Did you know about one in four Canadians quit their job due to stress?

Stress has many causes and can detrimentally impact productivity in the workplace. When you think of stress, I assume what comes to mind includes what you earn, where you live, and balancing work and life.

The role of your workplace can not be understated here. Workplace Health and Safety Queensland has identified the following as work-related stressors to watch for:

1.      Work demands

2.      Low levels of control

3.      Poor support from supervisors/co-workers

4.      Lack of role clarity

5.      Poorly managed relationships

6.      Low levels of recognition and reward

7.      Poorly managed change

8.      Organisational justice

It is important to be able to identify the signs of stress so you can react quickly and effectively:

·         Feeling negative

·         Feeling isolated

·         Feeling indecisive

·         Feeling nervous

·         Being unable to concentrate

·         You may also notice yourself acting differently (eating more or less/drinking or smoking to cope/difficulty sleeping)

Stay tuned for my next article on approaches and strategies you can use when dealing with stress!

This article is in a two-part series on Workplace Stress, written by Nazheef Gangji, student of the University of Alberta’s Occupational Medicine program. Mr. Gangji spent two months as a full-time practicum student with EWI Works.

EWI Works offers many services that can improve your quality of life and health at work. Find out more about our Online Training, Services, and Resources.

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