Why Are You So Tired After Work? How Work Stress Affects Your Health

Overview

• Reasons for feeling tired after work

• What you should know about stress-related fatigue

• The impact of stress on your well-being

• Proven ways to fight post-work fatigue and stress

The demands of an overbearing workload or insensitive leadership team can lead to more workers suffering from post-work tiredness. A National Safety Council (NSC) report revealed that 97% of workers face at least one fatigue risk factor in the work environment. At the same time, over 80% of workers have multiple risk factors.

Other relevant findings from the survey include:

• Up to 60% of workers have no access to suitable rest facilities

• Roughly 51% of companies allow workers to start night shifts just before or after a day shift

• Up to 74% of employers don't fully grasp the negative impact of work fatigue

This guide helps you understand stress-related fatigue, its causes, effects, and what you can do to fight it. We also introduce you to Joblist, where it's easier to find low-stress jobs.

When you get home at the end of the day, it's nice to have the energy for a little social time or take care of some chores. However, you may come home feeling too tired to do anything. A little fatigue here and there is normal, but feeling like this every day? That's another story.

Let's look closely at what could be making you tired after a workday.

After a morning surge in energy levels, you might experience the afternoon slump. You may turn to things like caffeine or chocolate to keep you energized until the end of the day. Blood sugar quickly rises once you consume sugary foods, leading to a temporary increase in energy.

The downfall to an excess of caffeine or sugar is the feeling of being drained of energy after you come down from the initial rush. You will generally experience this “crash” at the end of the day, likely as you’re arriving home from work. Now, those dishes you planned to do seem much less important than an after-work nap.

There's no doubt that a sedentary lifestyle negatively affects your energy levels during the day. So, you shouldn't be surprised that being inactive in the workplace can leave you feeling tired throughout the day and after work.

Researchers have shown that cutting down on idle time can help reduce fatigue. It turns out that workers who spend less time inactive have better job satisfaction and feel less tired.

It's important to remember that working long hours, spending too much time in front of a screen, and not taking enough breaks can cause fatigue. There's a strong correlation between working long shifts and coming home feeling drained. In such cases it can feel impossible to get yourself to do anything after work.

Meanwhile, too much screen time can cause eyestrain and increase fatigue. Thankfully, you can manage these issues by taking micro and lunchtime breaks, giving your eyes, body, and brain the much-needed respite.

These breaks can also do wonders for your mood, providing a surefire way to boost your energy, concentration, and overall productivity. At the same time, you'll have a better chance of arriving home feeling energized and ready to do some chores.

Your mind and body can take a hit when you work in a stressful environment. You may experience headaches, fatigue, and anxiety. Examples of stressors in the workplace include increased work pressures, conflict with colleagues, unrealistic deadlines, or changes to your duties. If left unaddressed, you can have difficulty concentrating, affecting your productivity. This cycle can lead to exhaustion kicking in when you arrive home from work.

Stress-related fatigue is a physical condition that you experience when you grapple with stress in the workplace. In the end, you feel emotionally and physically down. You may deal with this type of fatigue because of a heavy workload, anxiety due to job insecurity, or many other life or work stressors.

You're more likely to struggle with lack of motivation and chronic drowsiness. When you understand the difference between physical and stress-related fatigue, you'll know what to do to make yourself feel better.

Stress-related fatigue can look like this:

• Decreased energy and insomnia. When stress levels are too high, getting a good night's sleep can be tricky, resulting in low energy levels.

• Becoming moody and irritable

• Feeling drowsy and unmotivated throughout the day

• Dizziness and blurred vision

• Headache

• Loss of appetite

• Short-term memory difficulties

Maintaining a work-life balance can help you stay healthy and reduce stress. When you constantly feel stressed out, you're more likely to become irritated, unmotivated, and experience chronic fatigue (signs of a circadian rhythm that is likely off).

Read on to discover common effects of stress.

While stress affects people differently, there are common physical symptoms to look out for:

• Sleeping difficulties

• Fatigue

• Dermatological disorders

• Muscular tension

• Gastrointestinal upsets (constipation or diarrhea)

• Headaches

• Chest pain and heart palpitations

• Regular colds and infections

Having to deal with work-related stress can take a toll on you. It can become an unbearable burden by negatively impacting your performance at work and even triggering health problems. So, it'd be best to find out what the symptoms are before they weigh you down.

Below find the most common emotional or mental stress symptoms.

• Racing thoughts

• Feeling irritable

• Poor judgment

• Memory problems

• Inability to concentrate

• Overly pessimistic

• Anxiety

• Feeling overwhelmed

• Panic attacks

There's no denying that work-related burnout can affect your wellness and personal life. It doesn't matter what type of work you do; you can get fatigued and stressed after work. So, you should know how to handle it.

Below, we've got a few tips for you.

Morning workouts can give you a boost of energy and a positive mood. Exercising burns lots of calories and oxygenates your body, making you feel more invigorated. It also improves memory retention and brain function, helping you focus all day long.

If you want to keep energy levels optimal, it's best to stay hydrated. You’ll likely notice a change in your mood, energy level, and ability to think clearly, even if your dehydration is only mild. So, when you're trying to keep fatigue at bay, you've got to drink enough water because cells need it to produce energy from food.

It's common for people to reach for a cup of coffee or other caffeinated drinks when experiencing a bit of tiredness in the afternoon. However, this may not be the best way to go about it as sugary drinks and caffeine can actually cause energy levels to crash later on — making you even more tired in the afternoon. Likewise, caffeine can negatively impact your sleep schedule, so you can wake up feeling tired the next day.

It's easier to get ahead of stressful situations if you manage your time well. You don't want to push yourself too hard, as high-intensity work only leads to burnout and stress. If you finish small tasks as you go, you'll stay motivated and reduce stress because you don't have to worry about getting behind.

Consider creating a work plan and a timeline with milestones to keep track of progress on your projects. As you complete the milestones, you will find it easier to remain calm throughout the day. Also, include lunch breaks in the timeline. A plan that allows you to work at a steady pace eliminates the need to feel overwhelmed.

Other benefits of effective time management include gaining more control of your work and maintaining a sustainable work-life balance.

There are various ways to establish and maintain an ideal work-life balance. Below are some things you can do to achieve this goal.

• Get a job you love via Joblist

• Prioritize your physical, emotional, and mental well-being

• Get enough sleep (prioritize a good night's sleep and regular power naps)

• Prioritize physical activity like brisk walking

• Avoid taking your work home

• Reduce screen time after a long day at work

• Maintain your social life

You can establish a work-life balance by accessing jobs that won’t stress you. A great thing about Joblist is that you can find the perfect job based on your profile. Our job-hunting platform comes with a quiz page to fill in your interests and preferences that will guide job recommendations.

To access job listings customized and curated by you, visit Joblist today.

• NSC Fatigue Reports

• Workplace Sedentary Behavior and Productivity: A Cross-Sectional Study

• Associations of Fatigue to Work-Related Stress, Mental and Physical Health in an Employed Community Sample - PMC

• Mild Dehydration Affects Mood in Healthy Young Women | The Journal of Nutrition | Oxford Academic