Is Your Job Stressing You Out?

It might not be feasible – or even necessary – to change jobs for the sake of your health, so what else could you do? Here are a few ways to reduce workplace stress.

1. Identify the cause.

It may seem simple, but identifying the sources of your stress can begin the healing process. Some common work-related stressors are low salaries, excessive workloads, few opportunities for growth or advancement, work that's uninteresting or that isn't challenging, a lack of social support and a lack of power over your career.

These issues have negative physical health side effects, long and short-term. You may experience headaches, stomachaches, back pain, heart rate spikes, or sleep disturbances; have a shorter temper; or have difficulty concentrating. Chronic stress can result in anxiety, insomnia, high blood pressure and a weakened immune system, the APA said. Such stress also contributes to health conditions, such as depression, obesity and heart disease.

Compounding the problem, people who experience excessive stress often deal with it in unhealthy ways, such as by overeating, consuming unhealthy foods, smoking cigarettes or abusing drugs and alcohol. Self-awareness helps you identify the things that trigger stressful states of mind and actively works to find better, healthier ways of coping.

2. Assess your communication habits.

Once you've identified work-related stress weighing on you, assess the way you're working and interacting with your colleagues. Slight changes to your communication and work style could establish a better connection with those around you and remove some anxiety.

Socialize with your co-workers. Do you have friendly relationships with your peers, or do you duck behind your computer screen and avoid contact? You don't have to be a social butterfly and hit up happy hour every week, but making small talk with your colleagues might help you relax. Bring up light, interesting subjects and get a conversation going.

Even just getting to know the people on your immediate team can improve your mood and help you work together better.

Unplug. Being connected via your mobile device 24/7 comes with its own set of stressors. Constant phone calls, texts and email updates have become overwhelming, especially when you're answering messages after clocking out for the evening.

Say yes more often when co-workers offer help on a big project or are willing to collaborate. This alleviates some workload and serves as a stress reducer, and staying organized and on task allows for a more productive workflow.

Keep a handwritten to-do list. Staying on task with a to-do list is essential for success and general wellness. In the digital age, the notion of writing out your tasks for the day might seem tedious, wasteful and unnecessary. Actually a prioritized, handwritten list of your most important to-dos helps you gain a clearer outline of what your day should look like.

3. Do more for yourself.

Your day-to-day practices and routines often play a huge role in your stress levels. Breaking bad habits and forging good ones can help you feel more at ease during the workday. Here are some good habits to adopt.

Schedule breaks into your day. If you're glued to your chair for the entire workday and never give yourself any time away from work-related tasks, you're much more likely to be stressed out.

Devote time to physical, mental and emotional self-maintenance. A healthy diet and regular exercise, along with a good self-image and spiritual practices, can prepare you to deal with stress successfully.

It may be impossible to eradicate every stressor from the workplace. You may not even want to do that, as some stress can be healthy and encourage you to meet deadlines and keep your head on straight. But working to eliminate bad stress and making your workplace healthier will change the way you view your job.

What your job can do

Job stress is not only bad for your health as an employee. It's bad for your employer. Job stress reportedly carries an estimated $300 billion price tag as a result of accidents, absenteeism, employee turnover, diminished productivity, medical/legal/insurance costs, workers' compensation cases and FELA judgments. Employers can help reduce excessive workplace stress with a number of factors.

1. Create realistic goals

2. Clearly communicate with employees

3. Offer fair compensation

4. Model a healthy work-life balance

5. Recognize achievements

6. Give employees stress screenings

7. Promote programs that encourage health and exercise

​Looking for the good and being grateful you have a job can change your views and stressors. Find ways to see how your job can move you toward your goals, dreams and the next chapter in your life. If your not looking for new goals or a new chapter than maybe it's time. This will add excitement and gratitude toward your work.