Stressing Work: Managing mental health and emotions in the workplace Stress that is related to work can occur when individuals are given work demands and pressures that do not align with their skills and abilities, and this can challenge their ability to handle it. Such stress can happen in various work situations but can be exacerbated when workers feel unsupported by their supervisors and colleagues, and have insufficient control over work processes. Many workers report experiencing work-related stress at their jobs and this compromises their performance and health. Simply put, the adverse effects of workplace stress on employees’ mental health cannot be overstated. Increased risk of anxiety, burnout, depression, and substance abuse disorders are some of the consequences that stress can have. On top of that, stressed workers may develop unhealthy habits, such as smoking, excessive drinking, and drug use, as well as poor eating habits. Key learning objectives for this course include:

• identify common causes of work-related stress;
• examine the impacts of workplace stress;
• explore workplace interventions for reducing stress; and
• demonstrate how to manage workplace conflict with proactive and comprehensive approach; and
• explore strategies, best practices, and resources to create productive work environments for mental health professionals.