Tag

Identifying risk factors and difficulties that can lead to problems in professional careers is important. Prevention always saves time, energy and resources. Being able to identify behavior changes in one’s self, staff, and colleagues helps prevent more serious problems from developing in the future, which can leave individuals, consumers and organizations vulnerable to risk and liability.

There are many factors that contribute to work stress. Some are adjustable and some not. However, problems don’t generally, “go-away” or change without intervention.

When feeling stressed and worn down, it can be confusing as to why. It is always important to step back and look at what might be going on a daily basis to identify contributing factors.  Tracking health habits, food, exercise and sleep, recreation, etc., for a short period can be helpful to be able to see what may be impacting stress levels, behavior and overall health.

Changing the perception of  stressors and releasing the need for control or reevaluating expectations of one’s self can also be helpful. This is a cognitive- behavioral skill which can make a big difference in perceiving an issue and dealing with it more constructively giving the person back control.

Looking at habits and mindset is a way of taking care of the internal conditions impacting health, well-being and behavior.

The outside environment, meaning the conditions under which we operate and function is of critical importance – People, physical space, processes, demands/ requirements, etc. We are deeply affected by the environmental conditions whether or not we are aware of it – They impact our thinking, emotions and behavior as we are wired to naturally adapt to meet environmental demands.

When outer conditions overwhelm a person’s ability to sustain the demands of the environment over a period of time, there is likely to be a crisis.

Professionals are usually smart, goal oriented, and skilled people and tend to push themselves. They may be more vulnerable to over-functioning and feeling highly responsible in the work they do.  This can put them at additional risk for stress and burnout potentially leading to health and behavioral problems as their ability to self- manage becomes more difficult.

Personal control is important for human beings to feel stable, focused and safe.

Less flexible personal traits and behavioral tendencies in combination with challenging workplace conditions can give rise to the development of misconduct and unprofessional behavior.

Over many years of counseling professionals dealing with occupational conflicts, behavioral challenges and impairments our clients have voiced some common workplace difficulties which have been tough for them to manage over the long term. However, with some willingness on part of the professional and his or her employer, concerns can be addressed and in many cases improvements can be made in the benefit of both parties. Much of the time improvements may include the fine-tuning of communication, revisiting expectations, guidelines and other accommodations without too much disturbance to work processes. The importance of boundaries is highlighted.

Something else we have learned is that many professionals have a hard time saying “no.”

This can be especially true of people in human service oriented roles, including healthcare, law and areas of consulting, where there is a focus on being helpful to others. Setting limits and boundaries becomes paramount in making healthy changes.

Professionals have also achieved their success through working hard and can be competitive (often self-competitive). It takes commitment to excellence to get to the top. After years of diligence and drive it can often be hard for professionals to establish the balance needed to maintain their health, energy and positive mindset. You can see how the inner and outer conditions start to inter-weave and make for difficulties as tension grows.

Neither the employer nor the professional employee is wrong or at fault. Macro and micro changes shape situations over time.  Changes can go unnoticed until crisis hits and there is an incident of sorts.

At the end of the day, everyone is just trying to move forward in the best way possible.

In working with professionals the effort to resolve problem issues, we have noted some themes concerning what they have found difficult in their respective work environments.

• Lack of communication between professional and his or her direct report.
• Responsibility without authority.
• Lack of control or input over pace of work.
• Frequent distractions (including too many meetings) – Not being able to finish work.
• Excessive workload demands – Never being able to be “caught up.”
• Ongoing difficulty with work – life balance.
• Combination of high-demands and decreased rewards.
• Unrealistic work expectations-Especially in light of a change in work processes.
• Inequitable work environments- Including oversight of a team member’s under-performance or misconduct.
• Rusting out – Low workload, lack of challenge or opportunities for growth, lack of intellectual engagement (opposite of “excessive”) – Underemployment.
• Negative mindset from “spinning one’s wheels” and lack of support and above noted issues.

