Stress can have serious negative impacts on our health. It can be responsible for headaches, fatigue, irritability, and sleep and concentration issues, and untreated chronic stress can lead to skin problems, depression, high blood pressure, heart disease, and other serious conditions.

Unfortunately, many people are exposed to different sources of stress each day, leading to some serious mental health issues in the workplace. What follows is a list of 11 common causes of stress in the workplace environment:

1. Being overloaded with work

Excessive work may be one of the most common causes of stress in the workplace. Being overloaded with work and presented with unrealistic deadlines by your boss can be a huge source of stress. There are employees who overwork themselves, which is also a cause of stress because they will feel the pressure to overperform so they can justify the high workload they have chosen to tackle.

2. Not having enough work to do

On the other hand, not having enough work to do can also be a cause of stress. Showing up for work day after day and having almost nothing to do can make employees feel like their skills and talents are being underused and undervalued. Having a reasonable workload is better than being overworked or underworked.

3. Being asked to do a job for which you have no training

When employees are being asked to do some tasks they don’t have the right skills and the right training for, it can also cause them a lot of stress. It’s impossible to feel completely at ease when you know you are simply not able to do what is expected of you.

4. Dealing with ineffective management

To perform to the best of their abilities, employees need some guidance. Having to deal with ineffective management day after day can make you feel like you have no sense of direction, which is a source of stress. Employees want to know what needs to be done, and why it needs to be done a certain way.

5. Working in a noisy or inadequate environment

The quality of the environment in which employees are expected to work can also be a daily cause of stress. A workplace that is noisy, dirty, and too hot or too cold is definitely not ideal. Having to work under inadequate lighting with uncomfortable furniture and defective tools and equipment can understandably cause you a lot of stress as well.

6. Having to deal with certain coworkers

Of course, having to deal with certain coworkers can be a huge source of stress. While some employees are simply annoying or irritating, others seem to genuinely enjoy making their colleagues feel miserable. Some awful people will even try their best to sabotage the work of their coworkers, which can quickly turn going to work into a recurring nightmare.

7. Being a victim of sexual harassment

Some awful coworkers can turn to sexual harassment, which is an incredible cause of stress for their victims. And when a workplace doesn’t have a policy regarding sexual harassment, or when complaints are not being taken seriously, this only causes more stress. Most victims of sexual harassment are women, but men can also be harassed by their female coworkers.

8. Being bullied by your coworkers or your superiors

Being bullied by your coworkers or your superiors is another source of stress, especially when complaints are not taken seriously. Unfortunately, not all workplaces have a policy in place regarding bullying, and when the person bullying you is your superior, it can be extremely difficult to get out of this situation.

9. Having no access to a human resource department

Some businesses have no human resource department, and some simply have a very weak one. However, employees need to have an adequate support network to help them deal with their different work-related issues. If they don’t have access to this support network, their situation can only cause them more and more stress.

10. Feeling uncertain about the future of the company you work for

Employees also need to be informed about the future of the company they work for. When significant changes occur, they need to be explained what is going on, and what will happen next. Uncertainty about their job, about their benefits or about the future of their workplace can cause them a lot of stress.

11. Hating your job

Waking up every morning and having to go to work is very stressful when you hate your job. And if, for one reason or another, you know that you can’t quit the job you hate at the moment, things are even worse and it might seem like your situation will never improve.

If your job is a source of stress but you don’t want to quit it, it’s important to seek the support that will help you address and solve the different issues you are facing. Your physical and mental health depend on it.