Stress can be defined as the non-specific (ie always the same) reaction of the organism to various stimuli acting on it. This reaction is systemic (that is, it involves the organism as a whole) but, above all, it is fundamentally useful as it allows a better adaptation and a better survival to the individual in the face of unfavorable circumstances.
The stress reaction, useful and adaptive in acute situations, can however be a cause of pathology when it is too intense and above all protracted over time. In these cases we speak of chronic stress or distress. Distress, in particular, can evolve into work demotivation, also known as Burn out. Work is for man one of the central points of his life and his importance for the construction of individual identity is relevant. It can be said that the individual spends almost a third of adult life engaged by work. This and what is connected to it (the path to reach the site, the people we work with, the personal commitment required) influences our way of being more than we usually think. Speaking of stress in relation to work (Burn out) means then to consider the work itself, the moments of the day connected to it, the tasks and the role we play, the relationships with colleagues and superiors; finally, to reflect on how all this fits into our vision of life and into the relationships with people that are meaningful to us.
What to say also about the type of employment that takes place? Beyond its relevance for the natural process of building a person, it can be added that specific tasks, autonomy or, on the contrary, hierarchical dependence, being inserted in complex structures, the social function that contributes to absolving are at the same time factors of unease and gratification at the same time.
The ability to tolerate a certain amount of stress is purely subjective, it varies from individual to individual. Some of the symptoms due to accumulation are:
- a constant tiredness,
- a condition of easy irritability,
- the onset of insomnia,
- the onset of digestive disorders (eg ulcer and colitis)
- tachycardia,
- a persistent headache,
- high blood pressure,
- low back pain,
- a weakening of the immune system, which can lead to viral diseases, allergies, inflammation and more.
IN PARTICULAR...
HOW IT MAKES IT
Stress-related fatigue, negative reactions to others and work, inefficiency that arises from the sense of uselessness of one's work are just some of the symptoms to be distinguished in somatic and psychological.
SOMATIC SYMPTOMS
Physical exhaustion, frequent headaches and gastrointestinal disorders, insomnia, shortness of breath and psychosomatic phenomena ranging from ulcers to back pain to influences. Not enough, sleep is often disturbed by tormenting thoughts and nightmares.
PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS
Turning to the psyche, feelings such as guilt, negativism, isolation and withdrawal, rigidity of thought, suspicion and paranoia and a general alteration of mood are quite common. However, these are symptoms that vary from one person to another. The practical effects of this syndrome are withdrawal and affective disinvestment, loss of initial enthusiasm, contempt for oneself, cynicism towards others, competition increasingly pronounced towards colleagues. These problems also have repercussions in the private, family life of the "burned" subject given the increasingly strong overlap between work and private life.
THERAPY
And the cure against stress ? There are no drugs, so you must act on your lifestyle and contact your doctor to begin with, or directly to a psychologist. On a professional level it is important, once the problem has been identified, to identify the possibility of changing one's duties and recover the motivation, the capacity to desire, the curiosity towards colleagues, customers and the work itself. In everyday life the advice is that of traditional healthy living: staying healthy, exercising, sleeping properly, eating healthily and managing your time better than using relaxation techniques to promote your health own well-being.
