More About Occupational Stress

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Most people suffer from time deprivation, as it is perhaps one of life's most precious commodities. We have to juggle everything-work, family, friends, leisure, eating and sleeping-in only 24 hours. Every day most of us have to strip demands on our time down to the essentials, and usually it is the time spent working and commuting that dictates how much we can give to other activities.

Time deprivation leaves us feeling harassed, hurried and guilty. It may also damage relationships, as it can mean breaking arrangements because we 'just don't have the time'. Some people make the situation worse-as the saying goes, 'less haste, more speed'. They will procrastinate and waste time worrying about commitments in their social life and deadlines at work.

Often they take on too much and end up fulfilling few or none of their aims. Work will pile up and relationships suffer as commitments are neglected, and the individual is left feeling panicked and chaotic.

It can be very difficult to change habits formed over a lifetime. Often the best way is to recognize weak points in time management and learn to deal with them. Prioritize and look at the steps mentioned earlier for dealing with organization. Also, don't punish yourself for not having the time to do everything or be everywhere-it is not humanly possible or desirable.

The drive for success

Western society is driven by the work ethic. We are taught at a very early age to equate personal adequacy with professional success, making us crave status and abhor failure. Our culture demands a monetary success together with professional identity, and it takes a strong personality to step off the ladder.

Changing work patterns

In our post-industrial society's climate of unemployment and greater leisure time, many people feel lucky to have a job at all. Unemployment, redundancy, a shorter working week and the impact of new technology are affecting our physical and emotional security. Careers for life are no longer guaranteed, and more employers offer short-term contracts that preclude them from offering sickness or holiday pay. Financial and emotional burnout is therefore increasingly common among all levels of the workforce.

Working conditions

There can be little doubt that an individual's physical and mental health is adversely affected by unpleasant working conditions-such as high noise levels, too much or too little lighting, extremes of temperature, and unsocial or excessive hours.

Overwork

An individual may experience stress through an inability to cope with the technical or intellectual demands of a particular task. On the other hand, no matter how competent you are at your job, circumstances, such as long hours, unrealistic deadlines, and frequent interruptions, will all produce stress.

Underwork

An employee may experience boredom because there is not enough to do, or because a particular job is dull and repetitive.

Uncertainty

Uncertainty about an individual's work role-work objectives, responsibilities, colleagues' expectations and a lack of communication and feedback can result in confusion, frustration, helplessness, and stress.

Conflict

Stress may arise from work that an individual does not want to do or that conflicts with their personal, social and family values.

Responsibility

The greater the level of responsibility, the greater the level of stress.

Relationships at work

Good relationships at work with superiors, subordinates and colleagues are crucial. Within an organization, open discussion of problems is essential to encourage positive relationships.

Change at work

Changes that alter psychological, physiological and behavioural routines, such as promotion, retirement and redundancy, are extremely stressful.