Cassation, the highest court in France, has extended this rule to cases of compensation for damage caused by stress.

Arbitrage practice. In the case of the suicide of a Renault plant employee, the court found the employer liable because he failed to fulfill his duty to ensure occupational safety results and did not provide an effective risk prevention system capable of responding to the deterioration of the employee’s health caused by his severe stress. The court also noted the ineffectiveness of identifying occupational hazards and the employer's failure to assess the workload imposed on a particular employee. The presumption of culpability of the employer in cases of harm resulting from work-related stress certainly makes it easier to protect the employee from psychosocial risks. But the other side of the coin is the possibility of abuse by employees, which can only be limited by the high level of training of judges and careful consideration of each case.

It should be noted that in France there is a specialized body for the consideration of labor disputes, as well as a separate court for the consideration of disputes arising from social security relations.

In Italy, unlike France, the employee must prove the harm caused by stress, as well as its connection with the employer’s failure to fulfill its obligations. Even in the case of compensation for moral damage caused by an industrial accident, the employee must prove the above elements. Turning directly to compensation for damage caused by stress, we note that in France, depression caused by work-related stress can be recognized as an occupational disease. Suicide or attempted suicide caused by stress may be considered an occupational accident. For example, suicide resulting from depression caused by hard work for which the worker was not prepared was recognized as an industrial accident.

In Italy, the death of an employee from a heart attack caused by sudden stress caused by the train driver’s fear of hitting a pedestrian who was crossing the tracks in the wrong place was recognized as an accident. In addition, death from heart attack caused by the stress of overwork (working for 12-14 hours for several days in a row) was also considered an accident despite the fact that death occurred several days after the end of work. It is interesting to note that judicial practice on compensation for damage caused by stress has evolved significantly in the last 20 years, since back in 1987, in a similar case, the court refused to recognize the death of an employee from a heart attack due to the stress of a long trip and difficult conditions as an accident.

Recognition of the result of stress associated with work, an occupational disease or an accident entails in France the payment to the insured employee or his heirs of the amounts established by the court in compensation for damage. These amounts are paid by the Primary Health Insurance Fund and lead to a significant increase in the employer's payments in the future. In a similar way, compensation is paid for damage caused to a worker in Italy, where the payer is the National Institute of Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL). In this case, a claim for compensation for moral damage caused by an accident or occupational disease is presented to the employer.

Stress problems at work

The mechanism of stress development is already quite well known. Since the end of the 20th century, scientists have been warning that people are forced to endure extreme stress , including at work . This is chronic psychological stress, which inevitably leads to exhaustion of the nervous system, and subsequently to serious mental and physiological problems, as well as early aging of the body.

The number of mental disorders in developed countries and in the post-Soviet countries is continuously increasing, becoming epidemic. High levels of stress are becoming a serious social problem in modern society; suicidal feelings are growing not only among adults, but even among adolescents.

Let's try to analyze methods of dealing with stress at work , because working people spend most of their lives there. Here, for example, according to information from one Insurance company:

45% of respondents believe that their work is associated with a very high stress load,
27% of people are sure that it was work that provoked severe stress,
70% blamed stress at work for the deterioration of their mental and physical health.

Scientists believe that in the absence of other objective reasons, mental and physical fatigue during the day, irritability, depression and depression, increased blood pressure are all manifestations of stress at work. These manifestations can and should be resisted.

What can we do ourselves if we are not lazy and want to reduce the level of stress at work?

