Psychology in the Workplace

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One-quarter of workers in Europe report feeling stressed at work all or most of the time, and a similar proportion say that work affects their health negatively. Psychosocial risks — for example, monotonous tasks, high work intensity, tight deadlines, work-life unbalance, violence and harassment from the public or from colleagues — contribute to work-related stress.

A new piece of legislation entered into force in Belgium last month that focuses on managing psychosocial risks in the workplace which can for instance lead to burnout and stress.

A while back, I read a story about the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) asking for examples of important-sounding, obscure and even bizarre job titles. One of the entries offered her job title of Underwater Ceramic Technician; she was a dishwasher at a restaurant.

The possibility of a catastrophic incident, such as a pandemic, severe weather or a terrorist attack, creates unease for many people. Psychologists who study risk perception and people’s potential reactions to unpredictable threats say that people can prepare themselves psychologically and therefore feel more in control if such an event were to occur.

Burnout is a global phenomenon that prevents healthcare professionals from delivering quality care. Exhaustion continues to emerge as the most robust indicator, but it is uncertain whether this is an outcome of self-report studies.

We all ask ourselves the same desperate question from time to time: How am I going to make this work?! “No matter how well we’ve done laying the groundwork for everything to run smoothly – becoming educated, choosing the right spouse, treating others well -- we all face situations that challenge us,” says Dr. Robert J. Cerfolio, a world-renowned cardiothoracic surgeon known as “the Michael Jordan of lung surgery.”

Are you mentally flat during brainstorming sessions? Do you have difficulty creating original ideas and thinking outside the box? Do you want to develop your creativity? Creativity is a human ability that can be developed; here are seven strategies to give your creativity a boost:

A recent conversation among members of the EHSQ Elite (Number One in Safety) LinkedIn discussion group: “Apathy and lack of passion. Thinking that standards, rules, and regulations are for everyone else. I see safety as like balancing a see saw. On one end are risks and hazards, the other end is what you will do to mitigate hazards and risks to keep the see saw in balance.”

I recently rejected an offer from a prolific ISHN magazine contributing author who wanted to write a piece about NFL football player Ray Rice and the penalties he has been served by the NFL for domestic violence.