You don't have to save your life professionally to feel stress. Just work with people, on time, under the pressure of efficiency. The industries in which the result counts, decisions are made in seconds, and contact with other people can be difficult, are particularly vulnerable.
– It stresses not only the pace or responsibility, but also contradictory expectations, aggressive customers, no silence – says Anna Barbachowska, HR director at ADP Polska.
The list of the most vulnerable professions does not end with rescuers or policemen. There are also teachers, journalists, financiers, and computer scientists. And more and more often – also employees of hotline, trade and services.
– Stress is not only physical conditions. It is also uncertainty of employment, financial instability or lack of influence on your own work – notes Barbachowska.
Mobilizing or overwhelming stress?
Not every difficult situation must mean a disaster.
– Mobilizing stress appears in situations that we perceive as a challenge, not a threat. It can increase our concentration, energy and efficiency – explains the expert. It is then that we acquire new skills and raise our self -esteem.
But when the tension stretches, the motivation disappears. – The border between mobilizing and destructive stress is thin – adds Barbachowska. – If we don't have resources or support, we start to burn.
Whether stress drives us or destroys us depends on many factors. – The same situation mobilizes one person, and another paralyzes. The border between one and the other is liquid. This is also influenced by our personal situation, the number of duties, health condition or support from loved ones – he says.
When stress begins to harm
Even if at the beginning it works like an energy injection, with time stress begins to spread the body from the inside.
– Too high cortisol levels increases pressure, disturbs sleep, weakens immunity – says Barbachowska. – The risk of heart disease, diabetes, depression, burnout increases. These are the physical effects of chronic tension. Although the head is still trying to “give advice”, the body says “enough”.
The specificity of the Polish labor market
A high level of stress does not always mean burnout. In Poland, surprisingly many people perceive him as a driving force. What does it result from?
– A high level of mobilizing stress in Poland can really be surprising. One of the answers is work culture. Despite the fact that Poles and Polish women work a lot, we do not have a culture of notorious overtime, such as in Japan. Basically, we leave work on time and we have a lot of days off during the year, which helps to maintain balance. Work culture in many places changes for the better, there is lower tolerance for toxic behavior, and HR departments in many companies have developed procedures in the event of abuse.
The labor market has also changed over the years. – Unemployment is record low. In the last decade, professional activity and earnings increased. Many people also remember the experience of lack of work, which means that work can be a source of greater satisfaction for them. In addition, Poles are quite resourceful and adapted to find creative solutions in difficult situations – emphasizes the expert.
There are also clear generational differences. As Barbachowska notes, The youngest generation of employees has a high ability to separate professional life and private life, which helps them manage stress better.
The growing consciousness regarding mental health is also significant. More and more people can recognize alarm situations at an earlier stage and react accordingly.
Professional stress and gender
Data from the ADP report show something else. As much as 40 percent Women in Poland believe that they are unfairly rewarded. Among men it is 25 percent. This is the biggest difference between sexes among the surveyed countries.
– Some women work on civil law contracts or B2B. They do not have benefits, stability or pension protection in this respect – says Barbachowska. – It raises not only stress, but also a sense of lack of sense and influence.
Added to this is home life. The CSO data shows that women devote an average of two hours a day more to free work at home than men. – They are still seen as the main babysitters, life organizers, people from everything – comments the expert.
Cost for companies
Companies that ignore the topic of stress pay a high price for this. Only 16 percent men and 13 percent women in Poland declare full commitment at work. This is one of the lowest results in Europe.
– An employee who has no support, burns faster, is more likely to be sick, looking for a new job. He loses motivation and efficiency – says the expert. – Stress is a quiet assassin of productivity.
This is why today it is so important to manage the load in the team. – You can't transfer everything to the best. Everyone has their own border – says Barbachowska. – The manager must know his team and know when to react.
Stress can be tamed
Even the best tools will not work if they are not accompanied by a change in work culture. Some companies introduce clear rules: days without meetings, limiting emails after hours, sessions with a psychologist or mental webinars. – It is not about that there is no stress, but about not eating everything on the way – explains Barbachowska.
There is more and more talk about depression and professional burning also in the context of the entire organization, and not only a private problem. – The best results are brought by: implementing procedures in the company and building awareness with an employee – sums up Barbachowska. – This is the foundation of a healthy organization.
