Work stress in the company and its prevention

The company has the obligation to know what is the level of satisfaction of its employees, their working conditions and act on this basis, because if the worker feels good, the company will work much better.

Historical Evolution of the Concept of Stress

The concept of stress was first introduced in the field of health in 1926 by Hans Selye. Currently, it is one of the most used terms. We all talk about stress. Selye defined stress as the general response of the organism to any stressful stimulus or stressful situation.

The term stress, started from a physical concept referring to a force or weight that produces different degrees of tension or deformation in different materials. Selye does not refer to the stimulus (weight or force), but to the body's response to it. He uses the term stress to describe the sum of nonspecific changes in the organism in response to a stimulus or stimulating situation (1956).

Subsequently, the term has been used with multiple meanings and has served both to designate an organism response and to indicate the effects produced by repeated exposures to stressful situations.

In 1989, after controversial scientific discussions about whether stress was the body's stimulus or response, authors Paterson and Neufeld begin to consider the term stress as a generic term that refers to a specific area or field of study.

The concept of work stress, as it appears in the informative documents of the National Institute of Safety and Hygiene at Work, dependent on the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (1997) from an integrating perspective, is defined as «the physiological, psychological and behavior of an individual trying to adapt and adjust to internal and external pressures ». Job stress appears when there is a mismatch between the person, the job and the organization itself.

Stressor concept

The term «stressor or stressful situation» is used to refer to the stimulus or situation that provokes a stress response in the professional.

Types and Classes of Stressors:

Stressors can be of two types:

Psychosocial. They can generate stress by the meaning that the person assigns to them.

Example: public speaking with people we don't know. This fact can be stressful for some people. Others, however, even like it.

Biogenic. These are situations that become stressors due to their ability to produce certain biochemical or electrical changes that automatically trigger the stress response.

Example: You have to work in low light, because you have to respect some saving measures or work in places with little ventilation if they are air-conditioned at certain times of the day, which causes demotivation and even irritability, which can affect performance intellectual or physical worker.

Stress Response Concept

The stress response is the nonspecific response of the body to any demand and the term stressor or stressful situation refers to the stimulus or situation that causes a stress response.

It is an automatic response of the organism to any environmental change, external or internal, through which the organism prepares to face the possible demands that may be generated as a consequence of the new situation. (Prof. Labrador 1996).

Characteristics of Stress Situations

In all stress situations, there are a number of common characteristics:

A change or a new situation is generated. There is usually a lack of information. Uncertainty. You cannot predict what will happen. Ambiguity: the more ambiguous the situation, the more stressful power it will generate. The imminence of change can create even more stress. In general, you have skills to handle new situations. Alterations in the biological conditions of the organism take place that force us to work more intensely to return to the state of balance. Duration of the stress situation. The longer a new situation lasts, the greater the wear of the organism.

Phases of the Stress Response

Three successive phases of adaptation of the organism are described:

1. Alarm reaction phase: In the face of a stressful stimulus, the organism reacts automatically preparing for the response, for action, both to fight and to escape from the stressful stimulus. An activation of the nervous system is generated with the typical manifestations of dry mouth, dilated pupils, sweating, muscle tension, tachycardia, increased respiratory rate, increased blood pressure, increased glucose synthesis and adrenaline secretion and norepinephrine.

A psychological activation is also generated, increasing the attention and concentration capacity. It is a short phase and is not harmful when the body has time to recover.

2. Resistance phase: It appears when the organism does not have time to recover and continues to react to face the situation.

3. Exhaustion phase: As the energy of adaptation is limited, if the stress continues or becomes more intense, resistance capacities can be exceeded, and the body enters a phase of exhaustion, with the appearance of psychosomatic disorders.

Stress Sources. Types of Labor Stressors

The sources of stress are classified into:

Intense and extraordinary life events. It appears when situations of change occur such as marital separation, job layoffs, death of close relatives, etc. Stressful daily events of small intensity. According to some authors, these types of events can cause psychological and biological effects more important than those that can generate more drastic events such as the death of a close relative. Events of sustained chronic tension: These are situations capable of generating sustained stress for longer periods of time. or less long. The stress of having a child who has problems every day as a result of illness, drug addiction, etc.

Types of Labor Stressors:

They are classified into:

Stressors of the physical environment, among which are:

The lighting. It is not the same to work in the night shift as in the day shift, as it is not the same to work with poor lighting, either due to lack of light or due to the fact that the premises are painted with aggressive colors and not refreshing to the eye. noise. Working with alarms continuously, can affect not only the ear, but the work performance: satisfaction, productivity, etc. Contaminated environments. The perception of risks can produce greater anxiety in the professional, impacting on performance and psychological well-being. Temperature. Sometimes working in a hot environment, even exposed to the intense heat of the sun, generates tremendous discomfort. Weight. Having to handle large physical weights continuously and even risky for your life is a stress-generating element.

