Some jobs are intrinsically difficult, unpleasant,
and stressful. This may be due to the nature or environment of the work
itself, or because of inherent conflicts with your personal attitudes
and ambitions.
Learn to Deal with the Pressure
NOTE
Some jobs are intrinsic sources of stress
Customer service
departments in call centres can be extremely stressful, particularly
when customers are demanding, unpleasant, rude, or perhaps even angry.
Production line workers on continually moving production lines can
experience intense pressure from the constant, unrelenting demands on
their performance. Managing people can be stressful, particularly when
managers are dealing with regular interruptions from staff at the same
time that they are trying to complete work themselves and meet their own
deadlines. Pressures and stress are part of these jobs and, while you
may be able to eliminate some of them, others will always remain, and
you will have to learn to deal with the stress.
Think Smart
Don’t burn your bridges. If you’re fed up with your
current situation it can be tempting to move to a completely different
job in a different industry.
Think about such a move
very carefully – if you’re going to be successful you’ll need to learn a
lot about that industry and how it works. It can take a huge effort to
become skilled in a completely new role, and you may experience feelings
of inadequacy during the process.
Tackling a Lack of Information
The feeling of loss of
control that comes from not knowing what is going on can cause severe
stress, especially when people are feeling insecure about their jobs.
There are several possible reasons for the lack of communication:
Although managers may be happy to share information, they may not always think to do so.
People may feel they are communicating, and be unaware that staff have misinterpreted their messages.
Team members may not ask for information because they are scared of their manager or are over-respectful.
Managers may feel it is unprofessional to pass on too much information, and therefore pass on too little.
Ask for clarification of the situation. By doing so you at least create the opportunity for more open communication.
Accept the Fixed Factors
Other major contributors to
job stress are lack of information, poor environments, lack of control
over work and the pace of work, frequent distractions and upsets, and
frustration of goals. The demands of your job may even conflict with
your own values, beliefs, or goals, and this, too, can cause intense
stress.
Improve and Adapt
If your environment and
working conditions are causing stress, it may be possible to improve
them with very little expenditure or effort.
If you are frequently exposed to annoying upsets and
interruptions, use practical relaxation techniques to reduce the level
of stress.
If you find yourself feeling angry or negative, check whether your interpretation of the situation is accurate.
