STRESS AND COPING STRATEGIES

Module I: Stress

Stress can be defined as actions and circumstances to which you cannot respond
adequately or to which you respond at the cost of excessive wear and tear on the body.
Stress is an emotional and physical reaction to change.
Stress is defined as “The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other
types of demand placed on them”
Stress can act as a creative force that increases drive and energy, but once it reaches a
certain degree, the results can be negative.

Stress is normally experienced as fatigue, anxiety and depression. It is sometimes

exhibited when people become hostile and aggressive. These are all signs or symptoms of
stress and the causes or ‘stressors’ need to be identified in the workplace and eliminated
or controlled.

Nature
Due to inappropriate usage, the word stress has assumed bad connotations. In its original
sense a stress is neither good nor bad. It becomes good or bad, desirable or undesirable,
healthy or unhealthy depending upon what it does to us. For example, the demands of an
examination could make one child work hard and pass creditably. In the case of another
child the very same examination could appear very demanding and he might end up in a
break down, as his resources are poor. Thus by itself a stressor or a stress is neither good
nor bad. They are neutral in nature.

Types

Distress
When a stressor becomes too demanding or when we do not have adequate resources to
meet the demands, we get ‘stressed up’. The stressed up experience is called a ‘Distress’.
Distress is bad and unhealthy. Prolonged distress initiates a number of reactions at the
level of the body and mind. As it depletes our resources we become impoverished and
susceptible to diseases and disorders. The child who has poor resources to write an
examination falls ill. The executive who went on worrying depleted his resources and
developed hypertension. The housewife spent a sizable portion of her resources to
suppress her constant anger and ended up with bronchial asthma. Thus any stress that
becomes distressing is unhealthy.

Eustress
When a stressor puts demand on our resources and we experience stress that need not
always lead to distress. If the stressor is within limits and we have enough resources we
will be able to cope up with the stress. When a stress makes us cope up with it, there is a
feeling of satisfaction and joy. Stresses that make us cope up with them culminate in
better integration of our personality. Such stresses are called ‘Eustress’ or useful stress.
The child, who prepared well for the examination, wrote it effectively and came out
successfully experiences better self worth and increased self-esteem. The examination
though a stress had indeed beneficial effects on him. Such beneficial stresses are required
for our motivation and growth. No wonder it is then called a useful stress.

Body Reactions to Stress

When a person is subjected to stress, the body automatically prepares itself to respond –
increase in blood pressure, increase in stomach acids, increase in sweating, dilation of the
pupils, etc. If the stress passes, the body will return to normal. If the stress continues, the
body will maintain its preparedness to respond. If this continues too long, it will be
harmful and the body will become exhausted and collapse may occur.

Module II: Stages and Models of Stress

There are three stages a person goes through while suffering from stress.
Alarm Stage: Look at a student's face just before he is going to give an exam. Isn't the
fear and tension clearly evident? When something has just started stressing you and you
feel a fight or flight kind of attitude, then you are in the alarm stage of stress. It is the start
up stage which defines the first reaction to the stressor.

Resistance Stage: When a child is sitting in the examination hall and writing his exam,
he is bothered about completing it in time. He is making full efforts to cope with the
situation and his whole body is engaged in fighting against the condition. This is the
resistance stage. In this stage, the body keeps making continuous efforts to cope with
stress and therefore feels run down and exhausted. The person starts feeling irritated, over
reacts to minor situations and gets mentally and physically weak. Psychological, physical
and behavioral changes are also clearly visible.

Exhaustion Stage: If a student is preparing for his exam and despite of every possible
effort, he is not able to relate to his studies, he is bound to get stressed. The stress could
reach a height where he/she may feel completely exhausted and helpless to the extent of
committing suicide. This is the exhaustion stage. This stage is further divided into two
phases:
Initial phase: The stress persists and due to lack of appropriate measures the
person is not able to concentrate and work efficiently.
Burnout: The person is completely exhausted and drained of all energy reserves.
There is a complete physical, psychological and emotional breakdown. This
requires immediate attention.

