Get to know 'Stress Crossover' which can be contagious in the work space

Have you ever heard that stress can spread to the people around you? Not only can diseases be contagious, but negative emotions such as stress can also make people around you feel the same way. To be careful about the spread of stress, try to recognize the following things:

1. Stress is a normal reaction

Surely everyone has felt emotions such as stress. Don't worry, stress is a normal reaction from our bodies when we experience big changes or pressure. One of the symptoms that is most easily recognized as a sign that you are experiencing stress is a faster heart beat, higher blood pressure, tightening of our body's muscles, and digestive problems.

2. Can have a good impact on work motivation

When we can turn stress into something useful, then of course stress also has a positive impact on us. With symptoms of stress, we can be more motivated or alert to the things we will face in the future. However, of course stress also has more negative impacts that you need to know.

3. Can be transferred to other environments

This is a negative form of stress. People around us—usually within the scope of work and family—can be infected. This is caused by a spillover effect , when we tend to carry the stress we experience from one environment to another.

An example is when we are stressed due to the large amount of work piling up in our office, we will bring these negative emotions home.

4. Can be transmitted to other people

On the other side of the spillover effect , another bad impact of feeling stressed is the crossover effect , or which means we transmit our stress to the closest people in our environment. Usually, the crossover effect occurs in people who are used to being together.

According to the international journal Armstad and Semmer , stress crossover that occurs between partners usually indicates a more dominant role in their personal lives. For example, women will easily pass on stress related to family life to their partners, while men will easily pass on stress related to work life to their partners. This transmitted stress will have a similar impact on the people involved.

In addition, according to another international journal from Yucel and Latshaw , the conflict between work and family life experienced by men and women can affect job satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and the mental health of their partners. Stress crossover occurs when individuals share their stories with each other and other individuals try to empathize with the stressful situation they are experiencing.

5. Try better coping strategies

Harming other people, especially the people you care about around you, is definitely not something you want to happen. Moreover, you should avoid sharing the same wounds as how you share stress with these people. Therefore, you must also be aware that crossover stress can also occur due to changes in behavior or attitudes that may be caused by stress itself.

Looking for tips and tricks to manage stress so that it doesn't spread to other people is one way you can do it. You can use various coping strategies , or strategies to reduce the effects of stress.

- Meditate or calm down

- Eat nutritious food

- Get enough rest or sleep

- Exercising

- Divert other attention

- Consult a psychologist

Remember, give yourself a moment when you feel stress has taken over you. Situations that are always forced and seem rushed will have a bad impact on your mental health. So, remember to always give yourself time to recover.