Did you know that there are some illnesses caused by stress that can affect your professional life? For many, the corporate environment is extremely toxic and, in many cases, can harm an individual’s health, compromising their professional performance.
Therefore, in order to preserve the success of your company, you should care about the health of your employees from now on. Want to learn more about this topic? Continue reading below:
What are illnesses caused by stress in the workplace?
Workplace stress-related illnesses are the physical and mental conditions brought about by pressure and overload as well as a poor or unhelpful working environment. They are developed when the level of stress is greater than an individual’s ability to handle the job requirements.
7 diseases caused by stress in the workplace
Stress in the workplace can lead to a variety of physical and mental illnesses. Here are seven of them:
1. Insomnia
One of the primary diseases caused by stress is insomnia. When a large accumulation of tasks is faced along with long working hours and lots of pressure at work, the individual will become extremely stressed, thus altering the quality of their sleep.
Unfortunately, this scenario has the same result: without proper sleep, employees will be even more tired and, the next day, will not have enough energy to perform their activities. This situation can also affect their metabolism and even their mood.
To avoid this scenario, it is important to manage the projects that are being carried out by the employee, optimizing their workday and promoting short breaks throughout the day. In addition, other practices are excellent for getting around the problem and can be integrated into the company, such as physical exercise or meditation classes. It’s worth it!
2. Burnout Syndrome
A form of emotional, mental and physical exhaustion, usually caused by work overload and constant pressure. In other words, the individual becomes exhausted, unable to perform their usual tasks or relate healthily with other people.
Obviously, this condition will affect your professional activity directly because the employee will get nervous and resentful and will begin to demonstrate signs of paranoia, persecution, and also lose interest in those issues that lately seemed interesting.
At first glance, this condition will resemble depression due to similarities in signs. However, only a doctor will be able to make an exact diagnosis and refer the patient for the best treatment.
Complications including Burnout Syndrome reveal that workplace requires an interdisciplinary team. By engaging employees who are specialized in the area, it would be possible to easily recognize changes in the health of employees and, in turn, monitor them properly.
3. Panic syndrome
One of the illnesses brought about by stress at work is the Panic Syndrome. This is one of the anxiety disorders, in which people go through panic attacks, described as moments of intense fear without a cause.
Imagine this: For those who suffer from these attacks, they always think that persecution is going to happen to them or that they are going to die.
Of course, it is a condition that could hurt not only the individual’s well-being but also that of others around them. At its worst, the professional could hardly muster up enough courage to leave the house or execute other mundane tasks like going to work or attending meetings.
4. Depression
Depression is one of the primary causes of disability globally and accounts for a considerable share of global burden disease.
Increased stress at the workplace can result in depression-a state of continued feeling of unhappiness and demotivation. Commonly called the disease of the century, it is more likely to arise as a consequence of hormonal alteration.
When left untreated, depression can cause procrastination , discouragement, isolation, irritability and even more serious cases, such as suicide. Therefore, it is recommended that companies promote awareness campaigns and advise their employees to seek medical help.
5. Eating disorders
When experiencing very stressful situations, professionals can develop very serious eating disorders. Among these diseases caused by stress are anorexia and bulimia. Anorexia, for example, is an eating disorder that causes the person to not eat properly, skipping meals or going the whole day without eating.
Bulimia is characterized by excessive food intake and, subsequently, the individual induces vomiting or continuously uses laxatives. Both situations contribute to nutrient deficiencies in the body, causing the person to feel weak, discouraged or develop anemia and other worrying diseases.
It is important to emphasize that, in many cases, such disorders arise to alleviate some internal dissatisfaction, which may be directly linked to the professional environment.
6. Cardiovascular problems
Stress raises blood pressure and may increase the risk of disease such as hypertension, heart attack, and stroke.
One very simple and effective way to avoid this problem and take care of your employees’ health is creating social spaces in the company, promoting team motivation, and launching awareness campaigns regarding the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
7. Skin problems
Many people don’t realize it, but skin diseases can also be caused by excessive stress. Examples of this? The famous acne, or pimples, psoriasis — a chronic problem that causes red spots on the skin, and also emotional allergies .
Normally, these can flake, itch and be found on the hands or feet. This serves to confirm that stress may work against health and interfere with the self-esteem of a person.
Effect of stress-related illnesses in the workplace
Occupational related illnesses due to the stresses of working, for example, anxiety, burnout, and hypertension, affect the health of the workers and the performance of the companies. This stress creates absenteeism, low output, and high attrition leading to immense costs.
To mitigate these effects, many companies are investing in wellness programs and healthier environments, promoting mental health and balance, which improves satisfaction and productivity in the long term.
How to combat stress in the workplace?
Combating stress in the workplace involves practical strategies that improve well-being and increase productivity. Here are some effective tips:
- Promote regular breaks;
- Establish clear boundaries between work and personal life;
- Develop clear and assertive communication;
- Provide mental and physical support resources;
- Adjust workloads;
- Encourage a culture of constructive feedback;
- Create spaces for decompression;