The physiology of stress

While preparing for flight or fight response our body undergoes following changes:
  Increased heart rate, blood pressure and respiration. Pumping more blood to the
muscles, supplying more oxygen to the muscles and heart-lung system.
 Increased sugar rates in the blood. Allowing rapid energy use, and accelerating
metabolism for emergency actions.
 Thickening of the blood - to increase oxygen supply (red cells), enabling better
defence from infections (white cells) and to stop bleeding quickly (platelets).
 Sharpening of senses. The pupils dilate; hearing is better etc., allowing rapid
responses.
 Prioritising - increased blood supply to peripheral muscles and heart, to motor and
basic-functions regions in the brain; decreased blood supply to digestive system
and irrelevant brain regions (such as speech areas), this also causes secretion of
body waists, leaving the body lighter.
 Secretion of Adrenaline and other stress hormones - to further increase the
response, and to strengthen relevant systems.
 Secretion of endorphins - natural painkillers, providing an instant defence against
pain.
Stimulus-oriented approach.
Stimulus-based definitions view stress as an independent variable that disturbs the
individual: it leads to distress.
This is the stimulus based model, i.e. the stimulus causes the stress but our response is
the same physiologically. Any perception of a stress stimulus triggers the body's
physiological response. We speak of being 'under stress’; the external event causes the
stress. Managing stress comes down to avoiding the stressor.

Response-oriented approach
Stress can be defined as dependent upon the person's response to the stressor. This is a
more negative way of looking at stress. The person is described as 'suffering from stress',
'feeling stressed'. The individual is seen as having inadequate coping mechanisms. This
internal reaction may also be down to different personality type or cultural influence, but
the management of stress is seen as coming from internal change.

The transactional and interact ional model

The most accepted way of looking at stress nowadays, is to use an interactionist
approach. That is, we may all be faced with the same external stressor (stimulus) but, the
stress response that we show, will depend on our individual differences or gender or
culture. In other words, the phrase 'exam' is the same stimulus, but some of you will be
feeling very worked up about the exam, others will be more 'laid back'. The internal and
behavioural response will be different for each of us. Psychologists try to find out the
factors affecting this interaction and stress management depends on the perceived
interaction and response.

Pressure – environment fit model of stress

The Person-Environment (P-E) Fit model, developed in the early 1970s , states that strain
develops when there is a discrepancy between the motives of the person and the supplies
of the environment, or between the demands of the job and the abilities of the person to
meet those demands.
Module III: Causes and symptoms of stress

Causes of stress vary from person to person. Some common causes of stress can be a
death of a family member, illness, taking care of your family, relationship changes, work,
job change, moving and money. Even small things such as long waits or delays or traffic
can cause stress.

Personal
Some of the leading personal causes of stress are:

 Finances; who name finances as the leading cause of stress cite major purchases
they have to make, such as a home or car. Others are stressed by a loss of income,
or mounting credit card debt. For some, financial stress will eventuate in
bankruptcy. While college students stress over paying for an education, Baby
Boomers and older senior ci tizens find that retirement income can be a major
cause of stress.

 Personal Health and Safety; For some, the stress is linked to obesity, and a
desire to lose weight. For others, the stress is a personal bas habit that affects
health and must be changed. For example, smoking, abuse of alcohol or other
drugs. Illness or injury, whether less or more serious, can be a leading cause of
stress for many people. Personal safety is also a leading cause of stress. Women,
more than men, tend to stress about their own and others’ safety. Adults tend to
stress more than young people, who may act invincible.

 Personal Relationships; Whether it is a friendship, dating, separation, marriage,

divorce, or re-marriage, a relationship can be a leading cause of stress for many.
We all want love, and that is potentially available in relationships, but getting
from A to B can be very stressful. Some resort to online relationships that are
easier to handle. Others withdraw and become recluses. Either way, the demands
on time, finances, and emotions can cause ongoing stress.

 Death; Probably the most wrenching cause of stress is the death of a loved one or
close friend. Even the death of a pet can be stressful.

Organizational

There are 6 risk factors these are:

■ Demands – such as workload, work patterns and the work environment.
■ Control – such as how much say the person has in the way they do their work.
■ Support – such as the encouragement, sponsorship and resources provided by the
organisation, line management and colleagues.
■ Relationships – such as promoting positive working to avoid conflict and dealing with
unacceptable behaviour.
■ Role – such as whether people understand their role within the organisation and
whether the organisation ensures that they do not have conflicting roles.
■ Change – such as how organisational change (large or small) is managed and
communicated in the organisation. (HSE 2005)

All of the above risk factors appear often highly recognizable within the companies.

Employee Risk Factors: Stress can pose a significant risk to the individual in both
mental and physical health. Mental health risks include depression, anxiety and post
traumatic stress disorders. Physical risk factors include damage to immune and
cardiovascular systems. Stress can also increase the risk of other more serious ill health
issues such as Heart Disease. As identified within the Management Standards high
demands within the job such as the working environment and workload are known to be
some of the highest risk factors which have proven to result in stress within any
individual.

