Under Pressure: Contextualizing Workplace Stress Towards User-Centered Interventions

TL;DR

The paper addresses the complex, context-dependent nature of workplace stress in office environments by conducting semi-structured elicitation interviews with eight workers, grounded in a broader longitudinal multimodal data collection. It reveals how organizational constraints, workspace design, and external factors interact to generate stress, and outlines remediation strategies that include breaks, social disclosure, and environmental adjustments. Key contributions include a nuanced taxonomy of stressors, design implications for personalized and environment-aware interventions, and recommendations to balance cognitive load, privacy, and self-reflection to sustain engagement. The work advances user-centered stress management by advocating for interventions that integrate with the physical workspace and leverage personal data-driven reflection to reduce distress and promote growth.

Abstract

Stress is a pervasive challenge that significantly impacts worker health and well-being. Workplace stress is driven by various factors, ranging from organizational changes to poor workplace design. Although individual stress management strategies have been shown to be effective, current interventions often overlook personal and contextual factors shaping stress experiences. In this study, we conducted semi-structured interviews with eight office workers to gain a deeper understanding of their personal experiences with workplace stress. Our analysis reveals key stress triggers, coping mechanisms, and reflections on past stressful events. We highlight the multifaceted and individualized nature of workplace stress, emphasizing the importance of intervention timing, modality, and recognizing that stress is not solely a negative experience but can also have positive effects. Our findings provide actionable insights for the design of user-centered stress management solutions more attuned to the needs of office workers.