Back in 1908, psychologists Robert Yerkes and John Dillingham Dodson ran an experiment to see if they could motivate rats through a maze using mild electrical shocks. The results found that if the shocks were overbearing and too strong, the rats would lose motivation and instead try to escape. The conclusion of the experiment was that increasing stress could have an impact on focusing motivation, as long as it was only up to a certain point. Fast forward to today where more and more companies are noticing the relationship between stress and productivity in the workplace and are trying to find ways to keep their staff motivated. While some companies like Google will offer their employee’s perks, all businesses need to understand and listen to each and every one of their staff members. The latest infographic from Bryan College looks at some ways in which workplace stress can be measured and managed. For example, a member of staff may be showing signs of distress if they’re easily overwhelmed by general tasks or frequently taking sick days off work. This could be managed by the employer simply talking to the distressed staff member to see if anything is going on in their personal life to affect their working life, and working out a way to reduce the stress. According to the infographic, the main causes of stress in the workplace are:
The workload (46%) People issues (28%) Balancing work/personal lives (20%) Lack of job security (6%)
If you are feeling stressed at work, or if you’re trying to figure out how to keep your stress levels at a healthy balance, then check out the infographic below.
Featured photo credit: Bryan College via bryan.edu
