Managing Stress for Success

Motivational Speaker Carole Spiers Explains About
The Opposite Of Work Overload - The Equally Stressful Underload

Overload is the most obvious of those workplace pressures that are in danger of hardening into stress. But its direct opposite - underload, or under-demand - is also a stressor, causing an unnatural imbalance in the normal working rhythm. Ironically, underload is what many hard-pressed employees may dream of, but when they get it, they are soon dissatisfied. (Look at all those early retirees with a good pension but nothing to do.) Evidently our bodies are not built to be idle. They want to be used. There is also the common psychological ‘need to be needed’. In other words, not many people want to go home feeling they’ve done a useless day’s work.

Frustration. Disorientation. Anger.

Often to the bafflement of the public, many of the worst industrial disputes have involved highly-paid workers doing easy jobs - too easy. The work is repetitive, unimaginative, undemanding, with too little stimulus or challenge. And unused energy is always liable to emerge in a negative form. Vandalism, gangsterism or most mischievous pranks are basically a protest at underload.

Other kinds of job may involve an uncomfortable mix of overload and underload. Fire service officers, for example, have to make a conscious effort to manage their time effectively when they’re on duty at their posts, yet not engaged on operations.

Clearly the less-reported problem of underload should be the subject of formal study throughout industry.

Underload - Summary

• Underload is the state everybody dreams of - until they get it
• We are not built to be idle, and will be dissatisfied if under-used
• Underload needs to be recognised as a workplace stressor-element

Another key insight from Carole Spiers, International Leading Authority on Corporate Stress,
Motivational Speaker and BBC Broadcaster.