Homework stressors. The generation of stress varies from one person to another, since the characteristics of each task and what it generates in the professionals depend on what they like or don't do. When the task meets expectations and professional capacity, it contributes to psychological well-being and is an important motivation. These stressors include:

The mental workload. It is the degree of mobilization of energy and mental capacity that the professional puts into play to carry out the task. Control over the task. It occurs when the task is not controlled, that is, when the activities to be carried out are not adequate to our knowledge.

Organizational stressors: The most important stressors that appear in the organization are the following:

Role conflict and ambiguity. It occurs when there are differences between what the professional expects and the reality of what the organization requires. When it is not clear what to do, the objectives of the work and the inherent responsibility that it entails, it can stress us out in a significant way.

Rest times, interpersonal relationships, feeling observed-criticized by peers, communication difficulties and the limited possibilities of promotion also influence. These factors can also generate job stress.

The excessive work day produces physical and mental wear and tear and prevents the professional from coping with stressful situations. Interpersonal relationships can become a source of stress. Think of an emotionally unbalanced professional who makes life impossible for all your peers. It is a continuous source of stress. On the contrary, when there is good interpersonal communication and when perceived social and organizational support, the negative effects of work stress on our health are cushioned. Promotion and professional development. If professional aspirations do not correspond to reality due to lack of merit assessment, deep frustration can be generated with the appearance of stress.

Consequences of Labor Stress

Work stress produces a series of consequences and negative effects:

At the level of the physiological response system: tachycardia, increased blood pressure, sweating, disturbances of the respiratory rhythm, increased muscle tension, increased blood glucose, increased basal metabolism, increased cholesterol, inhibition of the immune system, lump in the throat, pupil dilation, etc. at the level of the cognitive system: feeling of worry, indecision, low concentration, disorientation, bad mood, hypersensitivity to criticism, feelings of lack of control, etc. at the level of the motor system: speaking fast, tremors, stuttering, broken voice, imprecision, emotional explosions, consumption of legal drugs such as tobacco and alcohol, excess appetite, lack of appetite, impulsive behavior, nervous laughter, yawning, etc.

Stress also generates a series of associated disorders, which, although not triggering causes, sometimes constitute a contributing factor:

Respiratory disorders: Asthma, hyperventilation, tachypnea, etc. Cardiovascular disorders: coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, heart rhythm disturbances, etc. Immunological disorders: Development of infectious diseases. Endocrine disorders: Hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, Cushing's syndrome, etc. Dermatological disorders: Pruritus, excessive sweating, atypical dermatitis, hair loss, chronic urticaria, facial flushing, etc. Diabetes: It usually aggravates the disease. Chronic pain and continuous headaches. Sexual disorders: Impotence, premature ejaculation, vaginismus, altered libido, etc. Psychopathological disorders: Anxiety, fears, phobias, depression, addictive behaviors, insomnia, eating disorders, personality disorders, etc.

Work Stress Assessment

Work stress prevention and control programs must start from a multidimensional evaluation of the stress process, that is, from those personal, interpersonal and organizational factors that intervene in the generation of stress at work. It can be deduced, therefore, that stress cannot be analyzed in isolation. The study of stress at work will require knowledge of essential elements such as:

Stressors: physical and psychosocial conditions of work. Stress perception: cognitive evaluation of the individual in his appreciation of the environmental demands and the resources available to him. Moderating variables: personal and interpersonal characteristics that can determine vulnerability to stress such as: pattern behavior, self-efficacy, locus of control, coping strategies, social support. Responses to stress: physiological, behavioral, cognitive. Consequences on health, interpersonal relationships at work, job satisfaction, performance at work, etc.

In short, to assess work stress it is necessary to use different instruments that refer to aspects related to both the work situation and the individual. The most useful assessment instruments are:

Checklists to determine the different areas of an organization related to the content of work and social relationships that can cause stress in health professionals. Question them, scales and invent them that allow obtaining information about the way in which stressors are perceived, as well such as personal characteristics and coping strategies in the face of a stressful event. Biochemical and electrophysiological indicators for measuring physiological responses. Questioning them about health problems that may be caused by stress. Administrative registration systems to evaluate, for example, absenteeism. and incapacity for work.

How to avoid work stress?

Much is said and written about one of the problems of the 21st century: stress.

Work is the main source of concern and tension among the vast majority of people.

The first thing to be clear is that there is no magic formula that will eliminate stress immediately and radically, but each person has to adapt their own way of fighting it.

To avoid work stress it is important that you plan your activities, that you do not leave room for improvisation or the accumulation of tasks. When you have a lot of things to do and little time, the situation usually overwhelms you and anxiety, nerves and damn stress begin.

