Part 1: How To Recognize Emotional Stress At Work
Emotional stress poured into all aspects of life during the pandemic. Fear from health risks, fear of being laid off or moving to a remote work model, or experience grief for the loss of life across the world. The overwhelming emotions of the pandemic incited a long-lasting state of emotional stress in the lives of employees across our nation. In this article series, we’ll answer questions like what emotional stress is, how you can notice the signs, and how can emotional stress cause problems if left unmanaged.
What is emotional stress?
Emotional stress involves the experience of negative effects, such as anxiety, in the context of a physiological stress response that includes cardiovascular and hormonal changes.
What are the signs of emotional stress at work?
While there are many signs to keep an eye out for when managing emotional stress in the workplace. To some employees, admitting they’re being overwhelmed by work stress is simply not an option. If you’re concerned that a coworker or leader may be struggling with emotional stress at work, learn how to recognize the signs as soon as possible.
Exhaustion. Employees have reported feeling physically and mentally exhausted. This exhaustion goes beyond a lack of sleep. When you see a coworker who is exhausted, their eyes betray that they are running on empty and lack the energy for productivity.
Apathy. Apathy is the enemy of productivity. A combination of disengagement or lack of incentive, an apathetic employee is often like a growing vine that can invade other productive members of the office. This is a coping mechanism used to distance oneself from stress.
Constant distraction. In the office, this employee may be checking emails, web browsing, or scrolling on their phones. If working remotely, this employee may sit down to work and get up every ten minutes to fold laundry or check the mail. This constant state of distraction or a branch of escapism reveals the stress this employee is experiencing that takes away from their work focus.
Emotional outbursts. Sometimes when a coworker is emotionally stressed, they can overreact to the slightest increase in their stress levels. This may result in harsh comments, accusatory language, open frustration or distress, and more. If you’re having a conflict with a coworker who is inappropriately expressing emotional outbursts, contact your human resources department.
Abnormal behavior. You can recognize emotional stress when you see them acting differently. Their stress levels have reached the point where they cannot even function as themselves. Abnormal behavior can include hysterical outbursts, a bubbly personality turned quiet and brooding, and more.
What problems can be caused by emotional stress?
Emotional stress can often affect not only the mind but also the physical health of your body. When overstressed employees, they decrease engagement or productivity.
When severe enough, emotional stress can affect your eating, sleeping, and social habits. You can recognize emotional stress when you go to lunch hungry, but once you get your food, your mind is so caught up on the project you’re working on or the pile of paperwork on your desk, that you cannot physically eat your lunch because you’re so stressed out about what still needs to be done by the end of the day/week/quarter.
Work dreams plague over half the current workforce, and these work-related dreams are often a result of work-related stress. While these dreams don’t necessarily have negative interpretations, you can minimize their effect with a few components.
Conclusion
Experiencing emotional stress is a common battle we faced during the pandemic. Remember, that if you’re experiencing work-related emotional stress, your team probably is, too. Instead of allowing that stress to consume your work life, extend kindness to your team and exercise healthy practices for managing emotional stress.
Look for Part 2 to learn how you can manage emotional stress, how leaders can support their employees, and how to recover from long-term emotional stress.