When life and work become too cumbersome, we experience the manifestations of stress. The effects of work stress on individuals affect different people in different ways. The experience of work stress, for instance, can cause inferior performance at work, deteriorate physical health, contribute to poor mental functioning, and produce dysfunctional behavior in personal and professional dealings. In extreme cases, long-term stress may lead to psychological problems resulting in recurring absence from work. The body and mind can only take so much.
Work is an imperative for living, yet ironically, it has diminished the quality of life for most people. Stress has become the common attendant result of the imbalance. When affected by work stress, people may become increasingly distressed and irritable, become unable to relax or concentrate, have difficulty thinking logically and making decisions, feel tired, depressed, anxious, have difficulty sleeping, experience serious physical problems such as heart disease, disorders of the digestive system, increases in blood pressure, headaches, musculo-skeletal disorders such as low back pain and upper limb disorders, and become unable to fight infections due to a compromised immune system.
If you are ‘married to your work,’ it simply means that stress has ‘invaded’ your life. Globalized trade and internationalized businesses have redefined the usual work hours of 9-to-5. Work hours have presently become extended and irregular. Work is also now done outside of the workplace because of the availability of information and communication technology. The downtimes at work have become shorter and fewer in between. Hard times have also pushed people to try to earn more, often taking on more than one employment.
Via MayoClinic
