In the UK it is estimated that work-related stress is responsible for six million days of sick leave a year, with stress being linked to many minor and major illnesses.

For most people, work is a significant and meaningful feature of life with the majority of us spending around 25% of our adult lives working. While work can provide us with structure, purpose, satisfaction, self-esteem and spending power, the workplace can also be a setting of stress and worry. 對大部分人來說，工作是生活中重要且有意義的部分。我們大部分人在成年期把25%的時間放在工作上。一方面，工作能為我們提供住宿、目標、滿足、自尊以及購買力，而另一方面，職場也同樣是壓力和焦慮的始發地。

What is work-related stress?

什么是工作精神壓力？

Everyone is under some pressure in the workplace. Some external pressures can be a positive factor, helping us to be more productive. Some people actually thrive under short-term added pressure, and our bodies are designed to meet these short-term demands. Hormones including adrenaline are released to prepare us for a "fight or flight" response to demanding situations. However, excessive and prolonged stress can take its toll, producing a range of physical and emotional health problems which have come to be grouped as "work-related stress".

There is no single cause of work-related stress. While stress can be triggered by sudden, unexpected pressures, it is often the result of a combination of stressful factors which accumulate over time. Some people can become so used to the symptoms of excessive stress that it goes unnoticed to their detriment. Most work-related stress is related to management of work, relationships at work, organisational set-up and whether you feel you have power and control in your work.

The experience of stress is different for every person. Some people are affected more than others, so what is stressful for one person may not be stressful for another. It can depend on your personality type and on how you have learned to respond to pressure.

Typical triggers of stress include: 典型的會觸發精神壓力的事件

* lack of control over work 對工作缺乏控制力

* excessive time pressures 過長時間的壓力

* excessive or inflexible working hours 工作時間過長或不靈活

* too much or too little work or responsibility 太多或太少工作或責任

* confusion about duties and responsibilities 責任不清

* lack of job variety and interest 工作內容比較單一，缺乏興趣

* inadequate training and possibilities for learning new skills 培訓不足，學習提升的機會不夠

* poor work/life balance 工作和生活不平衡

* difficult relationships at work 與同事關系緊張

* lack of support and lack of contact with colleagues 缺乏來自同事的支持，和同事溝通不夠

* organizational confusion, restructuring, job change 組織混亂，公司重組，工作變動

* uncertainty over job prospects 工作前景不明朗

Symptoms of work-related stress 工作壓力表現出的癥狀

Work-related stress can manifest itself as physical and emotional health problems, and as altered ways of behaving at work and at home. 工作壓力可以身體問題或情緒問題的方式體現，并且同樣改變在工作中或家中的行為方式。

Physical symptoms 身體癥狀

* increased susceptibility to colds and other infections 容易感冒或得其他傳染病

* headaches 頭疼

* muscular tension 肌肉緊張

* backache and neck ache 背疼，脖子疼

* excessive tiredness 過度疲勞

* difficulty sleeping 睡眠困難

* digestive problems 消化問題

* raised heart rate 心率上升

* increased sweating 多汗

* lower sex drive 性欲降低

* skin rashes 皮疹

* blurred vision 視覺模糊

Emotional and behavioral changes 情緒和行為變化

* wanting to cry much of the time 大部分時間想哭

* feeling that you can't cope 感到無能為力

* short temperedness at work and at home 在上班時和在家里都容易發脾氣

* feeling that you've achieved nothing at the end of the day 感覺一天下來什么也沒干成

* eating when you're not hungry 不餓也吃東西

* losing your appetite 沒胃口

* smoking and drinking to get you through the day 抽煙和喝酒來混過一天

* inability to plan, concentrate and control work 不能對工作進行計劃，工作時不能集中精力，不能掌控工作

* getting less work done 完成的工作量減少

* poor relationships with colleagues or clients 和同事及客戶關系不好

* loss of motivation and commitment 缺乏動力和敬業精神

那么，該如何應對這些工作壓力呢？下一次我們來看看如何處理好這個影響工作和生活的問題。