Stress Levels and Performance at the Workplace

Moderate amounts of stress are good for your health and performance. Keeping busy and being on your toes in the workplace can increase productivity, while without a necessary dose of stress, you would either feel bored or you would achieve less or obtain lower results. 

This is the good kind of stress (eustress) that is situated in the Goldilocks zone and that ideally neither under- nor overwhelms you but rather pushes you in the direction of achieving more and better results.

Yet more often than not, we become taxed and overwhelmed by stress. Whether it is that we take on more than we can chew or handle and juggle too many responsibilities, whether it is that stress accumulates over time or whether it is due to high expectations of ourselves and others, such as bosses or colleagues, we often feel driven into an endless cycle of continuous work and end up feeling the brunt of it. 

Stress can overwhelm us, and in its chronic form, it can deplete us and be the cause of a variety of conditions and illnesses ranging from diabetes, hypertension and depression, to strokes, heart attacks, and even suicide.

In many cultures around the world, stress is not only seen as an essential and necessary part of life, it is also something that is worn as a badge of honour. When we are stressed, it may signify and mean that others are counting and depending on us; in other words, we feel needed, sought after, and feel indispensable as an employee. 

In those cases, we see and define ourselves as hard-working and as someone who is striving for excellence and see it as something to brag about and to be proud of. The idea is that the more and the harder we work, the more success as well as monetary rewards will flow to us. Although this may be true in some instances, the downside cost that comes with it is too immense to make it a worthwhile endeavor: a decline in and loss of health leading to potential early death.

Although I have been studying stress and its effects on our body and psyche, it was during a recent webinar by Kiki Vreeling from the RotterdamSchool of Management, Erasmus University that I gleaned additional vital information about the harmful effects of stress on our health and well-being. 

Kiki aka Ki² is a consultant and trainer of Personal Leadership for companies, and she advises not only on how to effectively deal with stress but also provides tips for business leaders and executives on how to create a better and more productive work environment for themselves, their employees, and their company as a whole.

Generally, people feel stressed when they are facing a change. This could be a new work situation or also different work conditions, such as the current changing and volatile working environments due to the Coronavirus. This causes a strain not only on employees and their managers but also on the clients as well. When situations or parameters are unknown or indefinite, and when results or definite outcomes are hard or difficult to come by, our stress levels will naturally rise.

Stressors cause a reaction in our brain, which then causes a body response. Our body becomes ready for fight or flight, and in some cases, we merely freeze. On its own, this does not necessarily cause harm, but when we are in a constant state of stress with little time to rest or recover, this can lead to an untenable situation and wreak havoc on our health.

Most of the threats we experience are not of the physical kind - unless we work as essential service providers, such as police officers, fire fighters and paramedics - but for most of us the threat or stressor is merely a thought, either about the past or the future, and sometimes a combination of both. In either case, while our body is in the present, our mind rarely is. We may remember previous experiences, or they may unconsciously influence our current states and feelings, or we may worry about the future, what might occur or happen down the line.

Most of the time, our thoughts are negative. This has an evolutionary background as negative events tended to become more salient and important for our survival. No matter how many times we may enjoy the singsong of birds and the beautiful view of the forest, if we encounter even once a tiger down that path, we are doomed. 

Nine times out of ten nothing may happen on our trail, but that one negative event could indeed cost our lives. Hence, that one negative experience we had, if we managed to survive it, could easily erase and dissolve all the other nine beautiful ones we had previously experienced.

In modern life, as there is rarely a physical or existential threat - barring the current pandemic of course - most of our threats are imaginary. They are the cause of our stress and more often they are not based on facts, but they reflect our own levels of anxiety. A mistake or misstep at work may not necessarily lead to our dismissal or a demotion, but in our mind, we tend to focus on the worst, and we tend to exaggerate the outcome and make it seem worse than it really is.

In fact, our own attitude could also be the source of stress, or at least add to it. When we refuse to accept a situation, we may feel frustration and be overwhelmed by a feeling of helplessness, which may have its roots in our early childhood experience, and then we feel blocked, stagnant, and stressed. We become stubborn and refuse to move or budge and that increases our stress levels.

Of course, our work or living environment may be a cause of stress as well. It may even be family members, colleagues, bosses, or the company itself.  Stress can be emanating from work and from our personal lives; we often experience stress from a combination and variety of sources that simply add up and make us feel even more helpless when facing difficult circumstances.

Although I started off with the idea that stress can be good for us, most of the time, this is not the case. Stress has not only negative effects on our health, but it also negatively affects our performance. The bottom line is that people under high levels of stress do not perform well. They are generally nervous and less creative and less resourceful. In fact, they are also less open to new ways of thinking, of thinking outside of the box, and they are less effective at solving problems.

Why does this occur? We need to look at the brain to better realize the effects of stress. The stress hormone that is released within our body is cortisol, and our experience of stress affects the hippocampus of the brain. 

As this part of the brain becomes overworked, it will influence memory and learning. In other words, we would not only be unable to take in new information but may also forget the information we had in the first place. This is certainly not an ideal situation for the employee who wishes to perform well.

Add to this, the effect that stress has on the frontal lobe. This region is called the CEO of the brain, and it is responsible for attention, self reflection, empathy, and regulating impulses. When the frontal lobe is impaired due to stress, it will become more difficult to focus and pay attention, and one will easily get frustrated or angry and snap at others. Since our headspace is filled with stress and worry, we cannot take in anything else and will burst and explode at minor triggers and events.

