How Stress Affects Productivity

Stress and anxiety are two of the biggest factors that contribute to workplace productivity. They are a crippling combination that can affect workers, and the organizations they belong to.

Some studies show that one of the major causes of stress comes from life experiences. As incidences of anxiety-related issues raises alarms in the workplace, it helps to identify and acknowledge their effects. Let’s take a look at these five signs that indicate the presence of stress and anxiety in the workplace.

Absenteeism

Research shows that workers who are burned-out are prone to absenteeism. It was discovered that stress, compounded with chronic medical conditions, often leads to long absences in the workplace.

Staff Turnover

It cannot be emphasized enough that stress and anxiety drive employees to leave their current employers and look for a less stressful job. Noticeably, people become less enthusiastic about their work. If this is not prevented, there will be a dramatic increase in turnover resulting in the company using up more time and money in recruiting new employees.

Punctuality

Timekeeping will be difficult once stress and anxiety takes over. People become careless and sloppy with their attendance, either arriving late or forgetting to log in on time. Employees may also find it difficult to get up in the morning or even keep track of their schedules.

Relationships

Whether with colleagues, friends, or relatives, relationships can get strained due to the pressure of work. Issues encountered at work can drain a person’s energy, leaving very little room for small talk with people. Worse, some might even give in to the weight of stress which could make them lash out at those they are close to.

Since work relationships are crucial in collaboration and other corporate dynamics the strain of professional relationships can set dangerous precedence.

Quality of Work

Some people perform better when given extra jobs, even thriving under pressure. Some easily crumble to pressure and suffer in silence to satisfy work demands. This is unhealthy as increase in adhering to demands at work can also increase stress. This then turns into a drop in the quality of work.

Once we are able to identify the causes of stress, it will be helpful when people sit down together and discuss how stress and anxiety can be detected, addressed or prevented altogether. Organising specialised groups to discuss the impact of work-related stress and anxiety is a good place to start. This allows individuals with a higher threshold of stress to share how they are able to combat their own battles with anxiety.

Promote work-life balance whenever possible. Identify accessible methods, like group activities. It will also help to establish work dynamics that are friendly but not detrimental to production.

Management reflects the culture and the values of the entire organization. The way employees are treated is a direct reflection of how they perceive their worth and value to the company. It is the task of the employers to create an environment that is engaging and understanding of their employee’s well-being and development.