“If you love what you do, then you never have to work for a day” this is a very famous quote.
A sad reality is that very few can afford to say this about their jobs. Although India ranks fairly high in the job satisfaction index with 70% of people reported that they are satisfied with their job even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
People are pretty satisfied with the work they do but that doesn’t mean they are not under tremendous pressure. It’s not rocket science to say that more and more working professionals are experiencing burnout in the workplace and pandemic didn’t help either. Sometimes even lucrative pay cannot compensate for all the stress and burnout.
If you are a working professional then do you agree with these figures?
As per the ADP’S Global Workforce View 2020 report, seven in ten Indian workers experience some sort of stress at work every week.
Nearly 70% of working professionals in India experience high stress in their jobs.
According to a study conducted by Microsoft, one-third of Indian workers face burnout.
Now ask yourself these questions,
Why are we experiencing so much stress?
Are we not capable to create a proper work-life balance?
Why more and more professionals are seeking psychological intervention?
I then searched for the causes of workplace stress and I was bombarded with so many causes-
- Long and extensive working hours
- Over-expectation- be it external or self-imposed
- Overbearing workload
- Job insecurity
- Unrealistic standards of the organization
- Lack of flexibility in the organization
- Quality of work ranging from mediocre to boring
- Dissatisfaction with pay in terms of the amount of work being done by the employee and so on
Your reason for experiencing workforce stress may or may not be in one of these causes. But it can be agreed that stress and burnout are common factors in the workforce. They can most likely be called an occupational hazard.
Think of it like this-
“Job is like medicine is essential for the proper functioning of life. Though like medicine it also comes with its own set of side effects like stress and burnout.”
So, what can you do when you, when you feel pressurized by your work and quitting, is not an option for you?
Test out these tips and see if they make your job a little easier-
- Meditate, meditate, meditate. Most working professionals have confessed that mediation indeed works in reducing stress.
- Keep your workstation clutter-free and organized. A bonus is no more yelling at the wall when you cannot find that important file.
- Isolate yourself from your working habitat and take some quiet time if you feel overwhelmed by the work.
- Don’t shy away from taking counseling help provided by your organization. If you are not comfortable talking to your in-site counselor then try seeking help from another counselor.
- Practice mental imagery relaxation. It is a technique where you imagine yourself in your ‘happy place’ to reduce the momentary phase of stress.
- Taking a time out. When all the above-mentioned tips don’t work for you then try taking some time off from your work and take a break. When you can take a break because of your physical health they why can’t you take a break for the sake of your mental health.
Stress has become very common in the workforce but its effects are always impactful on an individual. Don’t neglect your mental health in the process of climbing the ladder of your career.
image source – www.pixabay.com
