Workplace health and safety issues are always at the forefront for concern for organizations and for good reason. Without adequate monitoring and practices to help improve these issues, organizations people will struggle and so will the organization. According to the National Institutes of Health, “Common health problems due to stress are acid peptic disease, alcoholism, asthma, diabetes, fatigue, tension headache, hypertension, insomnia, and more.” It is important to note that stress is not just a singular issue but rather something that can contribute to a variety of other health issues. These health issues can lead to increased benefits costs for the organization, increased absenteeism and decreased productivity. Other important health issues to note are substance abuse and mental health issues that are more and more prevalent now than ever. Due to this organizational leaders need to take action and help support these issues to help both their employees and organizations succeed. According to Harvard Business Review, “employers have responded with initiatives like mental health days or weeks, four-day workweeks, and enhanced counseling benefits or apps.” Additionally they share, “Employers must connect what they say to what they actually do.” Meaning that while these offerings are great starts for employees, they cannot expect to see a change if the culture of the company is not following the outlines of the organization’s goals. Over time we will continue to see the change of organizations approach to this important issue, but for now the things I have listed as well as DEI programs and counseling and medical support are the leading initiatives to help with health and wellness in organizations.
My Results: Life Stress Inventory, Coping & Stress Management Skills, & Type A Personality Test
In regards to the Life Stress Inventory Test I scored 169 which indicates a 50% chance of a major health breakdown in the next 2 years. Based on this score it is somewhat concerning but I have honestly probably had much more stress and serious events happen in the past during my life that I have been able to successfully navigate through and avoid major health breakdowns. Due to these life circumstances, I intend to be aware of my situation and likelihood but confident and continue to navigate through my circumstances as I have in the past.
For the Coping & Stress Management Skills Test I got a 79 on problem-focused coping which can be quite useful when the stressor in life can be changed. My results indicate that I often use strategies to cope with stress. However, this technique is not always effective when considering situations that cannot be removed or controlled.
In regards to the Type A Personality Test, I scored a 46 on impatience/irritability showing that while my interactions with others are generally characterized by warmth and tolerance, at times they are met with impatience or hostility. This can still put me at a disadvantage to maintaining strong relationships and can be damaging to my health.
Based on these results I would say that I am at a much higher risk factor health wise then I previously believed due to my personality and behaviors. I think it is important to know about this as it can help me better react and understand how my thoughts and reactions have a direct impact on my health and wellness. I would say that some of the things that I can do to help decrease my stress in the future is focus on taking more deep breaths and evaluating situations before reacting to limit negative thoughts or anger.
References
Holmes- rahe stress inventory. The American Institute of Stress. (2022, February 11). https://www.stress.org/holmes-rahe-stress-inventory
Sussex Publishers. (n.d.). Coping skills. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/tests/career/coping-stress-management-skills-test
Sussex Publishers. (n.d.-b). Type-A personality. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/tests/personality/type-personality-test
Padma, V., Anand, N. N., Gurukul, S. M. G. S., Javid, S. M. A. S. M., Prasad, A., & Arun, S. (2015, April). Health problems and stress in Information Technology and Business Process Outsourcing Employees. Journal of pharmacy & bioallied sciences. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4439723/Greenwood, K., & Anas, J. (2021, November 15). It’s a new era for mental health at work. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2021/10/its-a-new-era-for-mental-health-at-work
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