Stress and Stress Management - for Employees

Scholarly article

Stress and Stress Management – for Employees

Stress in daily life

Those moments when your pulse shoots up – we have all been there. Nowadays, it is not so much physical exertion that is the cause, but more often demanding situations in everyday life: an urgent email, which arrives just before the end of the day, an extra workload because someone in the team is absent, or an appraisal interview in which your line manager makes more demands.

Stress is part and parcel of life. Whether it is at work or in your personal life. It is an illusion to think we can set up a stress-free life for ourselves. In the short term, stress can even have positive effects: it drives us to accomplish our highest achievements. However, prolonged stress can have a significant impact on well-being and health. Then there is the risk of emotional exhaustion. The good news is: we can learn how to recognise stress and find a better way to deal with it. Here are some tips on how to do this!

Some indicators of unhealthy stress levels:

The feeling of being permanently tired, and unable to replenish your energy
Feeling increasingly insecure
Withdrawal and avoidance of social interactions
Irritability and impatience
Reacting sarcastically and/or cynically in exchanges with others
Increasingly seeing the negative side of things
Persistent physical problems for which no medical cause can be found
Anxiety attacks
Difficulty self-motivating

Stress at work

The day-to-day avalanche of emails, problems with technology or conflicts can be stress multipliers, though these annoyances are perceived differently from person to person. While some manage their email inboxes without stress, for others it may trigger a feeling of being overwhelmed and helpless.

Whether we perceive a situation as routine, challenging or stressful depends on how we assess our chances of coping with it. Basically, we like situations which are familiar to us as we can control them thanks to our experience and skills. On the other hand, unclear, vague or contradictory expectations and signals are more likely to cause stress.

The same applies here: we can’t control everything in our work life. But there are some helpful strategies for taking small steps to extend our control and reduce stress.

These strategies will help you strengthen your resources and improve stress management:

Improve time management

The first step: question deadlines, tasks and priorities. You can make better use of your time resources if you distinguish the essential from the superfluous. To do this, it helps to have an overview of the tasks and prioritise them according to their importance. This applies to both our professional and our personal life.

Check your attitude

Do you have unreasonably high standards in terms of quality and quantity, or your ability to cope with stress? If you can lower your expectations a bit, you can better avoid stressful situations. You can ask yourself: Does the job really have to be completed today? Are you the only one who can do the extra work? Less is sometimes more!

Cultivate relationships with optimistic people

Surround yourself with people who are optimistic, encouraging, hopeful, and with whom you can relax and openly share your thoughts and feelings. This helps discover new perspectives and more positive solutions.

Exercise and recreation

The best way to relieve built-up tension is through regular physical activity. You don’t have to join a sports club to do this – just treat yourself to a few minutes of walking or running, perhaps in company, outdoors and/or with music.

Discover breathing and relaxation techniques

Learn to breathe mindfully, and practice abdominal breathing, for example. This heightens self-awareness, stimulates self-esteem and boosts the connection between the mind and body.

Actively shaping your life

We can accept an unpleasant situation once in a while. Instead of dwelling on it, set your sights on the future, develop plans and reasonable, attainable goals, and find ways to achieve them. Often it helps to talk to people who are close to you or to have a counselling session with a specialist.

Big changes can start with small steps

If you would like more support to improve your ability to help yourself, we recommend a personal consultation with a Movis counsellor. If required, you can, for example, complete an online survey together using the «energieBarometer» and evaluate this to systematically ascertain your personal stress level and reduce stress in the long term. For more well-being and happiness!

Further information:

Employee Assistance Program Gesundheitsförderung Schweiz – «How are you?»Seco

Stress and Stress Management – for Managers and HR

Back to the overview

Psychosocial Risks in the Workplace – for Managers and HR

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