Stress And Depression In The Workplace – How Can It Be Tackled?

What Are Symptoms Of Stress And Depression?

Stress is something that all of us experience. It is normal to go through stressful times in our lives. However, too much stress can affect mental and physical health in a negative way. Stress can cause someone to experience mood swings, agitation, the feeling of being overwhelmed, difficulty relaxing, low self-esteem and feelings of worthlessness. These are just the emotional symptoms of stress. Physical symptoms include fatigue, tension headaches, IBS symptoms, muscle tension, palpitations, difficulty sleeping, lack of libido and more. It can make it hard for somebody to concentrate, and they might be less organised than usual. Having listed just some of the symptoms of stress, it’s easy to see why it is in an employer’s best interests to tackle stress in the workplace. Symptoms of chronic stress and depression do overlap. Depression affects motivation, sleep, appetite, anxiety levels, and more. Too much stress can lead to depression.

How Can We Reduce Stress And Depression In The Workplace?

It’s important for employers to be approachable about these issues, so that they can try and make a difference. This isn’t always the case, but many large companies do have policies in place to help employees who are stressed or struggling with mental health problems. Many will be able to try and negotiate more comfortable hours or ask what can be done to reduce stress during every day tasks. However, sometimes these changes are not made, or if they are, they aren’t enough. In this case, employees should be allowed the time that they need to visit their doctor and see if there could be further treatment for their stress. Sometimes the stressors come from outside the workplace and make it difficult for employees to work, with examples being divorce or bereavement. In these times, employees should be given the time they need to recover or navigate their stressful situation. When they wish to return to work, they should have a return to work interview to discuss how to make coming back to work as smooth for them as possible. The focus should always be on the employee, and not the effect that it has on the workplace here. Employees struggling with stress, depression, or both, may also feel a lot of guilt about a lack of productivity in the workplace. It’s important that they are made to feel supported and not worse.