Many of us experience elevated stress because of things we’re going through at work. That stress can lead to all sorts of health issues, but it’s not always obvious that stress is the root cause. The ways your body copes with stress might differ from the way others’ do.
Both your physical and mental health can deteriorate when you’re under work-related stress. Since 4 out of every 5 adults are experiencing work-related stress as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, learning the signs and symptoms is more important than ever. Here are six of the most common indicators of stress that you should look out for.
Frequent Headaches
Have you ever had a headache set in while you were at work? It’s a disruptive experience that can be debilitating when it’s severe. The pain differs based on the kind of headache you have. Migraines and tension headaches are the most common stress-related headaches.
Tension headaches are characterized by pain that resembles a too-tight headband. The pain isn’t usually severe, but that doesn’t make it any less uncomfortable. If you get a migraine, however, you’re in for a completely different experience.
Migraines can be one-offs or a chronic disorder. Symptoms include severe throbbing head pain, as well as nausea, vomiting or sensitivity to light and sound. This can go on for several hours or days.
The biggest difference from tension headaches is that migraines make it difficult to keep living your life. Many people experiencing migraines are confined to their homes and even to their beds until symptoms subside.
Fatigue
Prolonged stress might make it difficult to get through your days because of overwhelming fatigue. You might be so tired that all you want to do is sleep, no matter how much rest you get each night.
Fatigue can interfere with your work performance, triggering a snowball effect. Poor performance leads to increasing stress, which might worsen fatigue.
Difficulty Concentrating
When you’re under stress, you might have a hard time focusing. This lack of concentration is the direct result of long-term stress.
When you experience stress, your body produces higher levels of cortisol. In the short term, it works in tandem with adrenaline to increase motivation and efficiency. But long-term cortisol production has severe side effects on your brain, including difficulty concentrating.
Teeth-Grinding
Grinding your teeth might not seem like a big deal, but it can lead to oral health issues. This possibly inadvertent coping mechanism can damage your teeth, cause headaches and contribute to jaw disorders. A dentist can help you assess if your teeth are damaged from grinding. If your grinding is persistent, your dentist might suggest a mouth guard or other method for protecting your teeth while you sleep.
Insomnia
Can’t sleep after a rough day at work, even though you’re exhausted? You might be experiencing insomnia from work-related stress, which has significant physical and mental health implications.
Sleep deprivation makes it hard to focus, slows reaction times and impacts your mood. It can also cause pain and discomfort with headaches or worrisome symptoms like tremors or difficulty speaking.
Stomach Problems
An unexpected outcome of work-related stress is tummy trouble. When you’re under stress, several factors can cause stomach issues. Your central nervous system connects the nerves in your brain directly to those in your gastrointestinal tract. As a result, stress can sometimes show up as pain in your belly.
Stress can also disrupt the balance of bacteria in your gut or lead to stress-eating, both of which can cause stomach pain. The discomfort from these issues might prevent you from participating in everyday activities.
Tips for Managing Work-Related Stress
If you’re experiencing signs and symptoms of work-related stress, you can do something about it. First and foremost, you should remove yourself from any toxic workplace that’s making you ill on a regular basis — though keep in mind that stress is a normal part of most jobs in small doses.
People dealing with stress in the workplace from time to time can take steps to minimize it and improve their circumstances. Here are some tried and true coping skills that help reduce stress.
Emphasize Boundaries
You’re the one who sets the tone for your work experience. If you don’t, your colleagues may take advantage of you whether they mean to or not.
Without boundaries, you’re more likely to experience burnout and stress. Depending on your job, implementing some of these boundaries at work can help reduce stress:
- Only answer emails during work hours.
- Decline work-related calls outside of work.
- Don’t work while on vacation.
- Take time away from work to participate in important family functions.
- Avoid working overtime.
Take Some Time Off
Time away from work is a great way to reduce stress and reset. While a vacation might be exciting, you don’t have to go anywhere to take time off. Plenty of people find that a staycation also helps them recharge when they’re feeling drained from work-related stress.
Track Your Stressors
When you start noticing the signs and symptoms of stress, keep track of what triggers them. You can also record what reduces your stress and helps the symptoms go away.
A record of your stress and how you cope is a great resource for you, your doctor and your therapist. Together, you can identify positive coping mechanisms you already have while learning new ones. Thorough records can help your doctor rule out more serious health issues if your stress causes physical pain.
Exercise
Moving your body helps you produce feel-good hormones that reduce stress. That’s part of the reason so many people begin their day with a workout.
If you don’t have much time to spare, you can still find ways to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Try taking a walk or doing a short yoga routine between meetings or other activities. With a little more time to spare, you can enroll in an exercise class or schedule regular time with a personal trainer.
Talk to a Therapist
Sometimes you can’t solve your stress-related health concerns on your own. While lifestyle changes are often beneficial, they don’t work in every circumstance. If you’re still struggling with overwhelming stress after trying to address things, it might be time to talk with a therapist.
Finding the right therapist for you takes patience and research. Therapists have different specialities and approaches to mental health, so you’ll need to compare their methods to what you’re looking for. They can help you identify the source of your stress, brainstorm ways to fix it and give you the tools you need to confront it head-on.