Job Stress and Solutions
By Greg Harms, LCPC, CADC
Recently, a study was released that suggests a record number of Americans report being stressed by their jobs. Given the uneven economic recovery since 2008, it seems intuitive that any working individual would be so happy to have a job that it would outweigh any stress they might have. However, the exact opposite appears to be happening.
As more individuals become employment, the collective unhappiness is rising. It’s an issue we’ve tried to stay on top of here at 2SC (see our posts on stress for men and stress for women).
Job Related Stress
If you are employed, chances are you are experiencing one or more of these stressors. Yet, the often implicit message given by most employers to be happy about just having a job may be distracting you from realizing that these are the cause of your stress, making it difficult to do anything about it. If any of these sound familiar, it may be time to take action before burnout sets in.
1) Commute to work
Because jobs are scarcer than they used to be, employees now have to travel further than before in order to find one. Yet, because the housing market is still weak, it can be difficult to relocate closer to that job. So, more of us are traveling farther to get to work, creating worse traffic for all of us.
At the same time, government cutbacks often mean fewer public transportation options, compounded by the fact that most jobs today now require odd hours that may not mesh with your local transportation authority’s prime travel hours.
These odd hours may also make carpooling more difficult, thus preventing you from spreading out the pain of being behind the wheel. At least if someone else is driving, you don’t have to focus all your attention on all the bad drivers around you even if it doesn’t save any time getting home.
Possible Solutions
So, what can you do about this stressor? If you are stuck in the car, try to still use the time productively. Listen to audiobooks or explore a new genre of music (opera recordings last for hours and are great if you have a lengthy commute). Get a voice recorder and dictate memos or even do an audio journal.
If you can, try to use public transportation so you can read or use the computer, even if you just use it one or two days a week. If you can’t use public transportation or carpool, and your budget allows, try a car sharing service like Uber or Lyft one or two days a week just to take some of the stress off of being the driver. You’ll arrive at work and at home in a better mood and ready to handle whatever gets thrown at you.
2) Feeling Underemployed
Despite all the hoopla in the news about the declining unemployment rate, the real fact is that most people who are finding jobs are only finding ones that use a fraction of their skillset. Oftentimes, well-educated and experienced employees have to hide this fact on their resumes in order to land the job, which can lead to resentment and frustration.
You paid for that advanced degree, it’s not fair that putting it on the resume would price you out of most available jobs because they don’t require it. It can be easy to start feeling like a zombie or a drone, mindlessly plodding through each day at work, unappreciated and unchallenged. If this is you, don’t stop looking. Unlike being married, just because you have a job doesn’t mean you have to stop looking.
Possible Solutions
Stay persistent until you find what you want. In the meantime, try volunteering somewhere that requires your skills. Many non-profits need people with advanced skills. Join your church’s finance committee or run for your condo association’s treasurer position.
Not only will it allow you to use your skills, it will give you something else to focus on besides your misery at work and might put you in touch with people who know people who are hiring.
If it has been sometime since you have interviewed for a job, be sure to check out our post on 5 big things to never do!
3) Your Job Requires Skills You Don’t Have
So you found your ideal job, using your degree and building on your previous experience. Two months later, you get reassigned to a new position because your position is no longer necessary or can be done for cheaper overseas. If you were lucky enough to avoid being laid off directly and instead got transferred, it likely means that the position is so unpleasant that no one who worked for the company longer wanted it.
Now, because you took one class related to the job in college, your boss thinks you are an expert and has expectations that you can’t meet. Yet, you can’t just quit and go back to unemployment. This can be stressful because you are torn between being grateful for having a job, but also realizing that you are not cut out for the job and could loose it at any minute, and a layoff for cause often does not help when trying to find a new job. So, what can you do?
Possible solutions
Be honest about your difficulties with the job. Be willing to ask for help when you need it.
Most employers would rather have an employee who can ask for help and then learn the job rather than hide the fact that he or she doesn’t know what they’re doing and end up bungling something really important.
Look at this as an opportunity to learn something new and enhance your resume. It may not be what you wanted to do, but you never know what doors having this skill could open for you in the future. Bear in mind there is a difference between a job and a career.
4) Your Employer Expects You To Do More With Less
This is the classic cause of workplace stress, especially in times of economic downturns. They can only lay off so many people and still keep the company running. Again, the message you often get is that you are lucky to be one of the employees remaining with the company, so take on your new responsibilities and be grateful for your 12 hour workday at a 20% lower salary.
It can be hard to speak up for fear of being seen as difficult and getting let go and replaced by someone who won’t complain. But, at the same time, this frantic pace can often lead to burnout.
Possible Solutions
If you are in this position, it may seem like there is little you can do, and there may not be many practical things that you can do, at least right away. However, a shift in thinking can help to make the situation bearable. Remind yourself each day that you are there by choice. No one is holding a gun to your head and forcing you to stay in this horrible job. Remember your reasons for staying and focus on those. Remember too that nothing lasts forever, even the current economic situation.
Things will change someday and when they improve and the company starts hiring more people and raising salaries, they’ll remember that you were loyal and worked hard. If they don’t, move on to someone else who is hiring who will appreciate you. Find little things to make the day more enjoyable.
If your employer allows it, put some pictures on your desk of people important to you or vacation spots that you enjoy. During your coffee break, try to get to know a co-worker and develop your work relationships. You might not have much time, but you can still say hi and ask how their day is going. The more you can connect with others, the more you’ll find you can get through the day.
5) Workplace Bullying
Over 75% of Americans report having been the victim of or a witness to workplace bullying. As stress goes up, it often brings out the worst in people. People start treating others badly, leading to a hostile environment throughout the company in which many employees live in fear.
Bullying can come from a boss, a co-worker, or even a subordinate. Unlike harassment, there are no legal protections against workplace bullying in any state or at the federal level.
Possible Solutions
Speaking up, especially if you are not the target of the bully, can lead to unwanted attention from the bully with little recourse to stop it. The workplace can quickly become toxic, leading to mental and physical health problems. If you see workplace bullying or are the target of workplace bullies, say something.
Let Human Resources know that this is going on. While there are no official protections, many workplace have rules against this sort of behavior and investigations are usually confidential.
If HR won’t take you seriously, keep going up the chain of command. There’s nothing most directors fear more than a lawsuit, and workplace bullying can often trigger one, so the directors may be more sympathetic to what you have to say. If there are enough of you, try confronting the bully and letting him or her know that you know what is going on and will not accept it.
Oftentimes, the power of peer pressure can at least keep the bullying in check, even if it won’t actually change the bully’s personality for the better. Keeping silent and hoping you won’t get noticed or quitting in order to get away have been shown to increase stress and mental health problems, not decrease them.
Final Thoughts
If you are experiencing any of these workplace stressors and don’t feel that you can do something about them, try talking to someone. A therapist can often help you identify coping skills that you didn’t know you had. Career coaches or life coaches can help you come up with a longer term plan to get you out of the situation, which can lead to hope and a brighter outlook.
Friends, church members/pastors, and family members can also provide emotional support. If you are stressed, don’t bottle it up, seek support from others and you’ll find that you can handle more than you ever thought you could.
