Many health issues are caused by stress. Dozens of study have linked chronic stress at work or home and leading causes of death such as heart disease, cancer, and lung ailments. Jeffrey Pfeffer, PhD, professor at Stanford Business, also found that insufficient health insurance, long working hours, as well as work-life conflicts are more than a source of stress – they’re killing people.  

In the office, employees typically spend most of their day sitting at their desks and staring at the computer screens all day. As employees are not required to move around or exercise, it becomes clear that desk workers’ inactivity at work could be a silent killer. Not only lack of physical activity, ill health effects are also caused by work-related stress and fatigue. A study commissioned by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found that 40 percent respondents said that their job is excessively stressful. Other employees agreed that they feel extremely stressed at work (29 percent) and frequently felt burnout (26 percent).

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The most common reasons of workplace stress usually come from heavy workload, poor relationship with the management or employer, particular work restrictions, and lack of support from others. Other factors also come from workmates such as different personalities or work style, toxic coworkers, and extreme similarity personality.

To prevent yourself from breaking down due to work-related burnout, it is crucial for you to acknowledge the signs that your job has been taking over and controlling your life. These signs are usually linked to heart disease, stroke, depression, sleep issues, digestive issues, obesity, memory problems, and aggravation of skin conditions. These are the three signs according to Psychology Today.

1 Physical and emotional exhaustion

The most noticeable sign can be seen from your physic and emotion. When you find any of these symptoms after a hard day at work: chronic fatigue, insomnia, forgetfulness or impaired concentration and attention, unexplainable illness, loss appetite, anxiety, depression, and frequent anger, you are likely experiencing a burnout. When this happens, it is time for you to take a break from and take care of your health by getting enough sleep and nutrition.

2 Cynicism and detachment

The second sign of having a work-stress is when you feel loss of enjoyment. You always want to leave your workplace as soon as possible. You no longer feel eager to work with your team or perform your best on any project anymore. This might also impact on the way you communicate with your family or close friends. You might as well feel pessimistic and isolated which can give you a feeling of loneliness and depression.

3 Ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment

In line with the previous point, you will likely feel apathy and hopelessness. This can reduce your productivity that would result in poor performance in workplace. If the sign continues, it can eventually ruin your professional career and even personal relationship with others.

What should you do, then? Worry no more! If you want to prevent or already feel any of above symptoms, the quickest way to deal with the issue is by seeking help from trusted friends or go to counselling. You can as well find a good medium to release your stress such as boxing, meditating, communicating, exercising, or watching funny series that makes you laugh. This way, you can recharge your energy and happiness.

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