Judging by the stories I hear all week long, from hiring managers as well as candidates, there’s a lot of stress out there right now. It’s getting more and more difficult to manage the job because the stress load now takes up so much of our mind-space. It’s not an occasional issue any longer — it’s daily or, for some people, never-ending.

Sources of stress vary. Stress can arise from a poor relationship with a boss, or from a lot of agitated people working together in the same laboratory. It could be that you are carrying personal stress, such as financial or family problems, into the workplace. If you’re currently unemployed, you may be worried about your career prospects, or for others, perhaps competition in the lab could be a cause of stress. No matter the cause, we know enough about stress and its impact on our lives to realize that it’s unhealthy. It’s also dangerous for your career. 

In this issue’s column, I’ll explore the impact of stress on people I’ve interviewed in my job as a scientific recruiter. While biological stress research is a serious subject pursued in the lab, my focus will be on how it can affect a science career, and on methods a few of my contacts have found for easing their burden. 

Early Stress Research

One of the leading scientists in the field of stress research was Hans Selye, a Canadian endocrinologist who researched the effect of stressors on the body. In his seminal experiments, Dr. Selye injected irritating agents into mice and observed how the animals’ organs and systems responded. His research described three phases of stress: the first moment of impact (the Alarm Phase), that period when you are learning to live with constant stress (the Adaptation Phase), and the crunch that occurs when you just can’t take it any longer (the Exhaustion Phase). Dr. Selye was describing the effects of stress on glandular states, but his three phases provide a convenient model for exploring how people experience stress at work. 

I’ve interviewed scientists, engineers and managers in the midst of each one of these stages. Here is how three of my contacts have been affected by stress, and what they’ve done to manage it. As always, their names and circumstances have been altered enough to protect their identities.

The Alarm Phase

This is the state you are in when a new stressor hits you — when the alarm bells first go off. You’re driving into work in the morning and suddenly — unexpectedly — you realize that your day is not going well. 

He had left himself plenty of time, but disaster had struck. It was important to be there today for Dr. Smith’s 9:00 a.m. presentation; Jerry’s boss had made special arrangements for this guest speaker to spend time with Jerry and a labmate, as their research was in the niche Dr. Smith had pioneered a few years earlier. This was one of the most interesting career development opportunities he’d had since joining this large pharma company, and now it was about to be squandered. In five minutes, Dr. Smith would be delivering his presentation and Jerry was nowhere near the lab.

The Adaptation Phase

This is the period when your mind and body come to terms with the onslaught of daily stressors. Like an athlete who learns to deal with the constant load of weight training, we learn to manage — or adapt — our behavior and attitudes to suit the load we are under. This isn’t necessarily an unhealthy period; as in the case of the athlete, a certain amount of stress can make us stronger. 

The Exhaustion Phase

The Adaptation phase is a fine place to be, but it’s a delicate equilibrium. If something happens to disturb it, there’s trouble ahead. Stress gains the upper hand. Disease symptoms appear, blood pressure levels spin out of control. Depression sets in.

But his batting average had slipped so badly, over such a prolonged period of time, that he knew his upcoming tenure battle could get ugly. There was already a fair amount of snickering among his colleagues; he could feel it at every department meeting. When he entered his own laboratory, he saw the questioning glances from those who depended upon him to maintain their jobs and support their training. But he was tired. He didn’t feel like trying anymore. Something was going to snap soon. He could feel it coming.

Reducing the Load

Do you agree that the stress level in work today is much higher than it used to be? In industry, everyone is working longer hours and doing the job of one-and-a-half employees. And those who have those jobs are lucky to be employed; few have any alternatives.

But there are ways to reduce the ill effects of stress and survive the workday. Here’s how Jerry, Jinghua, and Jonathan dealt with their predicaments. 

Jerry, a generally easy-going guy who occasionally gets sideswiped by major stress, missed out on that opportunity to meet with the well-known scientist. It didn’t make him happy. But his response caused him to reevaluate some things. Since then, he has learned that caffeine in the morning is not all that invigorating . . . In fact, he noticed a direct correlation between espresso and the frequency of stress events. He switched to herbal tea and went on with his life. 

One reason Jinghua has been able to stay in the “zone” — the adaptation zone — is the morning yoga class she takes six days a week. Taking the time away from the lab to do yoga has paid huge dividends. She has become quite expert, and she credits yoga with having a huge calming effect, especially the breathing exercises, which she can employ throughout the day. 

Some scientists in Jonathan’s position may find an easy solution to their problem, see their luck improve, or come up with a way to manage the stress. But Jonathan didn’t have a relief valve. His career crisis was serious. He needed a change of venue. Jonathan left his tenure track position for a job in research planning with a technology company. He’ll never have to write another grant proposal. He’ll be able to handle the stress level comfortably. And, though it’s impossible to know for sure, there’s every reason to expect him to lead a longer, healthier, happier life.