THIS WEEK, the Equal Opportunity Commission features a guest column by one of our commissioners, Dr Krystal-Jane Verasammy, who is also a counselling psychologist. The Equal Opportunity Act covers employment as a category under which a person can lodge a complaint, if they have been discriminated based on their sex, race, ethnicity, origin including geographical origin, marital status, disability or religion. We take a moment in commemoration of Stress Awareness Month to address workplace stress.
Discrimination at the workplace is a stressful situation and the EOC offers redress for those people. To lodge a complaint at the EOC, you can send an e-mail to complaints@eoc.gov.tt or visit our website: www.equalopportunity.gov.tt. However, there are other factors that can lead to stress and with dynamic workplace situations due to the pandemic, recognising and managing workplace stress is crucial to your well-being.
DR KRYSTAL-JANE VERASAMMY
'Ahh! I'm so stressed!' 'This is so stressful!' 'Work stressing meh!' We may be all too familiar with such phrases. But what is stress really, and how does it affect us?
When we make such comments, what we're really referring to is a situation, event or person that puts pressure on us, or our reaction to being placed under such pressure.
April is Stress Awareness Month and this year the theme is 'Community.' A community is more than just a group of people. It's about having a sense of belonging and connection to others, and feeling supported and accepted by them. In many instances this community may be the workplace.
Recognising stress
A useful analogy to explain stress is that of a bridge. When a bridge is carrying too much weight it may eventually collapse. However, before this happens it is possible to see early warning signs such as bowing, buckling or creaking. This same principle can be applied to humans and work stress. It is usually possible to identify early warning signs of excessive pressure that can lead to a mental health breakdown.
Some signs of a bowing and buckling bridge at work may be:
* More accidents at work
* Increased absenteeism (sick leave)
* Presenteeism (attending work when sick)
* Irritability or short-temperedness
* Indecisiveness and poor judgment
* Working late and not taking breaks
* Arguments and disputes with colleagues
* Feeling exhausted most of the time
* Showing negative changes in mood or mood fluctuations
* Headaches, nausea, aches and pains, sleep difficulties
Stress and mental health
Note that stress is not a mental health problem, but it is closely linked to your mental health in two different ways.
One, stress can lead to mental health problems, or make existing problems worse. For example, if you struggle to manage work stress, you might develop anxiety or depression.
Two, mental health problems can lead to stress. For instance, managing med
