The American Psychological Association (APA) surveys people across the U.S. about stress. However, their 2020 survey was a game-changer. It revealed that Americans have been profoundly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and that the external factors Americans have listed in previous years (such as economic, job, and societal issues) as significant sources of stress remain present and problematic.
These compounding stressors have real-world consequences, especially in spaces where we work and go to school. Many factors can cause stress in different workspaces. Still, most people have difficulty pinpointing these sources of stress – continuing a vicious and costly cycle.
The good news?
Understanding these stress factors can be the beginning of healthier and more productive workspaces from the classroom to the boardroom. Below we reveal the true cost of stress and how you can put the power back in your hands – whether you are a corporate manager or educational professional – when it comes to workplace wellness and long-lasting solutions.
The Cost of Stress – It’s More Than You Think
According to the American Institute of Stress, job stress costs U.S. industries nearly $300 billion a year in absenteeism, employee turnover, diminished productivity, and medical, legal, and insurance fees. According to the 2021 Bureau of Labor Statics report, the annual total turnover rate in 2020 was 57.3 percent. Forty percent of job turnover is due to stress.
Other costly workplace statistics include:
Work-related stress results in $190 billion in healthcare costs yearly.
Depression leads to $51 billion in costs due to absenteeism and $26 billion in treatment costs.
We see the damaging effects of stress in the boardroom, but what about the classroom? Stress can affect all ages and grade levels. But did you know:
- An APA survey found that teens reported worse mental health and higher levels of anxiety and depression than all other age groups.
- One educational report revealed 75 percent of U.S. high school students expressed anger, sadness, or stress while in school.
- The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry states the sources of stress for teens often include academic demands, anxiety about college or other post-secondary school acceptance, family stress, and issues with peers at school.
Stress causes many physical and emotional issues in students. However, one major impact of stress is problems with sleep. According to Stanford Medicine, sleep deprivation increases negative consequences such as concentration issues, poor grades, and driving accidents. So what are the impacts of stress in the classroom? A study published in the International Journal of Adolescent and Youth reveals school-related stress can:
- Reduce academic achievement.
- Decrease motivation in students.
- Increase the risk of school dropout.
- Longer-term impacts include reduced likelihood of sustainable employment and governmental/state costs of billions of dollars each year.
There is no question that stress is insidious and physically, emotionally, and financially costly. So how do we combat this epidemic in workspaces? It begins with understanding what we mean by stress.
Stress Orientation
When we talk about stress, we are referring to Stress Orientation and Stress Susceptibility. Stress Orientation is how the environment around a person affects them or, simply put – their sources of stress. For example, when hiring a potential candidate, understanding their stress orientation can help managers see if they are the right fit for their company culture. It can also help existing employees see where their stress is coming from and ways to manage it.
Our PIC (Performance, Interpersonal, and Challenges) Report provides an overview of an employee’s Stress Orientation by taking a granular look at three critical areas of vulnerability:
- Stress from supervisors or management.
- Stress from working alongside peers.
- Stress from working under pressure and deadlines.
The higher the candidate measures in any area, the greater their chance of experiencing stress from those aspects of work. Knowing what type of workplace stressor each employee is most vulnerable to will open a space for productive dialogueand practical solutions. Managers can then plan accordingly and put everyone in the best possible position to succeed. This insight helps:
- Mitigate current and future stress.
- Reduce turnover and costly hiring risks.
- Increase productivity and maximize employees’ talents.
Stress in the Classroom
When it comes to the classroom, Stress Orientation will look vastly different. To measure student sources of stress, our Social-Emotional Learning Competence (SELC) Report looks at specific areas, including:
- Learning
- Duties
- Relationships
- Autonomy
- Uncertainty
Case in point, a SELC Report may reveal that a student’s concern for others runs deep and that the dynamics within their relationships at school may be the root cause of their stress. Another report may show that a student may feel deep anxiety when focusing on a single assignment for too long.
The SELC pinpoints these sources of stress to find individualized, tailored solutions. It looks at the whole student by utilizing the core aspects of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) to evaluate key areas, including stress susceptibility.
What is Stress Susceptibility?
Our SELC Report goes beyond identifying the sources of stress in students. It helps teachers, administrators, counselors, and other educational professionals understand how susceptible each student is to stress on a granular level.
Through our report, a teacher may find that a student may be so absorbed by their insatiable curiosity, it leaves little time to pay attention to stressors – making them somewhat sensitive to stress. Another report may reveal that a student who seems confident may actually be less resilient to difficult situations, making them highly susceptible to stress.
When educators can pinpoint a students’ susceptibility to stress, it allows a space for:
- Impactful dialogue.
- Stress reduction.
- Long-term social, emotional, & academic solutions.
Putting the Power in Your Hands
From the classroom to the boardroom, stress is physically, emotionally, and financially costly. Our SELC Report helps students understand how the environment affects their mental health and builds a stronger foundation for social and emotional learning. It also allows educational professionals to tailor their teaching style to each student, improving their motivation, academic achievement, and overall success.
Our PIC Report is designed to pinpoint the type of workplace stressor each employee (and potential employee) is most vulnerable to, allowing space for productive dialogue and practical solutions, reducing turnover rates and costly hiring mistakes.
Interested in more information? Please look at a sample PIC or SELC Report to see how they place the power in your hands to help cut the cost of stress – putting everyone, from the classroom to the boardroom, in the best possible position to succeed.
