COVID-19 and Work Stress
During the Covid-19 pandemic, approximately 114 million people lost employment due to lockdown and restrictions that were placed on businesses worldwide. Although some restrictions have been lifted, unemployment rates are still high, leading to increases in vocational (occupational) stress.
Before the pandemic, many individuals were already impacted by occupational stress. This can be related to the work environment, financial stress, the nature of the work, loss of work due to an injury, or other psychosocial issue. Stress as it relates to work has a direct correlation with one’s own mental health. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), “the workplace environment has been severely affected by globalization and the global financial crisis, leading to an increase in demand as well as stress and related problems”.
Traditionally diagnosis of mental health has been based on either the presence or absence of symptoms. Although clinicians still use this method today for diagnostic purposes, today’s emphasis has been placed more heavily on the importance of well-being as an indicator to mental health. The Dual-Factor Model of Mental Health looks at both negative (symptoms of psychopathology) and positive (subjective well-being) dimensions.
Now let’s look at how this relates to occupational stress. Most everyone at one time or another in their life will deal with occupational stress, it is more often unavoidable for a multitude of reasons. However, extended periods of stress can lead to mental health concerns. “Occupational stress is the most significant cause of burnout, which can also indirectly affect mental health. […] Burnout is a syndrome emerging from chronic workplace stress that has been poorly administrated, and it is distinguished by the following three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, cynicism associated with someone’s work, and reduced professional efficacy.”
So, if we are all likely to be exposed to some form of occupational stress in one way or another, how do we avoid the extreme situations such as burnout that directly impacts our mental health and well-being? Some studies suggest a positive mindset makes a large impact on how to cope with stressful situations. However, it is not that simple to put into practice. It has been observed that optimism is an important personal characteristic that contributes to the improvement of good mental health and allows individuals to deal more effectively with obstacles. Mindset, level of optimism, and ability to approach stressful situations from an outside perspective has a significant impact on one’s ability to cope.
If you are experiencing occupational stress and need support in developing strategies to cope and are wanting guidance on practices such as positive psychology and cognitive behavioral therapy, it is important to reach out to a therapist for assistance.
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