Stress at work and the importance of knowing when to stop

There is a silent pandemic that is increasingly taking its toll on workers around the world. It is stress, a pathology that should not be taken as a joke because it can lead to disability. In Medvisit we are going to show you what is stress at work and what are its consequences, all to encourage you to lead a healthier lifestyle in the long run.

What is stress at work

Stress, in general terms, is a response of the organism at a physical and mental level that is produced by a situation in which one’s own capacities are self-evaluated as insufficient to give an adequate response to a given problem.

If we extrapolate what we have just said to the work environment, the truth is that the working conditions of many professionals are increasingly demanding. Moreover, there are many English-speaking physicians who have managed to isolate the body’s response to stress, which can be summarized as follows:

• Physiological: Alteration of heart rate and blood pressure and an increased presence of adrenaline in the bloodstream;
• Emotional: Increased irritability and cases of irrational fear in the face of unforeseen situations;
• Cognitive: Difficulty concentrating and erratic and negative thinking;
• Behavioral: Increased propensity to make mistakes and decreased productivity despite increased working hours.

It is obvious after having detailed what work stress leads to, that this situation is totally incompatible with the performance of any professional activity. It is evident that the work will suffer, but what has to make the worker put on guard and even go to the consultation of the best doctors in Barcelona is that the own health will be the main victim in a picture of severe stress.

Why we get stressed at work

Looking around some workplaces, it is surprising that the prevalence of stress is not even higher than it already is. Companies are often understaffed, saturating their employees with a number of tasks that overwhelm their capacity. What’s more, in many cases, professionals who are not qualified are made responsible for complicated jobs, something that considerably increases the level of stress among staff members.

But let’s take a closer look at the stress factors that are generated at work, since, at the end of the day, this is exactly what needs to be changed in order to reduce stress.

One of the most serious problems comes directly from the work environment. There are many places where noise or a bad atmosphere among colleagues encourage the creation of stressful dynamics that end up leading to the symptoms listed above.

Similarly, an unstable work environment is problematic in this regard. The possibility of being laid off or, on the other hand, the reality of a company in which it is impossible to grow professionally are triggers for the work-related stress we are analyzing here.

Finally, difficulties in reconciling family life are also a source of stress. The balance that many professionals maintain between work and family is precarious and, maintained over the long term, produces many of the cases of stress that are currently being diagnosed.

The worst consequences of stress on health

Although a correct organization of work time is enough to improve many of these problems, the truth is that this is something that does not depend only on the person who is suffering from them, since, as we have seen, the company itself or colleagues can be a source of considerable stress.

However, what happens if this situation continues over time and is not remedied? If stress becomes chronic, the following pathologies will soon appear:

• Cardiovascular problems resulting from high blood pressure;
• Skin problems such as eczema or rashes;
• Eating disorders that can range from obesity to anorexia and that manifest themselves differently in each person;
• Severe mental disorders such as depression or anxiety disorders.

These pathologies justify why it is important to identify work stress and put an end to it as soon as possible. We cannot let work end up affecting the other spheres of life and consume a good part of the quality of life that we should have both inside and outside work.

Thus, knowing what stress at work is, it is important to develop personal and group strategies to avoid it, as well as to call an English-speaking doctors in Barcelona when stress levels are high so that this expert can prescribe a treatment to mitigate its worst consequences.