It is also not a good idea to accumulate more responsibility than your job needs. Think that the more responsibility you have, the more stress and pressures will be generated, all of which will harm your own health. Learn to know your limits and do not want to cover more than your body can sustain.

In the same way, to avoid work stress you must set yourself achievable goals and objectives, no utopias or pharaonic projects, that do nothing but hinder your well-being. There are people who are not able to say "no"; therefore, more loads accumulate to your work. It is important to know how to say "no" and to know what each one can do.

Of course, you have to sleep to be rested and avoid work stress.

Sleep is essential to face the day with guarantees. The problem is that many times your own tension and pressure do not let you sleep; This must be solved, since lack of sleep can also cause stress, and everything is a snowball that accumulates and affects you.

You always have the option of going to a doctor to help you and give you a treatment.

How Can You Overcome Stress?

The most common techniques for coping and overcoming stress are the following:

Respiratory techniques: Very useful in the processes of anxiety, hostility, resentment, muscle tension, fatigue and chronic fatigue. Progressive relaxation techniques: They are useful in anxiety, depression, impotence, low self-esteem, phobias, fears, muscle tension, hypertension, headaches, digestive disturbances, insomnia, tics, tremors, etc. Self-hypnosis techniques: Highly effective in headaches, neck and back pain, digestive disturbances such as irritable bowel, fatigue, chronic fatigue, insomnia, sleep disorders. Autogenous: useful in muscle tension, hypertension, digestive disturbances, fatigue, chronic fatigue, insomnia and other sleep disturbances. Thought stopping techniques: useful in anxiety in specific situations, phobias, fears, obsessions, unwanted thoughts.Technique of rejection of absurd ideas: It is used in generalized anxious processes, depression, hopelessness, impotence, low self-esteem, hostility, bad mood, irritability, resentment, etc. Techniques for coping with problems: Used in phobias and fears and in anxiety in situations assertive coping techniques: techniques used in obsessions, unwanted thoughts, in communication problems and anxiety in personal situations. biofeedback techniques: effective in generalized anxious processes, muscle tension, hypertension, headaches, neck and back pain, muscle spasms, tics, tremors, etc.Techniques for coping with problems: Used in phobias and fears and in anxiety in certain situations. Technique for assertive coping: Techniques used in obsessions, unwanted thoughts, in communication problems and anxiety in personal situations. Techniques for biofeedback: Effective in generalized anxious processes, muscle tension, hypertension, headaches, neck and back pain, muscle spasms, tics, tremors, etc.Techniques for coping with problems: Used in phobias and fears and in anxiety in certain situations. Technique for assertive coping: Techniques used in obsessions, unwanted thoughts, in communication problems and anxiety in personal situations. Techniques for biofeedback: Effective in generalized anxious processes, muscle tension, hypertension, headaches, neck and back pain, muscle spasms, tics, tremors, etc.headaches, neck and back pain, muscle spasms, tics, tremors, etc.headaches, neck and back pain, muscle spasms, tics, tremors, etc.

What is Burnout Syndrome?

The magazine Erga Noticias, a periodical published by the National Institute for Safety and Hygiene at Work, in an article on new names for "modern" diseases, describes Burnout Syndrome as a syndrome of professional burnout that manifests itself in professionals undergoing a chronic emotional stress, whose main features are: physical and mental exhaustion, cold and depersonalized attitude in the relationship towards others and feelings of personal dissatisfaction with the tasks to be performed.

Have you wondered how many losses your company has due to job stress? Why is it so important to prevent it?

We know that work stress generates a significant personal cost due to the sick leave it entails, absences from work, low motivation that affects the productive level and an increase in work accidents.

All these consequences are reflected, in addition to personal losses, in very high annual costs that could decrease, if each company carried out a preventive study of the agents that cause it and strategies for managing stress in the organization were implemented.

According to a study by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (1999), 28% of European workers suffer from stress:

20% suffer burnout (professional burnout). More than half of the 147 million workers say they work at high speeds and with tight deadlines. More than a third cannot influence the organization of their tasks. More than a quarter cannot decide on their work rate. 45% say they carry out monotonous tasks. For 44% there is no possibility of rotation.

A conservative estimate of the costs of work-related stress points to some € 20 billion per year facing stress and its inevitable consequences from different angles of your working life.

This phenomenon in Latin America tends to be well above the aforementioned figures, while job stress is a multi-cause phenomenon that is also emphasized in the so-called third world countries, even though some of its effects tend to remain underlying. Cuba does not escape this cause and effect relationship, and in the last decade there has been a marked increase in patients who even go to a medical consultation for presenting some of the effects of work stress, showing in the studies carried out that combine elements in our case of a personal and family nature with elements generated in the work context, which requires a specific analysis of each case in order to precisely delimit the real causes that cause work stress, and consequently be able to indicate treatments and therapies tailored to each individual.

