Providing In-Person Counselling for Workplace & Career Difficulties in Vancouver and Virtually Across BC
Counselling for Workplace & Career Difficulties
In today’s society, the workplace has become an extension of who you are. It’s a place that allows you to pursue your passions and develop your skills. But with that, the workplace has also become increasingly stressful for many people, and it’s no surprise that it can lead to poor health.
When stress occurs, your health becomes more affected. Finding a low-stress job might be difficult because stress is common in any workplace. Instead, focusing on effective strategies to reduce your stress at work would be a more practical choice.
Common Workplace Issues
- Most of us spend the majority of our day at our workplace. For that reason, there are bound to be different stressors that could affect performance. Some common stressors include:
- Interpersonal conflict, conflict with your co-workers;
- Communication problems, issues communicating with your boss, co-workers or clients;
- Harassment, verbal, psychological, cyberbullying, sexual, discriminatory (i.e., racial, gender, religious), and more;
- Disorganization, your employer may not have structured processes in place;
- Multitasking, taking on several work roles can get overwhelming;
- Physical discomfort, physical restraints involved in your line of work;
- Bullying, verbal abuse, cyberbullying;
- Personal frustrations, poor job fit, low motivation/job satisfaction, and performance issues.
How Workplace Stress Affects The Rest of Your Life
According to The American Institute of Stress, 34% of people reported difficulty sleeping, 44% reported strained eyes, 12% complained of hurting hands and 12% called in sick due to job stress.¹ Work-related stress is a significant problem with long-term effects on your physical and mental health. Physical health problems include heart attacks, hypertension, pain, and insomnia, which can be lifelong conditions. Mental health is also highly influenced. Stress causes a physiological reaction that makes us go into ‘fight or flight’ mode, which causes us to lose the ability to reason. Exposure to constant stress can lead to a psychological syndrome called burnout. Burnout occurs from the exhaustion of the job and can lead to mental health issues.
Workplace challenges are associated with a higher prevalence of mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression. Remember that if left untreated, stress can take its toll on your professional and personal life and negatively affect your overall health.
Signs & Symptoms of Work-Related Stress
- Everyone encounters stress on some level, but it becomes a problem when it affects you physically and mentally. Some signs and symptoms of work-related stress include:
- Increased irritability
- Becoming increasing avoidant
- Sleeping more or less than usual
- Lack of concentration and productivity
- Experiencing negative emotions
- Bodily pains
- Headaches
How Counselling Can Help
Understanding the cause of your work-related stress issues with the help of a professional can help you take steps toward overcoming work challenges. Therapy can help treat mental health symptoms by helping you identify and change unhealthy thoughts and teaching stress management techniques and communication skills. Improving your communication and conflict resolution skills are valuable techniques that can be applied to the workplace. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) may also help with work-related stress, helping improve mood and general well-being.
Resources
1. https://www.stress.org/workplace-stress