Be sure to take breaks and leave your workplace for 5-10 minutes. Firstly, a change of environment has a very positive effect. Second, use this time wisely, for example, get some fresh air or snack on healthy foods rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals (nuts, fruits, vegetables, a grain bread sandwich with cheese, but not soda, cookies or sweet pastries). You can drink a cup of freshly brewed black or green tea. Proper split meals are a good helper in weight loss, and antioxidants protect against stress at work and outside of it.
Never skip your lunch break and, if possible, avoid eating lunch at your desk. The reason is the same: in the fight against stress at work, you definitely need a switch of attention, a change of environment. Use this time for a longer walk. You are very lucky if there is a park or at least a small square near your work; communication with nature is relaxing and calming. A good-natured conversation on abstract topics with colleagues during breaks has a good therapeutic effect (don’t get carried away, bosses don’t like long absences unjustified by work!).
If it is completely impossible to leave your workplace, find a couple of minutes for simple physical exercise. Massaging both earlobes for one minute will help reduce stress at work and relieve tension. You can also vigorously rub your ears with preheated palms; this exercise is very invigorating. Do a couple of vascular gymnastics exercises: put your hands on the back of your head and press your head on your hands, and press on your head with your hands, do it for a few seconds and then relax. A similar exercise: press your fists to your forehead and press on it with resistance from your head. Such exercises for alternating tension and relaxation have a good effect on the vessels of the head and neck, relaxing and calming.
Physical activity really helps in the fight against stress at work and it is beginning to be introduced into corporate culture. If possible, do several squats, turns, bends, and swings of your arms and legs together with your colleagues or alone.
Pay attention to the organization of your workplace and the organization of your workday. Everything on the table should be in certain places, convenient for use (when we are urgently looking for something, we spend a lot of nerves!). To prevent stress at work, think through your next workday plan in advance: important things should be done first, no matter how much you want to delay them.
Positive emotions can help you cope with stress at work. Organize in your place, if this is permissible in your conditions, an oasis of good mood: favorite photos or pictures, a flower in a beautiful pot, a beautiful figurine, etc. according to your taste. Look there from time to time, reminding yourself that work is not life itself and not its most important component, there is you, your family, relatives, friends - this is really important!

Stress among law enforcement officers

Law enforcement officers are among the group of people who are exposed to stressful conditions that cause nervous breakdowns and sometimes mental disorders. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent the development of professional stress among security forces, since the safety of the population and the atmosphere in society depend on this.

Psychoprophylactic measures and corrective methods of relieving stress among police officers involve training in basic methods of stress relief that correct the absorption of the negative impact of environmental factors.

Stress in medicine

People who work in medical institutions are often exposed to stress of personal perception. This condition is provoked by nervous tension in daily communication with people who come to see a doctor with their physical and psychological problems. Nursing staff of medical institutions are especially susceptible to stress, as they are often susceptible to empathy, which negatively affects their psychological state.

The most effective way to combat professional stress is a group form of work in the form of training sessions. This form will improve communicative and professional competence.

Doctors and medical staff are always under stress

Stress factor

Psychologists recommend taking care of yourself in advance and creating conditions in which you would be comfortable working. In particular, attention should be paid to the physical and hygienic working conditions, ambient temperature, light levels, and air quality. If you are doing routine work, it is better to avoid any noise and vibration. For many, it is important that their workload during the working day corresponds to their personal biological rhythm. Therefore, if you are more comfortable working in the evening, then you should adjust your work schedule to suit yourself, rather than suffer in the morning from the reluctance to do anything or talk to anyone.

And don’t forget about breaks at work, which will help you unwind, recuperate, and communicate with colleagues. Research confirms that people who work in a positive environment experience less stress.

By the way, risk factors vary for different professions. It is believed that librarians have the calmest jobs, and miners, airline pilots and journalists have the most stressful jobs. Actors, politicians, teachers and doctors also experience great moral stress. If you have a creative job, remember that statistically, creative people tend to overwork. During the working day, they are under pressure from their superiors, and then they also try to work at home, writes Rosbalt.

Creative people are often unable to cope with responsibilities during work hours and are forced to answer calls and emails outside of work hours. In addition, people in creative professions are more likely to think about work before and after the working day.

Remember that work, no matter how important it is, should not replace family, communication with friends and relaxation.

Ways to Prevent Stress

In order to prevent work-related stress from having a negative impact on life, you need to teach yourself to control it. To do this, you can take note of the advice of a psychologist.

Chronic stress at work can be prevented by:

it is necessary to be friendly towards employees and the manager;
you should improve yourself and your communication skills with others, you need to learn to talk with people in such a way that there is mutual understanding and openness;
The causes of stress at work can also be the principles of time management, so it is important to learn how to control working time;
You should improve your qualifications, diversify the types of professional activities, attend professional management training and other organizational events at work.

To prevent emotional and nervous stress, as well as to prevent stress in professional activities, you should engage in physical exercise. Physical exercise will help relieve tension in a stressful situation and have a beneficial effect on a person’s overall health.

