Stress can cause a lot of damage to your life – sometimes you are able to clearly point out that it is because of stress and other times you think that it is something else. However, stress in general and work stress, in particular, can be very detrimental to mental health.

Deadlines, pressure, unsupportive work environments and overworking are all things that can lead to more and more stress. If left unattended, this work stress can manifest into things that affect both your physical and mental health.

 

Here are a few ways in which work stress can affect your mental health.

 

1.Irritability

If you are constantly feeling irritated or snapping at everyone, it is probably a good idea to sit and evaluate what is going wrong in your life. Often, as a result of lots of work, people ignore other aspects of life and don’t realize that they are letting this stress manifest and seep into every part of their life. Is it deadlines or pressure or a work conflict? Try and figure out what part of your day is causing you do this.

 

2.Anxiety

Anxiety is a common manifestation of having too much stress at work – are you constantly trying to keep up with deadlines or under consistent performance appraisals? These kinds of things create a constant anxiety in the minds of people and do not allow them to do anything else.

 

3.Depression

High work stress has always been related to depression. Keep a check of how work is making you feel and whether you are able to cope. In case, something is constantly bothering you or creating negative feelings, ensure that you are voicing it out before it is too late.

4.Fatigue

The first and most obvious result of too much work is fatigue – how do you feel at the end of the day? While it is very normal to feel a little tired, it is definitely a problem if work is completely draining you out at the end of the day. If you notice that everyday tiredness is manifesting into fatigue, it is a definite warning sign.

 

5.Inability to Focus

Sometimes, too much work and work stress can lead you to lose your focus and attention. As a result, it is common for people to face an attention deficit and lose further focus on their work.