Job stress affects 7 out of 10 Americans as today’s work environments have gotten increasingly demanding, faster paced, higher pressured, and often require employees to stay connected outside the office or after work hours. When excessive, job stress can negatively affect your mental health or even physical health. Signs that you may be experiencing job stress include:
- Feelings of underlying anxiety
- Trouble concentrating or focusing
- Insomnia or sleep disturbances
- Short temper with coworkers
- Constantly checking your emails
- Upset stomach and/or headaches
- Low motivation and low morale
- Overusing caffeine or alcohol
Reasons for job stress can vary from job to job and industry to industry, but common causes are often associated with:
- Excessive workload or excessive hours
- Unrealistic timelines and deadlines
- Highly competitive office environment
- Office politics that are toxic
- A domineering or controlling boss
- Understaffing or lack of resources
- A new position or role change
- Feelings of job insecurity
Our therapists at BHNY will work collaboratively with you to identify the exact source of your job stress. Once certain triggers have been identified, employing cognitive behavior therapy can be an effective treatment to reduce the underlying cause of your job stress and improve your mental outlook. In addition, mindfulness exercises can be used as a helpful adjunct to your treatment plan.