Work stress affects 80 percent in professional groups in Cuba

Cuba presents job stress indexes similar to those registered in the United States and Europe, and in some professional sectors this illness reaches 80 percent of workers, according to island experts.

The weekly workers reported that research conducted in Cuba points to an incidence of job stress of "between 30 and 40 percent, depending on the sector in question; even, studies carried out in groups of professionals have shown proportions that double these percentages ».

Workers, who do not specify the professional sectors with the highest incidence of the disease, points out that Cuban experts have reached "similar results" to those obtained by studies carried out in Europe and the United States in 2005.

In those surveys it was established that in Europe the impact of the disease reached a third of the working population, while in the case of the United States, it affected 40 percent.

Although the weekly does not establish the specific causes that generate this disease in our country, it mentions forms of work stress such as "welfare stress", which affects countries with a "booming" service sector with workers dedicated to the branches of health, education, commerce and tourism, as is the case in Cuba.

The need to put yourself in the other's place has an emotional cost for the worker, according to Jorge Román Hernández, a psychologist at the National Institute of Workers' Health.

He maintained that stress is the "response of a being who often does not realize that he has lost motivation for work."

"Work stress affects the quality of the work performed, causes absenteeism and low productivity, hence it is a cause of concern not only for health managers, unions and workers, but also for employers.

As one of the solutions against work stress, Román pointed out that "being understood and esteemed by colleagues helps a lot with emotional stability, even in somewhat adverse circumstances."

There are many causes of stress in the work environment; some easier to determine and others, which can go completely unnoticed because they are more complex and more subjective to evaluate.

Among these causes we find:

Certain physical conditions in the workplace:

Let's look at the worker environment. In what conditions are you doing it? Is the lighting, acoustic environment and thermal comfort adequate? What equipment and furniture are you working with? Are the signals and information you need provided?

The temporal characteristics of the job:

The continuous requirement to complete tasks in a tight or limited time limit, shift work, the speed at which tasks have to be carried out and the maximum requirement, are stressors and are often the origin of sleep disorders, exhaustion and emotional disorders.

The demand for work:

The search for greater productivity, quality and excessive competitiveness are reasons that lead to more demands on the employee, generating a workload. We can speak in terms of quantity when it is an excessive demand (overload) which would be equivalent to being "up to your neck" in work. And if we speak in terms of quality, we will refer to the training needs and abilities to execute the tasks, their difficulty and complexity with their respective consequences.

The occupational level:

This point would take us to the tasks performed by the worker himself, his role in the company, what he does or does not have to do, where his area of responsibility begins and ends.

The situation that generates stress regarding the occupational level would be basically the lack of definition of tasks. Many times we do not know what to do or what is expected of us, because the information that comes to us is insufficient and this lack of control causes us discomfort. Other times we do jobs where we do not use our knowledge and skills creating a feeling of wasting our abilities.

Social relations:

We know that personal relationships are very important, especially considering the number of hours we spend at work. Lack of communication and social support, lack of personal relationships at work and the difficulty of combining personal life with family and work are the factors that promote stress.

Social skills, together with communication, conflict resolution and negotiation skills are mitigating tools for this type of stressor and therefore it is recommended that they take place in companies' training plans.

The structure of the organization:

An excessively hierarchical or authoritarian business structure, sometimes even aggressive, with a non-participatory decision-making system and poor internal communication influences the work, organizational and psychological climate of the company, generating job stress for its workers.

As we can see, there are numerous sources of stress and the role that the company itself can play and its management measures that will be useful to mitigate or eliminate professional burnout is of great importance. The company has the obligation to know what is the level of satisfaction of its employees, their working conditions and act on this basis, because if the worker feels good, the company will work much better.

Conclusions

1.- The stress response is a very important occupational risk in today's contemporary company.

2.- Feeling stressed depends as much on the demands of the external environment as on our own resources to face it.

3.- Exposure to stressful situations causes the «stress response», which consists of an increase in physiological and cognitive activation.

4.- Exposure to stressful situations makes our body prepare for intense motor activity.

5.- Exposure to stressful situations prepares our body to act faster and more vigorously in the face of the possible demands of the situation.

6.- If the stress response is too frequent, intense or lasting, it can have negative consequences on our body.

7.- The organism cannot maintain for a long time a constant rhythm of action beyond its possibilities.

8.- If the stress response is maintained for a long time beyond the limits that are different for each person, serious disorders will occur at different levels.

9.- In any stress situation there are some characteristics, among which a change or new situation is more specific.

10.- The consequences of work stress are multiple at the three levels: physiological, cognitive and motor.

11.- Stress can be assessed by analyzing and checking the stress self-assessment tables that exist for its assessment.

12.- There are stress control techniques of proven and validated efficacy.