Causes of Stress at Work
Work overload occurs when job demand exceeds human limits and people have to do too much, in too little time, with too few resources.

Work overload is characterized by a combination of the following -

Long and difficult working hours / unrealistic expectations of what can be achieved with the available time and resources / person expected to multitask beyond her ability / excessive obsessive performance monitoring by seniors / expected to work unwanted overtime / less breaks and holidays / continuous pressure at work / not enough recreation room or activities / not enough learning and growing opportunities / not enough social events to know and play with office colleagues.

When overload is a chronic condition, not an occasional emergency there is little chance to recover, rest, and rejuvenate.   Psychologically it is proved that, several hours of a well-defined job with full concentration may do more good to your mental state than pure idleness.  Even one hour of chaos and confusion can wreak havoc on your ability to focus, sleep peacefully at the night, communicate with family, etc.  When you get down to work, you subconsciously define a set of expectations for your working day.  If these all go for a toss because of factors beyond your control, you end up with unmet expectations and thus – obvious stress.

Personally, I see any man who has spent an entire day doing nothing without feeling guilty as successful. There would be times when you have got to achieve a lot and there would be time for you to relax. Take both of them in your stride without getting personal about either.

To Be Continued …