Finally, with the frontal lobe basically out of the picture, the amygdala is activated and does as it pleases. Negative emotions are stored in this part of the brain, and this is why we tend to become more negative when we are stressed. The amygdala scans for danger and may perceive it where it is not present. One’s levels of control and concentration will drop, and inversely, irritation and worry will increase.

This is the vicious cycle of stress. When we are stressed, we tend to over control things, we overdo things and then old unhealthy habits and coping mechanisms surge up seemingly out of nowhere. This state of stress, if repeated over long periods of time, will lead to burnout, for which we have no medicine, and then your body and mind will break down as a result. In some cases, it can lead to irreversible harm and damage to both body and mind.

What can we do about stress? One of the most important things is mindfulness. Once we are aware of the stress and how and in what ways it affects us, we are better able to process, steer and influence it, and with practice and experience, we could also learn how to stop it. This is a much more cumbersome and time-consuming path than presented here, but the first step starts with mindfulness and awareness.

The other thing to keep in mind is the significant distinction between acute and chronic stress. We need to ask ourselves how often we have stress and how long does this state last. Occasional bouts and spikes of stress can be handled and dealt with and might fall into the category of the good kind of stress mentioned earlier. But if it is constant and never-ending, we are basically setting ourselves up for failure and disaster.

We must also keep in mind that stress is cumulative. When stress starts to take its toll, we can see the first signs of its effects. Our body will feel tense, our heart rate goes up and our breathing becomes shorter and faster. 

This then leads to headaches and migraines and will affect our sleep pattern. As it becomes more difficult to get rest, and we nonetheless keep pushing ourselves to the brink, we will not be able to shake off the stress, and it keeps getting worse.

A good method to release it is to share our emotional states with others. This can be with trusted friends or family members, and in these times of the pandemic, it can also be done virtually. We can connect with others through facetime, Zoom, Skype or any other online resource to communicate our needs and feelings and to share how we are coping with stress and with the difficulties in our lives.

We also need to make time to listen to others. After we have shared what we are going through, we ought to take the time to also listen to them and to see how they are doing and faring as it cannot be only about us. Stress tends to narrow our view and focus, and we ought to broaden it to include others as well. In fact, stress should be an open topic to talk about with friends and co-workers. 

The employer also has a vital role to play when it comes to stress management. First off, they need to manage their own stress levels and emotions. They are human too, and they also will feel the effects of stress. However, because of their position in the company and the influence they have on their employees, they need to try their best to manage their own emotions first.

Many employers may consider and dismiss managing emotions as a soft skill, but this is not true. Managing stress is a power skill because it is important for performance, both one’s own and that of others. Companies need to take that into consideration and make it a priority in the workplace. They should also lead by example by showing their employees that they have and maintain their own emotions under control as much as that is possible under the circumstances.

This is significant because stress is contagious. Not unlike yawning where people catch on and follow suit, we also tend to notice and feel stress vicariously. This is because of mirror neurons that copy the other person’s emotional state. Similarly, the managers’ and board’s level of stress can be felt by the employees both physically as well as mentally. 

The flip side is also at play here. People who are calm and can lead with a steady hand will have a soothing effect upon others and that can lead to an overall reduction of stress for everyone involved.

Moreover, people in a company need trust, stability, compassion, and hope. For employees to trust the company, the employer needs to be transparent. They do not need to have - and often they do not have -  all the answers, especially in volatile and uncertain times such as Covid-19, but they can still be clear about timelines and decisions. 

Furthermore, they need to make sure they show compassion and empathy for their workers and demonstrate that they care about them by periodically checking in on their employees’ needs and concerns.

Employees need to be involved and need to feel part of the solution. When an employer does not simply order their workers about but seeks and values their input and makes them part of the decision process, not only does it make the employee feel validated and part of the team, but it also reduces their stress levels; they see themselves with at least some autonomy and power within the organization. 

To make this more effective, the employer needs to not only take their worker’s input into consideration, but they also ought to act upon it, to make a policy out of some of the given suggestions or recommendations and to commit to them.

The employer can also put programs and conditions into place that reduce stress levels at the workplace. This could be reducing noise and stimulation levels so that the employees can work in a calm and relaxed environment. 

When this is not possible or feasible, the company can create a separate calm and quiet space for their employees where people can take a short break from the hustle and bustle of the day and recharge for the next shift or for the subsequent hours of work. Social events and programs during which employees and employers can freely mingle is also a great idea and can be a useful bonding experience for all involved.

Moreover, like professional athletes, employers and employees also need time off to recuperate. We would not ask an athlete to perform constantly without time off; likewise, our minds and bodies also need that well-deserved rest to recover and to replenish their energy. In fact, once the stress levels go down, which can occur during a short break or vacation, one ends up not only feeling better, but one also has more energy and creativity at one’s disposal.

Business people need to keep in mind that time may be money, but downtime is equally necessary to ensure personal maintenance, which leads to more productivity and better quality of work. We should not always be on the go but need that necessary “me time” to relax and recharge our body and mind. By taking care of oneself, one is also taking care of the team, and vice versa. 

We should not stuff our days, but we need that designated work and stress-free day where we can switch off our mind and body and focus on other important things in life, such as one’s friends, one’s family or even simple and well-deserved time for oneself. 

If you think, you are wasting time, this is simply not true. The time gained in terms of productivity and creativity will surely make up for it and will pay dividends in the end.