Stress: Its Positive and Negative Effects as They Apply to the Workplace

Stress is a vastly underrated source of grief for many members of the workforce. Indeed, just about any job puts at least some stress on its workers. However, many people do not truly understand both the causes and effects of stress, along with the people stress tends to target the most. In fact, stress has a profound effect on the lives of many people in day-to-day life; far more than most people would ever care to admit since there is a sort of taboo about mentioning stress in the modern world. It should also be noted that stress is an extremely broad concept, and can refer to a large number of different problems with the psyche. In order to establish a firm grasp of the many forms and effects of stress, it is necessary to look at the problem from a retrospective standpoint.

First, one must look at how stress has become such a powerful force in everyday life. In short, the main reason for the increasing role of stress in the modern world is technology. For example, industries that feature high-technology systems such as the aerospace, military, petrochemical, mining, maritime, transportation, and nuclear industries all contain employees that are much more stressed than normal (Driskell & Salas, 2013). The reasons for technology causing more stress mainly center around the fact that using this technology puts its operators in stressful positions, as oftentimes this technology brings with it great power, literally or figuratively "Although the requirement for effective performance under stress has been present since our ancestors were first chased with a club, it is likely that modern high-technology systems have increased both the stress under which we must perform and the consequences of poor performance" (Driskell & Salas, 2013, p.3). So, while technology does make the lives of virtually everyone easier, it does create more stress for those tasked with operating it, which, again, is almost everyone. So, if the community at large must point the finger on one singular factor for the increase in stress in the modern world, they need to look no further than the rise of technology.

The workplace is perhaps one of the worst offenders in general for stress since it combines a number of stressful catalysts into one package. Some of these catalysts include things like a constant fear of being laid off, especially in this economy, over time, staff cutbacks, the pressure to meet rising expectations with no additional reward, and constant scrutiny from upper levels of management (Kouvonen et al, 2013). Workplace stress is also unique in that it can cause issues such as a loss of interest in the work one is doing, and mental burnout symptoms, such as trouble sleeping or concentrating and constant fatigue, are also much more common in the workplace (Kouvonen, et al, 2013). This means that workplace stress has become a problem all its own, although the physiological effects from it are similar to any other type of stress. This does not mean that workplace stress is any easier to understand than any other type of stress. Indeed, the stress in the workplace affects people differently just as any other source of stress can, and, for that reason, the solutions to, and general effects of, workplace stress can be examined as if they were any other type.

One of the best ways to understand stress is to examine its effects, rather than attempt to identify exactly what it is. The most important thing to keep in mind here is that, just like the many forms of stress, the way that stress affects people differs from person to person. One person might be unable to concentrate while under stress, while another person under the same amount of stress might suffer no ill effects whatsoever. However, while the perceivable effects of stress on each individual are different, the actual physical effects from stress (which, in turn, cause the mental effects) are fairly standard, although some individuals experience certain symptoms more than others. By far the most common effect of stress is an increase in blood pressure, along with an increased supply of the blood to the brain, which can have both positive and negative effects (again, depending on the individual), and an increased heart rate and cardiac output (Everly & Lating, 2013). Stress also has other, less conspicuous effects that have more long-term effects. For example, stress causes an increase in plasma free fatty acids, triglycerides, and cholesterol, all of which contribute to increased weight gain for the person suffering from stress (Everly & Lating, 2013). Finally, and perhaps most alarmingly, stress can actually cause death from things like lethal arrhythmia, myocardial ischemia, myocardial fibrillation, and myocardial infarction, all of which basically just amount to heart attacks (Everly & Lating, 2013).

While there are a large number of chemical effects (which bring with them their own cornucopia of physical symptoms), there are also the brain's own responses to stress. This is the aspect of stress that has the greatest amount of variety, as many people suffer from stress differently. There are a few consistencies, however. For starters, one of the most commonly used models for quantifying stress response, known as the General Adaptation Syndrome, dictates three chief phases when a human is presented with stress (Everly & Lating, 2013). First is the "alarm" phase, which represents a call to arms of the body's defense mechanisms (which is why those under stress frequently sweat and have increased heart rate and breathing). The second stage is known as the "stage of resistance" and involves the body, and brain, fighting to maintain homeostasis, which it usually succeeds in doing, leading to a constant battle between the body and the source of stress (Everly & Lating, 2013). However, if the source of stress overcomes the body's defenses (known as "adaptive energy") then the body enters the third and final stage known as the "stage of exhaustion," which leads to exhaustion and, eventually, failure of whichever organ is being strained on the most by the stress, usually the heart (Everly & Lating, 2013). This is only an extreme example, of course, and stress is rarely fatal. That does not mean that one should not take measures to protect oneself from stress when it inevitably arrives.

