Whether your work is the direct cause of your stress, or you’re bringing stress with you into the office, experiencing mental health issues while clocked in can be especially difficult. The symptoms of mental illness, stress in particular, can cause you to fall behind on your workplace tasks, which in turn can create even more stress, which makes it even harder for you to focus, and the vicious cycle continues.

Considering that roughly 71% of adults suffer from at least one symptom of stress, and the average full-time employee in the U.S. spends approximately half of their waking life at work, workplace stress is an issue that cannot be ignored. It is in the best interest of not only employees, but also employers, to prioritize worker mental health and provide adequate tools and resources for those who are struggling. In fact, one study found that 81% of individuals reported looking for workplaces that “support mental health when they seek future job opportunities.”

Common Workplace Stressors and Their Effects

The three most common mental health issues experienced by employees are anxiety, depression, and stress. All three of these mental health issues often go hand-in-hand, and for many, the workplace itself can be a major trigger.

For example, did you know that the way an office space is organized can have a direct impact on one’s mental health? Not having access to enough natural light, poor air quality, and excessive noise have all been linked to poor mental health outcomes.

Another trigger can be your computer screen. Spending too much time staring at blue light screens has been proven to affect the body’s natural circadian rhythm, which causes people to lose sleep and therefore begets a multitude of both mental and physical disruptions.

Speaking of physical disruptions, prolonged and untreated mental health issues are known to also cause physical health problems that range from minor to deadly. For instance, psychologists have noted a link between anxiety and eating disorders, and chronic stress can put you at a higher risk of things like high blood pressure, strokes, and heart attacks.

How to Spot Potential Burnout

One of the reasons it can be difficult to know for sure whether or not someone is struggling with their mental health is that symptoms can look different from person to person. The typical symptoms one might think of when it comes to stress aren’t always present in someone who is struggling. In fact, a lot of people will try to mask their mental health symptoms out of shame, privacy, or even the fear of getting fired.

Still, if you’re paying attention as a manager or a coworker, you should be able to figure out if there’s something serious going on with someone at work. If they’re stress levels are getting to them and they are on the path to burnout, here are some things you might notice:

-        Increased Absenteeism (mental health conditions are one of the leading causes of employee absence)

-        Major changes in mood or personality (especially if they are being more curt or seem quick to respond with anger/frustration)

-        Loss of appetite

-        Avoiding social interactions

Tips to Cope With Stress At Work

Did you know that one in every four Americans believes that their job is the number one stressor in their lives? This means a quarter of the US working population is spending eight hours a day, give or take, in a space that is causing them what many reported as “extreme” levels of stress.

Given the fact that most people aren’t able to quit working altogether, however, other anti-stress interventions are required. That’s why we’ve put together a list of ways workers can try to manage their stress while on the job.

Tips:

1. Take Physical and Mental Relaxation Breaks

It’s important to remember that even though stress can feel like a mental/emotional problem, it affects us on a physical level as well. This means that if you really want to give yourself a break in the middle of a stressful work day, you need to do more than just log out of your email for a few minutes.

Instead, you need to walk away from your workspace entirely. Remove yourself physically from the stressors, and find a nice place to sit where you can then practice some other relaxation techniques like deep breathing, journaling, conversing with others (about non-work related topics), etc.

2. Avoid Social Media

No, we’re not trying to tell you to avoid social media because you should be working instead of scrolling through instagram (we’re not here to nark on you). The real reason this is on the list is because social media is known to negatively affect your mental health, and therefore it’s likely not going to do anything for your stress levels. If every time you take a break from work, you then grab your device and start watching TikTok, there’s a good chance you could end up exacerbating the problem, or inviting new mental health concerns into the equation.

3. Discuss Your Stress With Others

Talking about what’s bothering you isn’t easy, and some demographics are even more private when it comes to discussing mental health issues. We understand that the decision to open up about these things can be incredibly vulnerable and scary, but it really does help. Stress causes us to overthink, and people who suffer from anxiety have a tendency to build a problem up in their mind, making a mountain out of an ant hill. A good way to avoid letting your stress get to that point, however, is to talk to someone else about the issue. Having another perspective on the issue, or even receiving help in a more concrete way, is going to be a lot better in the long run than sitting at your desk alone and worrying.

Suffering in silence is never the answer.

4. Seek Professional Health

If your stress or other mental health issues are persistent and other interventions haven’t helped, it’s time to seek out a trained professional. Talk therapy is a proven method of addressing common mental health conditions, and it’s always a good idea to let your primary care physician know if you’re struggling with anything severe so they can refer you to a psychiatrist if need be. Lastly, if you’re worried about the cost and don’t know whether or not mental health treatments are covered under your insurance, discuss your options with an HR rep at work. There might be an employee assistance program or other resources available to you.

When It’s Not You — It’s the Job

Putting in effort to ease your stress and take better care of your health is always a good idea, but the above suggestions might not get you very far if the underlying issue is the fact that you truly just hate your job.

If that’s the situation you find yourself in, then the best way to address your stress is to find something new. Even better, let us find something new for you. Avoid the hassle of scrolling through job sites for hours on end, or the fear of getting your resume thrown out in the first round of ATS screenings. At CyberCoders, our expert recruiters will match you with the perfect job in a fraction of the time. Check out our website to learn more!