The sequence of exercises in the morning before going to work:

twenty exercises to strengthen the abdominal muscles (you can do the exercises without getting out of bed);
stretching for ten seconds;
slow squats (20-30 times), you can also do push-ups.

After a hard day at work, you can do a light workout to help the body recover after an emotional, stressful day.

Already at home, you can prepare a light dinner in a very calm atmosphere, drink warm tea with medicinal herbs, take a shower and use your full right to rest - go to bed.

Signs of stress

If you still think that all of the above does not apply to you, check yourself for these symptoms:

you have a constant feeling of anxiety and fear;
you experience difficulties with communication: it is difficult for you to explain even common truths to someone without irritation;
you always want to sleep, it seems that;
relationships with your family, men, and others deteriorate: you become aggressive and intolerant of other people’s mistakes and people in general;
eating habits change: your appetite disappears and appears, you overeat or, conversely, eat too little, and on Fridays you calm yourself down with a glass of wine;
As a result, health problems appear and immunity is greatly reduced.

In order to prevent stress and all its negative consequences, it is necessary to clearly understand that:

1. money by itself does not solve problems, does not relieve fears, complexes, and the same attitude towards life;

2. life goes by, and you don’t get pleasure from it.

This means that we urgently need to say: “Enough!” and change your attitude towards problems. If you are already in a negative situation, let's try to figure out how to relieve stress at work.

Life in a new way

Taking care of yourself and your life does not mean that you need to change something radically. Even minor little things can help lift your mood and achieve emotional balance, which can have a beneficial effect on the human psyche. It is very important to take just a few steps, develop life strategies to make sure that the development of stress can be simply avoided.

The solutions are very simple:

Life is movement, movement is sport. Sport is the most effective method of dealing with stress at work. Physical education helps to lift your mood, increase vital energy, sharpen your attention and relax both soul and body. Both men and women who work can lead an active lifestyle. Psychologists often give advice on how to cope with the phenomenon of workaholism. In order to relax as much as possible, you need half an hour of intense physical exercise every day.
Food is a delicious joy. It is important to eat what you want in order to enjoy food. If possible, it is recommended to eat small meals in a calm atmosphere. The main components of a healthy diet are quality food and nutritional culture. It is also worth remembering that frequent snacking ensures stable sugar levels. Low blood sugar levels lead to irritability and restlessness, psycho-emotional stress occurs, and it is often difficult to avoid a nervous breakdown. Overeating also has negative consequences for a person and makes him unable to work.
The norm in everything is the way to solve the problem of professional stress at work. The consumption of alcoholic beverages should be reduced to a minimum, or better yet, abandoned altogether, since an overdose of alcohol significantly reduces ability to work. Smoking also has negative consequences, as a result of which the functioning of the immune system is disrupted and blood vessels are destroyed. Nicotine contributes to the appearance of anxiety, which often leads to a stressful situation or depression, which can be very difficult to survive without anyone’s help.
Peace of mind in sleep is the key to emotional balance. The main causes of insomnia are severe stress and restless anxiety. Lack of sleep also has negative consequences: irritability, fatigue appear and, as a result, the ability to concentrate on one’s work disappears, stress develops and skills in a particular type of activity are lost, and sometimes the desire to improve professional activity. To combat stress, it is important to be well rested and sleep at least eight hours.

By following the simple rules of a measured life, you can not only prevent stress in a work environment, but also learn to live with it without particularly feeling its negative impact. This condition at work is not uncommon; you need to cope with your emotions in a timely manner and try to remain calm always and in any stressful situation, overcome all kinds of stressors and not pay attention to them.

Quality sleep is the key to emotional balance

Stress at work - how to cope. Goal and implementation plan

We could avoid many stressful situations if we took care of better organization of our time. Of course, setting goals and plans to stick to will help us curb the chaos of the tasks before us, as well as directly reduce stress at work. If we cannot manage our time ourselves, there are many useful tools on the Internet that can help us learn. This planning should extend to things as mundane as food. When we spend the whole day outside the house, we are exhausted, stressed and busy, we don’t think about what to eat, which often ends with throwing all sorts of nasty things into ourselves, or an unplanned hunger strike. Meanwhile, if on the previous day we planned for ourselves what and when we eat, and we manage to implement this plan, we will succeed and we will feel better.

communication with colleagues will help you get rid of stressful situations