Employer Risk Factors: Risk factors for employers can be divided into four main
categories these being: Cost, Negative Public Relations, Legal Obligation/Criminal
Prosecution and Civil Action by employees. The risk factors above are often found within
the organisations we have carried out Stress Surveys for. Although employers do have
demanding roles we often find that the most noted form of stress within organizations is
found because they have the inability to make significant changes as ideas are often
unsupported and change within the organisation is met with great resilience.

Environmental

Physical
 Noise
 Hot environment
 Cold environment
 Poor lighting/too much lighting
 Organizational Risk factors
 Faulty equipment
 Poorly designed and/or maintained equipment
 Dangerous equipment
 Heavy weights

Module IV: Consequences of stress

Effect on behavior and personality

We all have certain features to our personality that make us unique as people; however
there are many aspects of our personality that are similar to other people. These similar
personality factors are called Personality Traits. Research has indicated that certain
personality traits can make us more vulnerable to stress. People with such traits are
known as Type A personalities. Type A's tend to be more competitive, more impatient,
have time urgency when compared to the more relaxed and laid back Type B
personalities. It's important to realise that we are all a mixture of type A and B
personality traits but if we are excessively type A this can make us more vulnerable to
stress.
Here are some Type A and some Type B Personality Traits:

Type A Personality Traits Type B Personality Traits

· Must get things finished · Do not mind leaving things unfinished

for a while
· Never late for appointments · Calm and unhurried about appointments

·Excessively competitive ·Not excessively competitive

· Can't listen to conversations, interrupt, · Can listen and let the other person finish
finish others sentences speaking

·Always in a hurry ·Never in a hurry even when busy

· Do not like to wait ·Can wait calmly

·Very busy at full speed ·Easy going

·Trying to do more than one thing at a ·Can take one thing at a time
time

·Want everything to be perfect ·Do not mind things not quite perfect

·Pressurised speech ·Slow and deliberate speech

·Do everything fast ·Do things slowly

·Hold feelings in ·Can express feelings

·Not satisfied with work/life ·Quite satisfied with work/life

·Few social activities/interests ·Many social activities/interests

·If in employment, will often take work ·If in employment, will limit working to
home work hours
Effect of stress on performance

Look at the curve. Our ability to perform increases up to a certain level of stress arousal.
This is the healthy tension or eustress. But if this stress continues uncontrolled and a
fatigue point is reached, any further stress arousal will take the performance level down,
ultimately leading to exhaustion, ill-health and, finally breakdown.

Figure1. Showing inverted U relationship between stress and performance

Individual and Organizational consequences

Benefits of Healthy, Normal Stress (Eustress)

Performance Health
Increased arousal Cardiovascular efficiency
Bursts of physical strength Enhanced focus in an
emergency
Costs of Distress
Individual Organizational
Psychological disorders Participation problems
Medical illnesses Performance decrements
Behavioral problems Compensation awards

Individual effects of stress

  Physiological: blood pressure, heart rate, muscular tension, breathing difficulties
 Psychological or emotional: anger, anxiety, depression, burnout, dissatisfaction;
hope, engagement.
 Behavioral: decreased performance, absenteeism, violence, accidents, turnover,
drug/alcohol abuse, impulsive behavior

Job Burnout
 Adverse effects of working conditions where stressors seem unavoidable and
sources of job satisfaction and relief from stress seem unavoidable.
 State of emotional exhaustion
 Depersonalization of individuals
 Feelings of low personal accomplishment
 High probability of burnout characteristics
 High degree of job related stressors
 Idealistic and self-motivating achievers
 Seek unattainable goals

Organizational Stress

Participative Problems - a cost associated with absenteeism, tardiness, strikes & work
stoppages, & turnover
Performance Decrement - a cost resulting from poor quality or low quantity of
production, grievances, & unscheduled machine downtime & repair
Compensation Award - an organizational cost resulting from court awards for job
distress

Module V Strategies for stress management

Importance of stress management

It may seem that there’s nothing you can do about your stress level. The bills aren’t going
to stop coming, there will never be more hours in the day for all your errands, and your
career or family responsibilities will always be demanding. But you have a lot more
control than you might think. In fact, the simple realization that you’re in control of your
life is the foundation of stress management.
Managing stress is all about taking charge: taking charge of your thoughts, your
emotions, your schedule, your environment, and the way you deal with problems. The
ultimate goal is a balanced life, with time for work, relationships, relaxation, and fun –
plus the resilience to hold up under pressure and meet challenges head on.

