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Survey reveals that tech issues and stress are biggest problems at work.

From nine to five, the working day usually brings a multitude of problems with it. When you think that things are going swimmingly and running like clockwork, something hits you like a ton of bricks. It could be a technological problem, a surprise deadline or an extra task or meeting, but when it comes, you might begin to think that 5pm cannot come soon enough!

There are usually problems which occasionally surface at work form many people, but what are the most commonplace and why? A survey from ecigarettedirect.co.uk on what annoyed us the most at work revealed more than a few surprising results, especially in relation to our reliance on technology in the office and our workloads.

Broken connection

In the survey, 31% of people said that the most annoying thing to happen at work was a faulty internet connection. Given its’ importance to the smooth operations of many businesses in inter-office communication, communication with clients, financial management, marketing and research, an intermittent or non-existent connection can prove to be incredibly difficult for many to cope with.

Technology may have also had a part to play in some of the other answers given in the survey. 11% said they hated doing the end-of-year accounts, 9% talked about being late to meetings and 8% talked about an annoying boss. 14% said that the commute to and from work really got on their nerves, but there was something far more pressing to feature on the list of popular answers.

Feeling the heat?

The second most popular answer given by workers was having too much work to do – something 18% of people in the survey attested to. Having a larger than anticipated workload is something few of us relish, but if happens more than expected, then it could have a serious impact on our mental and even physical health in the form of stress.

Stress is something everyone dreads feeling, but in certain situations, it can feel inevitable. When given so much to do in so little time, working in a noisy and disruptive environment or if too much ix expected of you, then it’s no surprise that stress is likely. A study recently discovered that as many as five in six people experience stress at work at some point, so it’s more common than you may think.

Combatting stress at work

Although in some cases, stress is unavoidable, beating it is imperative in order to make your work life a little more bearable. There are numerous ways in which stress can be beaten, but what are they? Here are some of the easiest to follow:

  • Take a few minutes away from your desk if it’s all getting a little too much for you to cope with. This can help to clear your head and ensure that you’re not feeling too burdened.
  • Listen to music in order to calm down and block out disruptive excess background noise. It could help to focus you on the task in hand, making it easier.
  • Eat food that won’t get you agitated. This means not having too much caffeine in the form of energy drinks and coffee. Sugary snacks should be avoided too, while eating healthily is a must.
  • Try and get other colleagues to share your workload if you’ve been given far too much to do. Sharing the workload will ensure that everyone’s pulling their weight and that you’re not feeling too stressed out.
  • When you get home, try not to think about work. If something bad is happening at the office, leave it there. Take your mind off it by doing something relaxing like watching TV, listening to the radio or reading a book.