Work Stress, Mental Health and Productivity
By Odile Thiang, Anti-stigma project manager, Mind HK
Workplace Stress: The good, the bad and the ugly
Stress is an important component of our daily lives. However, unchecked and unmanageable stress can impact our physical health as well as our mental health. The workplace can be a significant source of stress for many of us, but there are multiple coping mechanisms available, which can help support you if you are experiencing stress at work.
Stress can arise from the nature of the job itself, high expectations to produce, the actual work environment, how a person is treated, lack of role clarity or compressed deadlines. Not all stress is bad; in fact, well managed stress can be an effective motivator. However, if left unmanaged, it can lead to physical illness, mental health distress, interpersonal conflict (at work or at home), reduced productivity and human error. It can elicit physiological responses, such as blood pressure, generalized or specific pain (like headaches), nausea and stomach upset, rashes, and reduced immunity. Psychological consequences of stress can include irritability, low-mood, and anxious thoughts.
Stress can also affect our productivity. Unmanaged stress can interfere with our sleep, making it either difficult to fall asleep or causing us to wake up throughout the night. Sleep disturbances can negatively impact energy levels, physical health and memory consolidation, all of which can have a huge impact on productivity. Unmanaged stress can also negatively affect our executive functioning skills, including working memory, adaptable thinking, self-control and organization. Lastly, poorly managed stress can impact our emotional regulation, which can result in exaggerated emotional responses (i.e. lashing out at others, taking things personally) and interpersonal conflicts.
Our ability to manage and cope with stress is multifactorial, it is impacted by other life events, our environment, our interpersonal relationships and our coping strategies. We have outlined some helpful coping strategies that can help manage stress related to work:
Helpful Tips
- Move your body. Our bodies were not designed to stay static the whole day. Try to schedule a daily workout (which will be more vigorous) as well as another time to move (this can be a walk or a stretch at lunch). Exercise helps to improve our mood, release stress and give us a sense of accomplishment. Bonus tip: If you ever feel stuck at work, take a few minutes to move and come back to what you were working on.
- Mindfulness and meditation. Mindfulness and meditation can be an intimidating concept but all it means is bringing your focus to the present moment. There are lots of free apps that you can use to teach you the basics of mindfulness and meditation. If you don’t feel like breathing meditations are for you, try analytical meditation, a meditation in which you focus on a singular problem isolating exploring it systematically.
- Explore your interests. Engage in a hobby unrelated to your job — this can be artistic, academic or athletic. Hobbies allow us to indulge in an activity that provides us pleasure, and give us much-needed respite from time focused on work. Your hobby can also give you a different perspective on a problem at work, and help you find creative solutions. It can also be highly social, providing access to a supportive community.
- Connect with others. Invest in your social productivity as much as you do in your work productivity. Connecting with friends and loved ones helps to build a supportive network around us. If you go out walking with a friend and talk about your frustrations or things that are weighing on you get double points for that, connecting and moving your body!
- Reach out for help! If you are struggling, reach out for help, either within your organisation (if resources are available) or through external resources. You do not have to go through this alone, in fact you are more likely to get better if you reach out. You can reach out to a colleague, friend, a support help line or a health care/mental health professional. The important part is for you to get the support you need.
In a study conducted in 2020 by City Mental Health Alliance Hong Kong (CMHA HK), 27% of employees surveyed reported struggling with their mental health. The most commonly reported symptoms were “mentally drained”, sleeping issues and agitation. Additionally, 83% of those who reported struggling with their mental health continued to come to work, and 76% of them reported that their performance was negatively impacted. However, 45% of respondents reported that they have not disclosed their struggle with anyone at work. This highlights how workplace stress, be it in the office or at home, must be managed and addressed — if you feel as if your mental wellbeing and productivity is being impacted due to work stress, consider the above tips!
This article is informative only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Stress Awareness Month 2021: Work-life balance: https://www.mind.org.hk/press-releases/stress-awareness-month-work-life-balance/
Working to improve work-life balance: why is it important for our mental health?: https://medium.com/mindhk/working-to-improve-work-life-balance-why-is-it-important-for-our-mental-health-71d25f8c1f53
Workplace and mental health: https://www.mind.org.hk/mental-health-a-to-z/mental-health-at-work/how-are-work-and-mental-health-related/
For a list of emergency contacts, please visit: www.mind.org.hk/find-help-now/
For other local mental health services, please visit our Community Directory: www.mind.org.hk/community-directory/
For more information on mental health in Hong Kong, please visit: https://www.mind.org.hk/mental-health-in-hong-kong/
For more information on seeking help in Hong Kong, please visit: https://www.mind.org.hk/getting-help/
Questions? Email the team at media@mind.org.hk
