The cost of workplace stress -- and how to reduce it | Rob Cooke

By some estimates, work-related stress drains the US economy of nearly 300 billion dollars a year -- and it can hurt your productivity and personal health too, says wellness advocate Rob Cooke. He shares some strategies to help put your mental, physical and emotional well-being back at the forefront.

[abuhuraira]

Stress and anxiety at work has less to do with the work we do and and more to do with weak management and leadership

[mishmallows]

I’m in my 20s, & I recently left a company with toxic culture. No changes came from concerns I voiced, and they were somehow surprised when I gave them my notice 6 months later. The stress and anxiety of the job led me to gain back the 30 lbs I had worked hard to lose 2 years before, & I was diagnosed with GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), which I am now working to recover from. Months later, I am still struggling with the effects it’s had on my mental health, but I have absolutely no regrets in leaving. I’m glad I finally decided to be honest with myself & take care of my health, b/c damn is it expensive to repair!

[daisyruiz]

How I wish OUR managers and supervisors watch this. Change really has to start from the TOP.

[remopiccioni]

I would work for this guy. I was working at a steel mill for 18.5 years 7 days a week swinging shifts. It wrecked my health. They wrote me up for being sick and suspended me one day for 5 call offs on one year. I was working every day and I was constantly sick. They wanted me to write a letter stating how I can improve on my attendance. I went home talked it over with my girlfriend. She said I will type the email but you will have to hit send. That letter she emailed was my resignation. No regrets just uncertainty of finding something. I pictured myself being put in the ground by the time I was 55. I had to quit that job

[jeremiahvice]

Ever since I was promoted to a manager, the amount of stress is just unbelievable. The pay is a bit better, but my mental health is both physically and mentally deteriorating.

[wrhcgfn]

What we need is a 4 day work week and public insurance/healtcare.

[kitchenboy]

This helped me calm down. Just to listen relate...tear up a little and then reminded to be present.

[gimj_]

I am currently on two months unpaid leave to relieve stress try and lower my blood pressure and figure out a way to earn a living without being dangerously stressed out every week. The management and people in power at the company operate with such contempt towards the workers even just the way you’re spoken to sometimes but they know we need the salary. I can’t wait to leave I’ve truly had enough although from what I’ve heard there are high levels of stress in all work environments. God help us all.

[srimayeearchana]

I am experiencing high blood pressure and pulse . Had to take a week leave. I am getting chills 😭 when I get work related mails. Sometimes I think it will kill me.

[amald]

Stress has rarely something to do with the work itself. Mostly Brandolini's theorem is a great sum up for problems and stress at work: "The amount of energy needed to refute bullshit is an order of magnitude bigger than to produce it."

[livinghumanity-nyc]

Thanks a million for speaking about the reality of a stressful work environment. I have experienced this situation as well as many others i know. It's never about a difficult job. It about the difficult bosses and management. I have many . that one day i will write about and speak about it too.
God blessed you🙏

[hbizzle]

Oh my goodness this guy is speaking 💯 It’s a shame not many companies would heed this advice.

[mimprincesa]

As a nurse, I burnt out within 2 years as a young 20 something year old. I developed anxiety, had gained all this weight I didn’t know I could and my rltshp was strained because I was always irritable. The management was terrible. The amount of risks involved in a medical professionals job is so much higher (I always worry ill give the wrong meds due to all the distractions). There was no support from management, only blame culture. If not a for a few supportive coworkers I would’ve left the industry. I’m a lot better now in a sense that I restrain myself so I don’t give too much of myself at work in order to protect myself. It’s not how I would ideally work but I can guarantee the company will not be paying for my mental and physical health conditions I develop from the extreme stress.

[breathewellcoaching]

Amen 🙏 I am a breathing and wellness coach and I appreciate your message. Well done—the stats on the cost of stress is very enlightening.

[glrinc]

My workplace gives us an over abundant amount of information. Emails, having to do way too many tests every day on work-based learning and cleaning up corporate mess is a huge issue in my workplace. Too much information makes it hard to process. It causes so much stress and burnout for me. I'm also a perfectionist and that makes it even more so.
Not to mention micromanagement which is another huge issue.... these managers are 'trained' to micromanage.,

[brendansullivan]

Very spot on. The focus of the investments by companies are measured by revenue as their metric. Health of the employees has been shown to promote all divisions of company growth yet its not taught in our universities or in industry to the same extent as finance. Every CEO should see this to create vibrant environments for people and productivity.

[peacerivers]

Anxiety burned me out last week, now I'm totally burned out, leaves me confused even at work. I have been unable to close a candidate for any role since March when I was employed. I am doing everything right, my boss keeps delegating duties and re-delegating and rearranging, the environment isn't active, I'm having a lot of responsibility with little money, barely can save... I can't save actually. My leg keeps getting sore.... I can feel myself burning and not wanting to wake up to work. I'm so tired I don't look forward to Mondays. 😭

[.Koreans.American]

I worked for a tech startup with the best workplace environment and benefits ever. But in the end, I got laid off because the company had major internal issues among the team members with political, management, and leadership, etc. The entire company had to downsize by 40%. Then I realized that the most important part of a small startup is teamwork.

[emmad]

I work in insurance and it has made me lose my faith in humanity. Having the finger pointed at you and getting cursed up and down all day when you’re just following a policy has crushed my soul. I can’t financially afford to leave, but being at work makes me physically ill to the point where after I hang up from a tough call I have to go use the bathroom. I never knew growing up would be this stressful.

[patrickbrawner]

I’m in my mid-30s and had several corporate type jobs. Hated all of them. Finding fulfillment at work is hard.