We all know that stress does really bad things to the people who experience it. Job stress is a common issue in the workplace. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health job stress is more of an issue for workers than financial or family problems. One-quarter of all workers say that work stresses them more than any other factor. They also assert that three-quarters of today’s workers believe that they have more workplace stress than workers from the previous generation.
What is Job Stress and What Causes it?
Job stress is often defined as emotional and damaging physical responses to a job situation where workers are not provided with the resources they need to do their jobs. It can also result from the differences between the abilities of a worker and the demands of the job assigned. When workers’ needs are not met job stress may be inevitable.
The results of job stress can lead to mental health issues as well as physical ones. Optimal wellness will be difficult to attain when a worker is under stress.
How Do You Relieve Workplace Stress?
According to the American Psychological Association, there are many ways to help relieve the stress you might feel at work.
Some of them are:
- Tracking your stress. Begin a diary of what is stressing you and when.
- Find easy and healthy ways to get past the stress, such as meditation or exercise. The worst thing you can do is to use fast food or alcohol in lieu of more healthy methods.
- Learn how to help yourself relax. Many people are not able to do this successfully, especially when experiencing stress. Try mindfulness, deep breathing, or other ways you have used in the past, and take a few minutes to “chill out”.
- Use a recovery process after a stressful task or meeting. Strive to get back to a state you had before the stressor. You might have a vacation day or two you can use to reach this pre-stress status. And if that is not an option, take some time during that same day to reflect on something positive in your life. This will help you focus on something other than the stressful encounter you had earlier in the day.
Job Stress in Academia
Some people might not believe that there is stress in academia. When someone secures their job in the academy one might think they have no reasons for stress. However, that is far from the truth. Getting into academia is difficult. There are only so many positions open and available and moving through the ranks is even more challenging. If your career goal is to be a professor in the field of higher education, this can cause a major hurdle to overcome. Academic life may or may not even be the right field for you and once you are there, that realization can be stressful. Deciding what do you want to next may be very difficult.
How do You Know if Academic Life is for You?
Seeking a position or promotion in academia can be a tough career move. How do you know it is right for you? How will you advance once you have made entry into a college or university position?
Academic Career Coaching can provide you with a plan and a roadmap to help you attain your goal. It can help you ascertain if academic life is the right place for you.
As a coach with major experience in the field and based on the recommendations of many successful people she has helped, Dr. Loren M. Hill can help you reach your goals. Dr. Hill, the principal of Acclivity, has helped hundreds of potential higher education prospects move their careers in the direction they want to go. She is available to meet with you and encourages you to reach out to her through her website https://theacclivity.com/.
Why not take this opportunity to check out her website and then take the time to chat with her? Her success with higher education prospects will help her to help you in your pursuits.