Unhealthy ways of coping with stress

These coping strategies may temporarily reduce stress, but they cause more damage in
the long run:

 Smoking  Using pills or drugs to relax

 Drinking too much  Sleeping too much
 Overeating or undereating  Procrastinating
 Zoning out for hours in front of the TV  Filling up every minute of the day to avoid
or computer facing problems
 Withdrawing from friends, family, and  Taking out your stress on others (lashing
activities out, angry outbursts, physical violence)

Tips for Coping with Stress

Watch for signs of stress. When they occur, try to avoid the cause or change how you
react. Other helpful tips:
• Do something that relaxes you such as: deep and slow breathing, stretching exercises,
yoga, a massage, meditation, listening to music, reading, a hot bath or shower.
• Get a hobby or do something you enjoy.
• Learn to accept things that you cannot change.
• Think positive.
• Set limits. Learn to say no. Take one thing at a time.
• Get 8 hours of sleep each night.
• Eat a healthy diet that includes fruits, vegetables, protein and whole grains.
Limit caffeine and sugar. • Exercise regularly. Exercise will help relax tense muscles,
improve your mood
and help you sleep better.
• Talk to your family and friends about your problems. • Do not deal with stress in
unhealthy ways such as eating too much, not eating
enough, using tobacco products, drinking alcohol or using drugs. • Get help from a
professional if you need it. A counselor can help you cope with stress and deal with
problems. Your doctor may prescribe medicines to help with sad feelings, nervousness or
trouble sleeping.

Talk to your doctor or nurse if you have signs of stress.

Happiness and well-being

Live! Love! Learn!...Capture your bliss
Understanding the determinants of human happiness and well-being is important in the
quest for ecological sustainability (and social justice), because it helps us decide how to
best use the limited material throughput available, and identify what other, non-material
factors are important.
 “ happiness” “happiness and contentment”
 “satisfaction with life”
 “emotional health”
 “meeting basic needs”
 “state in which individuals feel competent to influence their lives & context”
 “safe & secure”
  “quality of life”
 “it’s about physical, economic and environmental factors”
 “good social and community relationships”
 “self-esteem”
“confidence”

STRESS IN DAILY LIFE.

This is a tool to measure the amount of stress you experience in your daily life.
64 statements are included. Read slowly and carefully, state how far it is true in
your case. You may please choose any one of the following five options to each
item.

A. Very true, I agree fully

B. True, I agree
C. I cannot say
D. Not true, I disagree
E. Not true, I totally disagree

Once you finish writing your responses to all items, you can go to the scoring
key, given at the end. Now start taking the test.

1. I do things in a hurry.
2. I like to travel slowly.
3. I eat food faster.
4. I never interrupt when others talk.
5. I want to finish works with neatness and perfection.
6. I speak slowly.
7. Seeing lazy people I get angry.
8. I never bet with others.
9. I feel tensed on thinking about my responsibilities.
10. I am not happy to wait in a queue.
11. I always consider the feelings of others while talking.
12. I take intoxicants.
13. I pray regularly.
14. I am interested in religious books.
15. I watch movies and plays.
16. I practice meditation.
17. I don't reveal secrets to others.
18. I can't stay away from home.
19. I fell tensed on unexpected arrival of a guest.
20. I feel disturbed on an unexpected expenditure.
21. I have debts.
22. I feel that some of my family members are against me.
23. I am not properly understood.
24. I feel devaluated in society.
25. I can't plan my financial budget properly.
26. I am not being loved.
27. I have a lot of family problems.
28. I reach home late.
29. I discus my problems with family members.
30. I have experiences of loosing job unexpectedly.
31. I am often scolded by superiors for coming late.
32. I fear my work place.
33. I quarrel with colleagues.
34. I had been a scapegoat in fight between superiors.
35. I don't like in engaging in love affairs.
36. I receive confusing and contradicting instructions from above.
37. My job is boring one.
38. I am not paid adequately.
39. My work evokes prick of conscience.
40. I had to bear injustice silently.
41. I am satisfied at work.
42. I am well trained for my work.
43. I get angry soon.
44. I don't loose opportunities to help others.
45. I believe and spread rumors.
46. I am a patient listener.
47. I am willing to accept my faults.
48. At times I feel like destroying everything.
49. I suffer from headache.
50. I have fre3quent attacks of chest pain.
51. I have poor appetite.
52. I sweat without reason.
53. I don't get adequate sleep.
54. I have nightmares.
55. I loose control soon.
56. I hate criticism.
57. I feel anxious.
58. I feel calm.
59. I usually regret for what has happened.
60. I fell sorry.
61. I feel frustrated.
62. I am happy.
63. I am confident.
64. I feel worthless.

