Many employees across the globe had transitioned to remote work due to the global health crisis. While this setup certainly has benefits, working from home has also been stressful to some. In fact, there has been a proliferation of workplace anxiety and depression.
FlexJobs, in partnership with Mental Health America, conducted a study regarding the state of mental health in the workplace during these unprecedented times. It shows that a large percentage (76%) of respondents agree that workplace stress leads to anxiety and depression.
To overcome these issues, organizations need to know what causes the emotional stress of employees and implement some practical changes to the hybrid workplace.
What is Emotional Stress?
According to the American Psychological Association, emotional stress is the feeling of psychological strain and uneasiness brought about by certain situations like danger, threats, loss of personal security, and internal conflicts.
People experience a variety of symptoms whenever they feel stressed. What are the 5 emotional signs of stress? This includes feeling overwhelmed, depressed, anxious, irritable, and lonely.
In general, stress is the response of people to the pressures of daily life. Having moderate levels of stress can be healthy. However, if emotional stress already affects one’s ability to function, this becomes a cause for concern. It needs to be addressed properly to help the person get back on track.
One of the stressors that people might be dealing with nowadays is remote working. Stressing over a deadline or a challenging task can be harmful to professionals’ physical and emotional health.
Emotional Stress Among Professionals in a Remote Setup
When working remotely, employees encounter unique problems that may cause them to experience emotional stress. Here are some of them.
Lack of Social Interaction
Remote workers often feel a sense of loneliness and isolation, especially during this time. Knowing they have nowhere to go when they need support leaves them feeling down.
With the need to stay at home most of the time, it can be difficult to form a strong support network. Sadly, this lack of in-person social contact can negatively impact health, elevating the employee’s stress level.
Working Longer Hours
If all the work you’re doing is carried out on a computer in your home, you’re more likely to work longer hours as there are no fixed timeouts. Working remotely may get you to end up working late because there’s no one to monitor you. If employees don’t keep track of their logged hours and employers don’t warn them against overworking, this may lead to burnout.
Back-to-back Meetings
The trend of having back-to-back virtual meetings is now emerging, which would not usually happen in a physical office. Many employees are allocating more time in these meetings as they have fewer chances for casual catch-ups. However, too many video sessions can cause fatigue and leave participants feeling ironically disconnected.
Blurred Boundaries between Work and Life
Working from home offers a lot of flexibility, and some say that it will help you achieve a healthier work-life balance. However, remote work could also potentially blur the lines between work and personal life.
Having an increased workload doesn’t help either. It tempts employees to work longer hours. This is even worse for those who don’t have a proper home office setup, as there’s no divide between their home and office life.
Negative Effects of Emotional Stress in the Workplace
If you often feel stressed, it is important to learn how to deal with it effectively. After all, stress could negatively affect your health.
Stress can result in physical, emotional, and behavioral problems. Some of the emotional signs of stress are irritability, defensiveness, aggressiveness, impatience, anxiousness, depression, and a sense of dread.
It may also play a role in developing potentially life-threatening diseases, including high blood pressure and heart disease.
Concentration issues, injuries, low productivity levels, and interpersonal tension between harmonious coworkers are the other possible negative consequences of stress in the workplace.
5 Tips to Cope with Emotional Stress While Working
Remote work can be stressful at times. To reduce stress in your current work situation, you need to adopt effective coping strategies. Here are some tips that could help.
1. Maintain Regular Team Contact
Schedule a regular call with your team. Provide updates on what’s going on with your business. This will not only keep people informed; it will also remind them that they are still a part of the larger team.
These regular meetings are also an excellent opportunity to provide them with clear and straightforward information about the company’s plans. Reducing uncertainty about the future can significantly reduce stress levels.
2. Give Employees Some Space
As their manager, don’t be too inquisitive. Micromanaging only adds to your employees’ stress. Employees want to know that you trust them enough not to check-in and look over their shoulders constantly. If you need updates, you can look at their task progress on the remote software you’re using.
3. Stay Organized
The emotional effects of stress can take a toll on your well-being. One way to keep it at bay is to be organized. Practice organizing your time. Avoid waking up late so you won’t have to rush early in the morning.
You should try improving your time management skills as well, especially if you are always under a lot of pressure at work. Set realistic goals and fine-tune them if necessary. Make a list of tasks and rank them according to their priority. If there is a large project, break them down into smaller parts to make it less overwhelming.
4. Be Physically Active
Schedule some active time in your daily routine. Doing some exercise during your break will help you overcome the physical and emotional effects of work stress. This is a great way to let off steam, improve your mood, and get in better shape.
5. Learn to Say No
You may want to take on as much work as possible, but you can only do so much in a day. Know your limits, establish boundaries based on your schedule and workload, and don’t go beyond them. Your clients will value you if you are assertive while remaining courteous.
Treatment Options for Emotional Stress in Long Beach
Nothing beats the investment you make for your health and well-being. Seeking professional support from an emotional rehabilitation center can help you deal with life’s challenges.
Roots Through Recovery has a team of experts who will tailor a holistic treatment program that suits your needs. If you’re seeking treatment options for emotional stress in Long Beach, California, please call us today to get relief.
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