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During this difficult economic time many Americans are faced with many challenges. Specifically, one of most significant factors facing Americans today is coping with stress in the workplace. Job stress has become an issue throughout the world. Many Americans miss work every day as a result of stress. Job stress can impact job performance. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectsof stress and job performance. Several professions will be examined in addition to the level of stress associated with these professions.
Stress should be managed properly; if not, it can and will lower job performance. Job stress can also lead to burnout. According to Mosby’s Medical Dictionary (2009), burnout is defined as depletion of mental or physical energy. This usually occurs after aperiod of chronic, unrelieved job-related stress characterized sometimes by illness (Mosby’s Medical Dictionary, 2009). One of the most commonly cited negative consequences of burnout is a reduction in job performance (Maslach, 1982; Halbesleben & Buckley, 2004). A person can also experience emotional exhaustion, which can lead to a number of health problems. Job stress can also affect aperson’s physical well-being. Individuals could suffer from anxiety, depression, backaches, headaches, and gastrointestinal problems, just to name a few (Halbesleben & Buckley, 2004). Ultimately stress can affect an individual’s well-being and mental health.
Stress is defined as the experience of a perceived threat to one’s mental, physical, or spiritual well-being, resulting from a series ofphysiological responses and adaptions (Mosby’s Medical Dictionary, 2009). When a person encounters perceived threats, the hypothalamus sets off an alarm system in the body by using a combination of nerve and hormonal signals (Seaward, 2012). These signals cause the adrenal glands to release a surge of hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. This process is also referred to as the fight and flightreaction (Seaward, 2012). Adrenaline increases heart rate, elevates blood pressure and boasts energy supplies. In addition, cortisol increases sugars in the bloodstream (Seaward, 2012).
The body stress response system is normally self-regulating. Once the perceived threat has passed hormone levels are decreased and the body returns to homeostasis (Seaward, 2012). Furthermore, when an individualencounters both daily and hourly stress and it is not managed properly, the stress response stays turned on (Seaward, 2012). This puts a person at increased risks of several health problems including: heart disease, sleep problems, digestive problems and obesity (Halbesleben & Buckley, 2004). This further substantiates the importance of finding ways to manage stress.
Review of Literature
Peoplewho work in occupations that require them to display emotions such as, nursing, social work, and teaching seem to experience more stress. An excessive form of this stress has been termed “burn out” (Mosby’s Medical Dictionary, 2009). When this happens, individuals in the medical profession starts treating their clients as objects, self-perception of the medical professional becomes negative andthey feel emotionally exhausted. In severe cases, performance has been noted to decline and is attributed to the stress (Sheena et al., 2005).
In a 2010 study conducted by Shane (2010), the researcher addressed the issues of organizational stressors and police performance. The study used data from two large urban police departments in Michigan and New Jersey. In addition, Shane referencesother studies in which individuals working in human-service professions, those professions where employees have an obligation for other people’s health, safety or well-being, such as: nurses and physicians, correction officers, teachers, the clergy and police officers, are particularly vulnerable to stress (Cherniss, 1980; Cotton, et al.; 2003; Cotton & Hart, 2002; Cullen, et al.1985; Griffiths,...