What can a worker do?
Tell your employer or manager if you are experiencing workplace stress. If you know what is causing the stress — workplace factors such as unrelenting or unreasonable deadlines and workloads, lack of resources, or physical factors such as dust or noise — ask to work together to address these. If you feel you need more or better skills to do your job, ask what training options are available. Talk to others in your workplace for support, especially your employees’ safety representative or union representative. Talk to others outside your workplace for support, such as your family and friends, your family doctor, and a professional counsellor. Maintaining your personal health and wellbeing can help you be resilient to workplace stress. Exercise regularly, eat healthy food, reduce your smoking and drinking (including caffeine drinks), and get good sleep. Remember to do the things you enjoy: listen to music, get out in the garden or go fishing, play with your kids or dog, talk with your family or friends. It may sound like obvious or flippant advice in the face of workplace stress, but these actions you can take to look after yourself should not be underestimated.