What’s The Main Source of Stress At Work?

Tech the Main Culprit for Stress at Work, Survey Says

It looks like technology is the main blame when it comes to what makes a normal day at the office a stressful nightmare, according to a recent survey about workplace stresses.

Eight hundred employees across the country were asked exactly what makes their blood boil the most during the working day, and the results were rather telling. While the internet is a tool that has allowed a great deal of growth within companies and keeps communication easy, when it goes wrong a massive 31% of those surveyed admit they find themselves tearing their hair out.

What’s to blame?

While internet malfunctions netted most of the vote, having too many things to do came in second with 18% of employees lamenting their unrealistic workloads. 11% grumbled about the stress end of year accounts cause, too.

Taking third place in what causes the most stress was a bad commute, which took 14% of the vote.

A spokesperson from ecigarettedirect.co.uk, who conducted the survey, said “Many of us don’t realise how stressful the office environment can be as it just melts into the fabric of everyday life.

“However, it’s no surprise that internet malfunctions came top of the list. In today’s technology driven age so much of what we do is reliant on being online we often feel lost and frustrated without it.

“One crack in this delicate technology and an entire office can be brought to a complete standstill, with the potential to reduce a company’s output to zero.” The full survey results can be found here.

Who’s to blame?

It looks like employees weren’t too keen to point the finger when it came to who causes them the most stress in the office, but a brave 8% of those surveyed said their annoying boss really racks up the stress levels.

Six per cent said that their customers are to blame too, and demanding clients make their blood boil the most. Surprisingly, not that many employees were stressed by caffeine reserves being depleted, with only 1% saying lack of tea or coffee had them grappling for the closest stress ball.

How to deal with workplace stress

If you are suffering for a high level of stress at work, you should inform your employer. When it starts to affect your job performance, your health and your personal life, you need to flag it up.

In order to deal with stress, the first thing to do is look at your personal life – that is, how well you look after yourself. Drinking a little too much alcohol and smoking when you’re stressed can lead to addictive behavior, and both habits can lead to heightened levels of anxiety. Drink more water and kick the habit.

One powerful stress-reliever is exercise according to the NHS – even if you don’t feel like it at first, any aerobic exercise is a great mood-lifter. Try to fit in time to go for a quick run after work – about 30 minutes a day is enough. You’ll notice a difference in your mood quickly.

Keep organized by keeping up to date with your schedule – many find writing a to-do list helps, and ticking off each job will give you satisfaction and a sense of progress. Break projects into steps, and ask for help from a colleague if your workload is too heavy.

According to employment law, your employer should take steps to reduce your workplace stress if it is becoming a problem – so always notify your employers if things are getting a bit too much.

This article was written by Vern Roberts, with a background in HR, he has worked in many stressful office situations, and this has allowed him to see people under stress on a daily basis and the effects this causes. This insight has allowed to him to asses many situations on an individual basis and he has advised many businesses on how to help reduce stress levels of their workforce.

Image Credit: www.careerealism.com