V. Causes of Stress at Work.

Stress at work' has two separate meanings. The first refers to stress experienced by many people in the workplace. The second meaning is a reference to the fact that stress is working on you, which can be unpleasant.

The two meanings have an intertwined relationship. Stress suffered at work can result in damage to your physical and mental health, which in turn can cause further stress. In order to find a solution, you need to look at the underlying problem.

Job-related stress can be extremely difficult to avoid. It is not unusual to face unrealistic deadlines, often without the required resources, or for the company to work towards goals that don’t sit well with your personal values. Many workplaces can be fun, but there are many others that are highly stressful environments.

It’s also not unusual to have to deal with an unfair manager or unhelpful co-worker. Often, those in management positions have been promoted when they don’t have the knowledge or skills to lead a team. Once they are in that position, they are more concerned with ‘getting in’ with their superior than what they are with giving their team direction and guidance.

When people are asked what causes them stress, they usually reply that either unfair managers or mis-directed goals are the cause. They are forced to work in ways that make them feel that they don’t have any control.

And it’s not that these people are unable to solve problems.

Working mothers are adept at time management and multi-tasking, as they are required to use these skills at home. They can also usually settle arguments between people, even when no-one is completely right or wrong.

Men are usually good at listening and responding to complaints. They often know when to fight for something, and when to compromise.

However, at work most people are not given the freedom to use their skills to better the workplace. Most company goals come from high up managers, and leave no room for debate or initiative. People in these situations are forced to work on projects that they have no authority to make better, and are unable to voice their ideas, which often results in stress.

Most stress in the workplace comes from this problem – being given a project to complete, within a certain timeframe, without the resources necessary to get the job done. When the “I must” (deadline) begins getting competition from “I can’t” (lack of resources), then stress is usually the result. Of course, deadlines do get met, but normally because people sacrifice their personal time to complete the project.

VI. Stress and Alcohol

'Driven to drink' is a phrase that is still used by people. What it actually shows though is a lack of responsibility. Instead of dealing with the problem causing the stress, you are essentially ignoring it, glossing over the issue with something that can bring its own set of problems and stress.

That’s not to say that drinking moderately is frowned upon. A small amount of alcohol, when stressed, can help to improve problem solving performance, as it helps you to relax enough to view a problem objectively. However, a large intake of alcohol will impair your problem solving abilities, and is also harmful to your health, especially over long periods of time.

When alcohol is consumed in large amounts, the hypothalamus, adrenal and pituitary glands are stimulated, resulting in increased cortical and adrenaline production. By themselves, these things don’t necessarily cause stress, but when combined with other stressful factors, they play a large part in amplifying stress.

Concentration is one of the functions that is affected by extreme stress. High alcohol consumption also has this affect, so somebody suffering from stress with a double dose of loss of concentration. Thinking that alcohol is going to help clear your head is a bad bet, and likely to work against you.

It’s also not unusual for heavy drinkers to exhibit ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) symptoms. Research also indicates that children of heavy drinkers also have a high incidence of ADHD.

A good method to help relieve stress is exercise. However, heavy drinkers are prone to low levels of exercise. It is unlikely that after a bout of heavy drinking, someone will decide to run a couple of miles on a treadmill, or lift some weights.

Another side affect of alcohol consumption is the suppression of appetite. Therefore, the only calories they are consuming are those from the alcohol. Unfortunately, alcohol does not provide the vitamins and minerals needed to maintain a healthy body, or a clear mind.

Money is often a big factor behind stress, and is often the reason many people drink to escape. However, the stress is further increased by alcohol consumption, as thinking clearly about money matters becomes far more difficult when under the influence of alcohol. Consumption of alcohol also impairs your ability to focus on and implement long term strategies that could help to banish money problems, as your cognitive functions are affected by alcohol.

Once you begin drinking to deal with stress, a vicious cycle is created. The initial problem that caused the stress causes you to want to drink. Drinking in turn, makes it difficult to deal with the problem that caused the stress in the first place. Admittedly, people are affected by alcohol differently, but the fact remains that once you begin drinking alcohol in large quantities (more than a drink or two per day), then your reasoning skills become impaired, resulting in an inability to deal with the initial problem with objectivity and clarity.

To ensure that stress doesn’t rule your life, the best thing to do is not to turn to drinking in the first place. A solution to problems can normally be found, but only if you can look at the situation clearly. Being realistic about the challenges life throws at you, and dealing with things the moment they arise goes a long way towards removing any stress from your life.