Technology can be stressful, too. The expectation of immediate access of 24/7 devices can take its’ toll on the personal boundaries needed to be effective. Being constantly “plugged – in” can be like always being on alert and “on call” with little to no opportunity for release.

The bottom line is that most professionals need increased awareness and skills to be effective in today’s work world. Change is constant and rapid fire. Professionals need to reflect and reconsider how to navigate the new work landscape and to perhaps make new choices.

A thorough assessment of all the dimensions of functioning can help in planning for improvement.

At Integrated Treatment Solutions we help professionals focus on getting back to the basics of self –care, including moving away from over-functioning and operating out of fear.  We help professionals form a structured routine supporting their needs and performance requirements, along with training on skills to self- manage in order to navigate the work setting more effectively.

Self- management skills help professionals advocate for themselves, their teams and to collaborate with other colleagues in their organizations’ more effectively. They also help with coping with emotions and stress.

The ultimate goal is to provide greater awareness, confidence, balance and personal control in work and life.

The world of work has changed dramatically over the years due to macro shifts in the way business is conducted as well as micro shifts in terms of structure and process.  According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), problems at work are more strongly associated with health problems and complaints than any other life stressor – Even more so than financial difficulties and-or family problems. 25% of employees perceive their jobs as being the #1 stressor in their lives – 75% of employees believe that workers now have more on-the-job stresses and demands than they did a generation ago.

These statistics may come as no surprise to any of us in light of the challenges of today’s economy and business climate.  It is more important to be extra mindful of self-care and to attend to personal health as stressful job conditions and or lack of coping and self-management skills can lead to increased risk of injury and illness.

Flexibility and adaptation have become requisite skills for professionals to successfully navigate this new work terrain all while maintaining optimal performance. Just as in nature, “Adaptation is key to survival ” – Always.  Such requirements can be very challenging for most as change often happens so rapidly that there is not often ample time to understand and integrate.

Rapid – fire change has become the new normal.

The professional who is not as flexible with change or who does not have the behavioral skills to accommodate major shifts is at most risk for negative consequences. We often see professionals who are struggling (often unknowingly) with significant changes in their respective industries and or work processes.  Another group we see includes high performing “turn-around” or start-up executives and entrepreneurs who have been operating on over-drive for extended periods of time  and hit crisis when there is no longer an outlet for such energies. The stress can pile up and compound over the course of time leading to problems with health and or behavior.  Unmanaged  energy and behavior can escalate in the form of misplaced attempts at control in and outside of the workplace.

As a Behavior Therapist, I see this repeatedly in my counseling work with professionals (in my offices in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia and West Chester, PA). Stress, fear and rigidity compounds over the course of time leading to confusion and negative consequences.

It is not uncommon for professionals to get into “behavioral ruts” and spiral downward with negative thinking, non-collaborative behavior, impulse control problems with alcohol, food and other self-defeating behaviors.   Problems tend to then migrate to relationships with spouses and children – The boundaries become blurred.  That’s how most professionals end up in my office.  Counseling is often mandated by the spouse in order to stay married.

In order to approach unprofessional behavior in a comprehensive, preventative and solutions focused manner it is critical to understand that accommodating change takes mental, emotional and physical energy.

People have different capacities when it comes to flexibility, skill and energy – Perhaps this is another form of diversity.

Professionals often need help in identifying the issues at hand, understanding them and developing new skills in order to make new choices. Life can get so busy that personal reflection and the possibility of new choices and creativity become less apparent.

In a nutshell, constant change often pulls on less flexible personality traits, taking energy, challenging tolerance and individual capacities. Understanding this behavioral equation and how the pieces come together is necessary to accurately appraise people and situations.  This is another conversation which we will have in future blog posts.

Occupational facts to consider about what constitutes a highly stressful job and what may become difficult for professionals as they move through constant change is the topic of the next Living Well Weekly Blog entry.

Tips and tools in the interest of remaining stress hardy in navigating the new occupational landscape will follow.

If you found this information helpful, feel free to forward it to a colleague or friend.

Please join us!