What are the Consequences of Stress?

Stress shows itself in a number of ways. Firstly it can affect individuals physically, behaviorally and psychologically. Secondly it can have organizational consequences.

Physical Consequences:
Out of the physical correlates of work stress, the most focused is that related to the cardiovascular system. Following are some of the physical consequences of stress. : Sleep difficulties, Loss of appetite, High blood pressure, High cholesterol level, Heart Disease, Strokes, Diabetes, and Ulcers.

Behavioral Consequences:
The behavioral consequences of stress are: Anger, Frustration, Anxiety, More irritability with family members, Depression, Feeling powerless, increased use of drugs or sleeping pills.

Psychological Consequences: Long term stress can manifest in the following psychological consequences; Serious depression, Accidents, Domestic violence, Suicidal behavior, Alcoholism.

Organizational Consequences:
Stress is a cause of concern in almost all the organizations. It is one of the prime factors that result in lagging productivity, rising cost, more errors, more absenteeism and higher employee turnover rate. Stressed employees are less creative and less effective decision makers. What about the risk an organization is exposed to when talented and loyal employees become ill, burnout and are consequently job disabled, or are faced into premature retirement?

Organizational consequences of jobs stress are those outcomes that are traditionally defined as employee’s effectiveness. Three of the most traditional criteria that are linked to work stress are work performance (quantity and quality), attendance (absenteeism) and membership (turnover): Absenteeism, High turnover, Low productivity, Rising costs, More errors, Less creativity, Low morale.