So with all of these varying terms, effects, and causes of stress, perhaps the one aspect of stress that remains relatively constant across its sufferers are solutions to it. While many would recommend things like medication, the fact of the matter is that stress is a mental problem, and, as such, must be ameliorated by similarly mental solutions, at least for most minor to moderate cases of stress. For this, the most effective anti-stress measure is simple meditation (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). Another common way to cope with stress is equally simple: exercise. By exercising, certain endorphins and chemicals are released that cause stress and other negative feelings to be lessened in severity, if not eliminated entirely (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). For those with more serious stress-related issues, there are alternative options, but they require the user to know exactly what type of stress they are suffering from, which can be tricky for many people. For example, those who are suffering from stress that results from a "deficit in self-reinforcement or excess self-punishment," common in lines of work where workers are given large amounts of autonomy and consequences for said autonomy, must combat the stress by an "increased administration of self-reinforcement," as well as "skills training in self-monitoring, self, evaluation, and self-reinforcement" (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984, 335). Essentially, these measures simply mean that the solutions to severe cases to stress can, themselves, be complicated and that stress is a very real problem that can, if left untreated, have devastating effects on the sufferer.

This is not to say that stress is an entirely negative phenomenon. Since stress is, after all, the body's response to potentially dangerous scenarios, it does have a few benefits in that regard. Most notably, stress causes the body to exert a burst of energy that can allow it to get through situations that would otherwise be difficult or impossible, such as a particularly difficult workload (McEwen, 2008). Stress also acts as a warning system of sorts, and, as such, it allows the brain to flood the body with chemicals that allow it to react faster in potentially harmful situations, such as suddenly jumping away from an attacking cat (McEwen, 2008). Lastly, there are actually a few long-term benefits of stress on an individual. Researchers have actually found that stress, in smaller doses, can actually help the body to promote a stronger immune system (McEwen, 2008). Since stress has effects like increased heart rate and respiration, the body is naturally more resistant to infection. In addition, studies have found that those who go into surgery experiencing at least a moderate amount of stress recover faster than those who had either a large amount or a small amount of stress (McEwen, 2008). This means that stress, like all things in life, should be practiced in moderation. Having no stress in the workplace makes one complacent, while too much causes the body to have numerous health problems, in addition to causing a large number of mental issues as well, such as burnout (Driskell & Salas, 2013). This is especially true in the workplace, where issues like unpleasant co-coworkers and excessive workload can cause large amounts of stress to accrue in a relatively short period of time, leading to burnout. The important thing is to practice the anti-stress measures such as meditation and exercise, even while at the place of work, if at all possible.

Stress is the body's defense against sudden dangerous situations, but in this day and age, it is a misplaced creature that is largely more of a hindrance than a help. For that reason, it is necessary to understand the sources of stress in one's life and make attempts to control it. It is important not to eliminate all stress at all, as that would likely require quitting one's job, but merely to ensure it does not have either short-term or long-term negative effects on the worker. Stress happens to everyone, and understanding stress is the first step to controlling it.

References

Driskell, J. E., & Salas, E. (Eds.). (2013). Stress and human performance. Psychology Press.

Everly, J. G. S., & Lating, J. M. (2013). A clinical guide to the treatment of the human stress response. Springer.

Kouvonen, A., Vahtera, J., Oksanen, T., Pentti, J., Väänänen, A. K., Heponiemi, T., ... & Kivimäki, M. (2013). Chronic workplace stress and insufficient physical activity: a cohort study. Occupational and environmental medicine, 70(1), 3-8.

Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. Springer Publishing Company.

McEwen, B. S. (2008). Central effects of stress hormones in health and disease: Understanding the protective and damaging effects of stress and stress mediators. European journal of pharmacology, 583(2), 174-185.