With a clearly defined language, we gain clarity in addressing workplace stress as the mechanism of injury in response to psychosocial hazards. Workplace stress is not an emotional or behavioural issue, it is a systems problem with identifiable forces and measurable impacts.
Getting this language right isn’t merely an exercise in semantics, it shapes where organisations focus their attention, how they measure success, and how they empower their people and unlock the possibilities of wellbeing, safety, productivity and innovation.
Language matters
Stress is a universal human experience, an inevitable aspect of navigating life. In some cases, stress can drive personal growth and high performance. In others, it becomes debilitating and costly. With the introduction of psychosocial risk regulations, the concept of stress has been placed firmly on the organisational agenda.
However the language we use to talk about stress is often confused. As organisations embrace their responsibilities under evolving psychosocial regulatory frameworks, defining stress accurately and precisely becomes essential.
A Technical Lens on Stress
It’s helpful to briefly consider the technical origins of the term “stress”. In engineering, stress is a well-defined concept with a clear formula:
Stress (σ) = Force (F) /Area (A).
Stress is defined as the ratio of applied force acting upon the area of an object or material.
In this context:
- Force (F) represents external pressure/s or load/s applied to a material or object.
- Area (A) is the (structural) capacity resisting that force.
- Stress (σ) is the internal response or strain on the material or object produced by the force.
If the force exceeds the material’s capacity, it results in structural deformation or failure.
With thanks to the engineering toolbox for the reference.
Engineering Workplace Stress
This helps to clarify a framework for understanding psychosocial stress, or 'mental stress' as it appears in workers compensation data.
There is a clear distinction between the concept of:
- Stressor (Hazards) as the force of external pressure/s (e.g., excessive workload, conflict, unclear expectations).
- Stress as the reaction to these forces that arise from demands upon intrinsically limited capacity representing escalating risk of psychosocial injury, not realised harm.
So too, it is helpful to distinguish stress and strain.
- Strain can be defined as the 'sweet spot' tolerance window that provides the opportunity for personal growth and high performance. This is sometimes called eustress. We at Neuro at Work like strain or tension because these words clearly reflect the effortful, even challenging, nature with the vital distinction being the positive personal outcomes. This is akin to the effort and persistence of study, sporting or work-related challenges and their associated achievement and growth you might recognise in your own life.
Implications for Psychosocial Risk Management
The distinction in language is not just conceptually valuable, it is operationally critical for psychosocial risk management. Firstly, it highlights the precipitating role of stressors: workplace hazards. And stress as response and indicator of risk. This clarity supports the early identification of escalating risk, enables focused early intervention prior to harm, and underpins effective evaluation and outcome measurement.
When the emphasis is placed on identifying and managing “stress” without clear definition, there is a real danger that assessment and intervention occurs only after stress has escalated to the point of distress and dysfunction. And the evidence is clear: this kind of workplace stress is costly.
In action:
- Focus attention on identifying and managing the workplace forces, the hazards as stressor within the workplace.
- Identify evidence of escalating stress derived from workplace stressors. Identification of stress escalating towards distress can highlight priority hazards to be addressed and offers opportunity for early intervention. Importantly, to intervene in workplace stress before a point of overwhelm or injury.
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