Today there are more people who have a fast-paced life with little rest. It has been mistakenly believed that having more work is synonymous with effectiveness, which has resulted in work overload. This affects people’s lives and triggers work stress. Currently, faced with emotional and mental problems, work stress is spoken more frequently. These efforts have been made so that people can have healthy relationships with their professional environment. Hence, cognitive-behavioral therapy is a method that has shown satisfactory results in the management of work stress.
It is well known that for some having a job is also a way to dignify themselves as human beings, but for others, it is nothing more than a negative environment, occupied by tedious obligations, useless, boring, exhausting responsibilities, and, as has been stated, generates a lot of work stress. But what happens?
Stress is a natural reaction of the organism in the face of dangerous situations. It allows one to flee from states where there are threats and discomfort. However, when stress is present in work situations, it is difficult to flee, which generates sustained stress, that is, the person cannot manage the situation quickly and effectively, but neither can they stop working. All this mess only generates an increase in stress.
Let’s see a little what is meant by work stress.
What is work stress?
The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined work stress as follows: “It is the reaction that the individual can have before work demands and pressures that do not adjust to their knowledge and abilities, and that test their ability to cope with the situation.” In work stress, a particular situation occurs: job requirements are usually very high, while skills and control over decision-making are low.
The WHO states that stress affects each person differently; However, work stress conditions certain symptoms such as anxiety and irritability; In addition, it makes it difficult for people to relax or concentrate; cognitive difficulties arise: such as the absence of rational thought, difficulties in decision-making, attention and memory problems. In the same way, those who have work stress lose the enjoyment of their job functions: interest declines, there is fatigue, depression, and restlessness. In later situations, there may be episodes of insomnia and even physical difficulties ranging from digestive problems to heart problems.
Perhaps you have felt that some of these situations have been experienced at some point in your life. It is important to note that each person adapts to work stress differently because it depends on various factors such as genetics, personality, and mental and physical conditions.
Some symptoms of work stress
There are three groups of symptoms that can help you determine if you are experiencing job stress.
● Physiological symptoms. They are those symptoms that appear when work stress affects the body. For example, stomach problems, dizziness, excessive sweating, muscle tension, rapid heartbeat, dry mouth, nausea, lack of energy, insomnia, among others.
● Motor symptoms. When work stress arrives, it is possible to have symptoms such as involuntary movements in the body, compulsive biting of nails, constantly scratching the head, moving from one place to another for no apparent reason, fleeing spaces that generate fear.
● Psychological symptoms. They are those that occur in the mind and emotions. Work stress can bring worry, fear, negative thoughts, insecurities, lack of concentration, the urge to cry, sadness
If you’ve suffered from any of these symptoms, you may have experienced job stress. If you think you have them today, it is time for you to seek professional help that allows you to manage these situations in an optimal way. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is one of the most effective methods for treating work stress. Let’s see a little what this therapy is about.
What is cognitive behavioral therapy and how does it help with work stress?
Cognitive-behavioral therapy starts from its postulates that all behaviors are obtained through the interaction of individuals with the environment. For this theory, behavior is learned systematically and in an observable way. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, then, is a psychotherapeutic method (uses speech), at the hands of a professional (psychotherapist), through encounters with a patient in which they seek to improve the acquired behavior, creating tools to be aware of negative thoughts and see the surrounding situations more objectively and respond effectively to them.
Regarding work stress, cognitive-behavioral therapy is one of the most effective treatments to intervene in people, both individually and collectively, since the methods used in psychotherapy provide answers to the stressful questions that arise in the workplace. So, cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses on the present and the future so that the patient-worker has lasting changes.
Some techniques of cognitive-behavioral therapy:
● Cognitive restructuring. Through psychotherapy, the patient-worker will be able to identify the negative thoughts that produce work stress. Through cognitive restructuring, tools can be used so that these disturbing ideas are replaced by coherent thoughts.
● Resolution of problems. Psychotherapy will allow the patient-worker to clearly detect the situations that generate work stress and allows them to choose the best idea when they need to anticipate chaotic moments.
● Self-control techniques. Through this technique, the patient-worker will be able to take control of his behavior in situations of work stress or when he detects that they are approaching.
● Relaxation and diaphragmatic breathing. The psychotherapist will teach techniques to control work stress through deep breathing. When under stress at work, people tend to breathe shallowly; This technique seeks to develop a deep and conscious inhalation to relax.
Having work stress seems to be more common than we think; however, its consequences can be dire and long-lasting. Cognitive-behavioral therapy will allow these stressful situations to be dealt with in an effective, systematic, and sustained way over time. If you think you suffer from work stress, do not hesitate to go to your psychotherapist. You will find help that saves!