Are you Stressed????
23 May 2008
About occupational stress
Stress is a term that is widely used in everyday life and most people having some appreciation about its meaning.
Commonly it is believed to occur in situations where there is excessive pressure being placed on someone.
What is occupational stress?
Occupational stress can be defined as the physiological and emotional responses that occur when workers perceive an imbalance between their work demands and their capability and/or resources to meet these demands.
Importantly, stress responses occur when the imbalance is such that the worker feels they are not coping in situations where it is important to them that they cope.
What is not occupational stress?
Occupational stress is not a disease.
Worker’s responses to stressors may be positive or negative depending on the type of demands placed on them, the amount of control they have over the situation, the amount of support they receive and the individual response of the person.
In the vast majority of instances people adjust to stressors and are able to continue to perform their normal work duties.
Possible health outcomes of occupational stress
In some instances when imbalance between demands and resources is too great, the prolonged activation of the stress response can lead to illness.
Common health outcomes linked to stress include cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders and mental illness.
If you feel that you are stressed as a result of your jobs and want to change this contact your ASU Organiser, Ms Jennifer Hobson on 3252 8666.
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