We owe a debt of gratitude to the men and women who keep Florida running smoothly. Essential workers that work in construction, warehousing, airport luggage handlers, shipping and receiving, bus drivers, and general manual laborers silently and diligently work behind the scenes.
These jobs are often physically demanding and come with unique stresses. It is important to learn how to handle stresses caused by work. Maintaining a healthy mind, body and emotions helps to avoid injuries and time off from work.
What are some common workplace stressors?
According to the American Psychological Association, there are many causes of work stress. Here are a couple of examples:
- Low salaries
- Physically demanding job requirements
- Mandatory overtime
- Lack of social support
- Lack of opportunities for growth or promotion
- Not having control over job-related decision
- Unclear performance expectations
- Unrealistic or demanding supervisors
- Excessive workload
If these stressors are not managed and mitigated, they can be brought home and cause challenges in personal relationships.
What can be done to alleviate work-related stress?
The American Psychological Association goes on to list ways to deal with work-related stress:
- Keeping a stress journal: Identifying and documenting situations that are causing work-related stress allows workers to see patterns and create strategies to deal with them.
- Create healthy responses: Instead of reacting by raising your voice or internalizing the stress, develop a healthy response system.
- Establish boundaries: With technology, it is sometimes hard to escape from work. With social media and work-related chat groups, it seems that escaping work is a challenge. Consider establishing boundaries such as not answering phone calls during family time or dinner.
- Don’t forget to recharge: To avoid chronic stress and burnout is important to have a healthy recovery process. Vacations are not a waste of time; they are an invaluable investment in your psychological well-being. Involve yourself in things that bring you satisfaction and joy.
The above tips serve as a proactive way to avoid being overly stressed and falling into burnout.
If one feels that their situation has gone beyond normal work stress and injuries have occurred, it is a good idea to become familiar with Florida’s workers’ compensation laws. A legal advocate who is familiar with workers’ compensation and personal injury cases in Florida, can help with determining the merits of your case.