Stress in the workplace
Let's talk about stress.
This is a topic we hear a lot of chatter about: in the news, on social media, and several other spaces. In this article we unpack what stress is, with the specific goal of understanding how it impacts the performance of purpose-driven organisations. If you work in an NGO or social enterprise, this concerns you.
In our lives and online, the word “stress” is often used and overused; so much so that its exact meaning and implications have become unclear. Anything unpleasant is often simplistically referred to as stress. Yes, living during COVID is stressful. So is that phone call you have to make, and dealing with that colleague from work. However, these are all wildly different phenomena and affect the body and mind in different ways. Since stress affects approximately 65% of us, with an approximate cost of $300 billion alone in the United States, it definitely makes sense to look closer into the causes and effects (1).
Photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash
Good and bad kinds of stress
Drawing on Neuroscience research, the first hit of what we call stress can actually be sweet for most people. Heightened awareness, memory formation and reaction potential help protect the body and prime it for the necessary action. In our workplace, this could translate into more effective decision making or a crucial lesson learnt for the future. As we may reluctantly admit, a project due tomorrow or a critical meeting can bring out the best in us.
However, while the first hit can be sweet, repeated and sustained stress (chronic stress) soon turns bitter in our bodies. As it lingers in our bodies, what first protects us turns into something that attacks us. Concerning purpose-driven work, chronic stress is almost always due to psychological reasons such as the feeling of being treated unfairly, or having a bad manager.
The effects of chronic stress
To delve deeper into the various effects of chronic stress (the "bad" stress), let us again follow the story of Sandrine (Sandy to her friends) as she works at BetterWorld, a purpose-driven organisation. Once again, we rely on various research (2) to help us create this hypothetical scenario.
After two years working at BetterWorld, Sandy is stuck in a difficult relationship with her manager, has a seemingly never-ending pile of work on her desk and is increasingly unsure of her and BetterWorld's ability to make a change.
Sandy is getting sick often, and has trouble sleeping. Despite this, taking sick days just means more work that piles up and people who aren't getting helped. She is feeling less and less joy, not only from her work, but from other activities as well. Even when she pushes herself and attends work, her concentration and energy levels are not what they were a year ago. While she once described herself as creative and innovative, Sandy now struggles to perform beyond her assigned tasks and has trouble collaborating with others.
Her relationships with her friends and loved ones have taken a toll, as she rarely reaches out to meet up or chat. Even when they meet up on weekends, Sandy can't talk about much beyond "going through some tough times" and "liking her work but not her workplace".
In this fictitious yet relatable story, we can see the various effects of chronic stress (2) on Sandy's physical and mental health, work and relationships, as summarised in the below graphic. Put simply:
Being more susceptible to sleep problems and mental or physical illnesses do not allow for Sandy to both attend and perform well in the workplace
Learning, innovative workplaces are not sustainable if people continuously work under stress-inducing conditions
Chronic stress therefore continuously erodes our physical and mental health, along with the mechanisms (like social relationships and exercise) which can help us combat the ill effects of chronic stress
Stress is social and people feed off the stress of others in workplaces. This creates, stressful, “sick” workplaces
Stress and purpose driven work
Until now, we have examined the effects of "good" and "bad" stress on work (2), without focusing on those who work in social enterprises and NGOs (purpose-driven work). Sadly, what makes Sandy and other purpose-driven workers especially vulnerable to chronic stress are her various characteristics such as idealism, commitment, and passion. These common characteristics of those in purpose-driven work often create situations where employees overwork and overextend in order to fulfil their mission or purpose, with little regard for their well-being.
A subsequent article will delve deeper into the unique relationship between purpose-driven work and chronic stress, with a focus on practical solutions.
Understorey envisions a world where purpose-driven organisations achieve and exceed their goals for social and environmental impact.
If you would like to learn more about how we can help, or just chat about some of the challenges you and/or your organisation may be facing, feel free to contact us at hello@understorey.co or through our contact form.
