Recognize the signals

Types of physical complaint

Physical complaints are ever more often a reason for reporting sick not just at Marel but also at other organizations. It is important as a manager to be able to react quickly. What are the differences between being busy with your work, pressure of work, stress, being overwrought and burn out? These terms are often used interchangeably but don’t mean the same thing. We give an overview of the differences below.

Being busy with your work, means that you have a lot of it. Nothing more and nothing less than that! Some people like having a lot of work. Too little work can lead to a so-called bore-out.

Pressure of work is often seen as being negative. Someone literally feels the pressure. It is not always the case that there is a lot of work to do. It can have to do with a lack of autonomy, oversight or social support. High pressure of work can lead to stress. With stress physical symptoms such as a faster heartbeat can appear.

Stress sounds negative but can have positive side effects. A faster heartbeat pumps more oxygen to the brain and we can perform better. Stress and burn-out don’t always come from work. A situation at home can also have a lot of influence. Take a look at the inspiring TED-talk film clip about the fear of stress.

Being overwrought and burn-out both have similar symptoms. The difference is the degree of exhaustion and the length of time needed to recover. A burn-out is more serious than being overwrought. After too long a period of persistent stress a person runs the risk of a burn-out.

In the image below you see some stress-signals.