Common Workplace Stressors That Can Affect Anyone

Though Singaporeans are considered hard workers at the office, not many notice how much stress they’re already in. Though you could say stress is normal, there are still times when it already becomes a huge burden to many. That’s why it’s important to explore the different factors that cause workplace stress and how to deal with them effectively.

Clutter

Remember that one time you couldn’t find a very important document because your workspace was so messy? Think about the fear and stress that caused you. It seems like a subtle thing but having too much clutter can definitely add to more stress.

You’ll have difficulty finding and arranging things. You’ll also be distracted because there are too many things around you. Clutter can also mean other aspects as well, like your schedule. If you intentionally leave tasks unfinished, they’ll pile up and you’ll have to do everything all together. Clearly, this will put you under a lot more stress.

Misunderstandings

Having fights and misunderstandings are already common in the work setting. The problem is, misunderstandings cause stress not only to one person but possibly to an entire group. Fortunately, it’s also quite easy to avoid being misunderstood.

One is to be a better and humbler communicator. By using appropriate communication tools, you can make others understand what you expect from them and the other way around. For example, one thing you can do when giving instructions is simply to have the other person repeat what you said.

Lack of recognition

The simple fact is, humans crave praise and recognition. If a person’s work is always downplayed, the stress will take its toll on his/her patience and motivation. If this is happening to you, don’t give up too early!

You could always communicate with others about how much you’ve done or you could emphasize the significance of your work as well. It’s also important to see that maybe you really are underperforming. Try to take a step back and reevaluate yourself if this is the case. Then, you can slowly fix your mistakes and do your work better overall.

Sudden changes

In Singapore, and surely in all other countries, there can sometimes be huge age gaps in the workplace. When sudden changes happen in a system, for example, the older generations might have difficulty adjusting.

They’ll have to learn how to work on the new system again and doing so will delay their work. Or if they insist on using the old system, there’ll be conflicts on output. The younger workers might expect tasks from the older ones but they’ll have to wait longer. This can create an air of tension around the office.