This is a questionnaire to measure your STRESS in different life situations.

Once you finish answering, give scores to each response.

Scoring Key:

Scores 1,2,3,4,5 respectively for A,B,C,D,E.

Qns. 2, 4, 6, 8, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 31, 43, 44, 46, 48, 49, 60, 64, should be
scored in the opposite order.( Scores 5,4,3,2,1 respectively for A,B,C,D,E)

Find your total score

If it is above 150, you should find out what makes you tensed, may be your life
style... try to change it.

If above 250, you need professional help to reduce stress.

What’s Your Stress Personality?
Using the numerical scale here, indicate how strongly you agree with each
of the following statements; then tally your score.
4 All the time
3 Often
2 Sometimes
1 Never

1. I'm exhausted by daily demands at work, college, and

home.
2. My stress is caused by outside forces beyond my
control.
3. I'm trapped by circumstances that I just have to live
with.
4. No matter how hard I work to stay on top of my
schedule, I can't get caught up.
5. I have financial obligations I can't seem to meet.
6. I dislike my work, but I can't take the risk of making a
career change (or, if not working: I dislike college, but
I can't take the risk of dropping out).
7. I'm dissatisfied with my personal relationships:
8. I feel responsible for the happiness of people around
me.
9. I'm embarrassed to ask for help.
10. I do not know what I want out of life.
11. I'm disappointed that I have not achieved what I had
hoped for.
12. No matter how much success I have, I feel empty.
13. If the people around me were more competent, I would
feel
happier.
14. People let me down.
15. I stew in my anger rather than express it.
16. I become enraged and resentful when I am hurt.
17. I can't take criticism.
18. I'm afraid I'll lose my job (or fail out of school).
19. I don't see the value of expressing sadness or grief.
20. I don't trust that things will work out.

Source: Adapted from R.S. Eliot, From Stress to Strength: How to Lighten Your Load and Save Your Life (New Tad;;
Bantam, 1994).

Scoring key

Total your score for the 20 items

 20-29 You are your own best ally. You have a high degree of self control,
self esteem and identity

30-49 You have a healthy sense of control over your life. Occasional
negative self talk causes you to feel anxious in stressful situations

50-69 Your options are often clouded and you feel trapped because of
negative self talk

70-80 Life has become one crisis after another, seek out some help if required

Activity No. 5 Deep Breathing

Breathing correctly is not only important for living longer but also to have a good mood
and keep performing at your best. Let us look at the benefits of deep breathing and why
you should make it part of your everyday living.

1. Breathing Detoxifies and Releases Toxins

Your body is designed to release 70% of its toxins through breathing. If you are not
breathing effectively, you are not properly ridding your body of its toxins i.e. other
systems in your body must work overtime which could eventually lead to illness. When
you exhale air from your body you release carbon dioxide that has been passed through
from your bloodstream into your lungs. Carbon dioxide is a natural waste of your body's
metabolism.

2. Breathing Releases Tension

Think how your body feels when you are tense, angry, scared or stressed. It constricts.
Your muscles get tight and your breathing becomes shallow. When your breathing is
shallow you are not getting the amount of oxygen that your body needs.

3. Breathing Relaxes the Mind/Body and Brings Clarity

Oxygenation of the brain reducing excessive anxiety levels. Paying attention to your
breathing. Breathe slowly, deeply and purposefully into your body. Notice any places that
are tight and breathe into them. As you relax your body, you may find that the breathing
brings clarity and insights to you as well.

4. Breathing Relieves Emotional Problems

Breathing will help clear uneasy feelings out of your body.

5. Breathing Relieves Pain.

You may not realize its connection to how you think, feel and experience life. For
example, what happens to your breathing when you anticipate pain? You probably hold
your breath. Yet studies show that breathing into your pain helps to ease it.
Acitvity 6

Relaxation Benefits and Tips

Benefits
The benefits of using a relaxation technique are overwhelming. Regular
practice of relaxation techniques will assist you in relieving muscle tension,
reduce anxiety, and improve your overall wellbeing. Other physiological
benefits include:
 Decrease in heart rate
 Decrease in respiration rate
 Decrease in blood pressure
 Decrease in muscle tension
 Decrease in metabolic rate and oxygen consumption
Practicing relaxation exercises 20–30 minutes on a daily basis can produce,
over time, a general feeling of relaxation and increased wellbeing that benefits
every area of your life. When you feel relaxed and at ease, you feel more in
control which leads to calm, realistic responses.