Workers in Singapore are not having it all together and are showing signs of stress about work, according to research. A 2017 Willis Towers Watson Benefits Trends Survey found that almost half (44%) of local employers identified stress as the number one health issue, and as much as 60% admitted their staff had above-average or high levels of stress about work.
Despite these findings, only 27% of employers are taking action to help their staff reduce stress about work. Apart from work-related stress, global findings show that financial insecurity also contributes heavily to stress.
The findings also showed that 27% of employees in Singapore are living paycheck to paycheck, while worldwide, half of employees are worried about their financial status, a rise of 4% from two years ago. What’s devastating is that 3 in 10 employees globally expect to work till age 70 or beyond, while in Singapore, the figure is 15%.
The survey also showed a discrepancy between what employers and employees think. About 53% of employers said their health care initiatives have encouraged staff to live healthier lifestyles, though only 34% of employees agreed.
Although more employers are improving health and well-being programmes, 40% admit they do not yet have an established health and well-being strategy.
Worldwide, more than 70% of employees said health management is a top priority, while more than 80% of employers said increasing employee engagement in health and well-being is a top priority for them.
In a 2019 Cigna 360 Well-Being Survey, more than 90% of Singaporean workers surveyed (502 residents) reported feeling stress about work, a figure much higher than the worldwide average of 84%.
Another survey from Qualtrics of 6,000 full-time workers worldwide (including a significant number in Singapore) finds that stress levels among Singapore employees aged 55 and older are the highest (29%), followed by those between 35-44 years, as these are ages when more senior roles and responsibilities increase.
More recently, a 2024 Wellness at Work Report by Employment Hero found that 61% of employees in Singapore are feeling burnt out. Gen Z (68%) and Millennials (65%) reported the highest burnout levels due to work. Also, 39% of employees feel stressed at work a few days a week, 36% a few days a month, and 11% every day.
Also, a study by ADP in 2024 revealed that 68% of Singaporean employees experience stress at least once a week, above the APAC average of 61%. Among these, 28% suffer from stress two to three times a week; 12% experience it every day.
Stress About Work — Why It Matters
Workplace stress is almost unavoidable, and in moderate doses, it can sharpen focus, energise you, and push you to perform. But when stress becomes continuous and unrelenting, it harms physical health, mental wellness, relationships, and career satisfaction. It can lead to anxiety, depression, burnout, mood swings, disrupted sleep, and physical ailments.
Common Causes of Stress At Work
Fear of being laid off is one of the common sources of stress. Other sources of stress include:
- Fear of being laid off or job insecurity.
- Pressure to meet rising expectations without increased satisfaction, often with heavier workloads.
- Tight or unrealistic deadlines, overtime due to staff cuts or budget constraints.
- Lack of control over how you do your work.
Early Warning Signs of Stress About Work
If work starts overwhelming you, confidence may falter, leading to irritability, anger, or withdrawal. Other signs include: apathy; loss of interest; changes in appetite; trouble sleeping; fatigue; difficulty concentrating. Physical symptoms may show: tension, headaches; stomach problems; reduced sex drive.
Chronic work stress may contribute to high blood pressure; cardiovascular disease; musculoskeletal disorders; or mental health conditions such as depression or more extreme symptoms in severe cases.
Tips to Protect Yourself from Stress About Work
There are many ways that you can reduce the impact of stress on your emotional health, improve your job satisfaction and increase your overall well-being in your work and personal life.
(1) Reach Out to Someone
Tell someone close to you, such as a family, a relative or a close friend about your problems or work-related stress. Letting it all out can give you sympathy and support, and can be a very effective way of helping you to reduce chronic stress at work or in your everyday life. That someone only have to be a good listener.
You can also turn to your fellow colleagues for support about workplace stress, to help you navigate the negative effects of job stress. Reach out to employee assistance programs or stress management programs at work to help you in a difficult situation, if needed. There could also be colleagues, especially those in human resources, who had attended stress management training before, and they could offer some advice or extend a helping hand too.
Also, it helps to have a solid network of friends and family members who can help you manage stress be it at work or in your personal life. Start to build new friendships, such as people with common interests by taking new courses, volunteering at charities or even joining clubs or societies. Such satisfying friendships built over common purposes can give you immense pleasure and significantly help you to manage stress.
(2) Know Your Priority
Awareness about job stress is good, as you would tend to find ways to manage your stress and one of the best ways is to recognise what matters most, and start to take control of your time management to regain a sense of control, especially if you have excessive workloads.
Create a balanced schedule for work, family life, social life and other fun pursuits. Leave earlier in the morning for work, or take shorter breaks throughout your day for walking, chatting with someone or just closing your eyes to relax a while. All these will help you recharge and become less stressed and more productive.
(3) Get Enough Sleep
Always ensure that you get a good night’s sleep if you have to work the next day, because if not, it would definitely affect your work’s productivity and your creativity and ability to focus.
Improve your sleep quality by making critical changes to your lifestyle routines, such as sleeping and waking up at the same time daily and watching your diet in the day time. Strive to have at least 8 hours of sleep per night, which is the optimal amount of sleep an adult needs in order to function at their best. Also, place your digital devices such as mobile phones, laptops or tablets away from you when you sleep, as the light or radiation from these devices can disrupt your sleep.
An hour before bedtime, do not participate in stimulating or stressful activities such as exercise, work or getting involved in a meeting, but instead, listen to some soothing music or read a book.
(4) Exercise and Nutrition
Don’t neglect your body. Get regular aerobic activity—running, walking, swimming, dancing—for at least 30 minutes daily to improve your mood and put yourself in a calm state of mind.
Food matters too. Complement exercise with good nutrition to make yourself resilient to stress. Eat small frequent meals to stabilise blood sugar (low blood sugar makes one feel anxious and irritable), and avoid sweets, caffeine, trans fats, chemical additives. Increase foods rich in Omega-3s like salmon, mackerel, walnuts, flaxseeds, seaweed.
Lastly, do not smoke or drink as it will lead to a higher level of anxiety.
(5) Break Bad Habits that Cause Work-Related Stress
Excessive stress can make chronic work stress worse as it can fill you with negative thoughts and behaviours and even cause mental health conditions. But if you can break these bad habits, you should be able to manage your stress better and emerge stronger.
If you are a perfectionist, do not set unrealistic goals for yourself as you are just putting yourself in more stressful situations if you fall short of your own expectations. Just tell yourself that you will do your best and that’s more than enough.
Always focus on positivity, and every time a negative thought appears in your mind, try intentionally to replace it with a positive one (keep a list of such positivity in your mind or a notebook close by, if possible). It can be about your work, fellow colleagues or bosses, or even some small achievements in your work or personal life that had ever brought you much joy.
If you ever feel uncertain or helpless about your job or your job insecurity, or if stressful situations at work are at an all-time high, or you are aware of some workplace stressors, be proactive and talk to your employer about it, as if employees are healthy and happy, they are more productive.
Finally, take time off if you really have to, or if there is excessive exposure to job stress. Go for a holiday, or ask your employer for a short leave-of-absence to temporarily remove yourself from stressful situations at work and then use the time to recharge, re-energise and come back refreshed and calm, ready to take on the next milestone in your work life.
If you’re suffering from stress about work, know that you are not alone. Talk to someone, reach out for counselling hotlines, and explore more resources on stress management and mental health support.