Priya Stress
Priya Stress
Priya Stress
Definition of Stress:
Stress is defined as “a state of psychological and physiological imbalance
resulting from the disparity between situational demand and the
individual's ability and motivation to meet those needs.”
Dr. Hans Selye, one of the leading authorities on the concept of stress, described stress
as “the rate of all wear and tear caused by life.”
Factors that are responsible for causing stress are called stressors:
Causes of Stress
The major causes of stress at work or in organization:
FIGURE:4.1
Career Concern: If an employee feels that he is very much behind in the corporate
ladder, then he may experience stress. If he seems that there are no opportunities for self-
growth, he may experience stress. Hence, unfulfilled career expectations are the
significant source of stress.
Role Ambiguity: It occurs when the person doesn't know what he is supposed to do,
on the job. His tasks and responsibilities are not clear. The employee is not sure what he
is expected to do. It creates confusion in the minds of the worker and results in stress.
Rotating Work Shifts: Stress may occur in those individuals who work on different
work shifts. Employees may be expected to work on day shift for some days and then on
the night shift. That may create problems in adjusting to the shift timings, and it can affect
not only personal life but also family life of the employee.
Role Conflict: It takes place when people have different expectations from the person
performing a particular role. It can also occur if the job is not as per expectation, or when
a job demands a certain type of behavior that is against the person's moral values.
Occupational Demands: Some jobs are more demanding than others. Jobs that
involve risk, and danger are more stressful. Research findings indicate, job that cause
stress needs constant monitoring of equipment and devices, unpleasant physical
conditions, making decisions, etc.
Work Underload: In this, case, too little work or very easy work is expected on the
part of the employee. Doing less work or jobs of routine and simple nature would lead to
monotony and boredom, which can lead to stress.
Lack of Social Support: When individuals believe that they have the friendship and
support of others at work, their ability to cope with the effects of stress increases. If this
kind of social support is not available, then an employee experiences more stress.
Certain factors outside the scope of an organization also cause stress:
The main causes of stress outside work or organization:
FIGURE:4.2
Civic Amenities: Poor civic amenities in the area in which one lives can be a cause of
stress. Inadequate or lack of public facilities like improper water supply, excessive noise
or air pollution, lack of proper transport facility can be quite stressful.
Life Changes: Life changes can bring stress to a person. Life changes can be slow or
sudden. Gradual life changes include getting older, and abrupt life changes include death
or accident of a loved one. Sudden life changes are highly stressful and very difficult to
cope.
Racial, Caste, and Religious Conflicts: Employees living in areas, which are
often prone to conflicts among people based on differences seen in their race, caste and
religion do suffer more from stress. In the case of a religion, the minorities and lowercaste
people (especially in India) are subject to more stress.
Personality: We can classify people as ‘Type A’ and ‘Type B’.
The ‘Type A’ people:
1. They feel guilty while relaxing.
2. They get irritated by minor mistakes of self and others.
3. They feel impatient and dislike waiting.
4. They also multitask and prefer to do several things at one time.
The ‘Type B’ people are exactly opposite and hence are less affected by stress due
to the above factors.
Technological Changes: When there are any changes in technical fields, employees
are under the constant fear of losing jobs or need to adjust to new technologies. It can be
a source of stress.
Career Changes: When a person suddenly switches to another job, he is under stress
to shoulder new responsibilities adequately. Under-promotion, over-promotion,
demotion and transfers can also cause stress.
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Immune system: Constant stress can make you more likely to get sick more often.
And if you have a chronic illness such as AIDS, stress can make your symptoms worse.
Heart: Stress is linked to high blood pressure, abnormal heartbeat (arrhythmia), blood
clots, and hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). It's also linked to coronary artery
disease, heart attack, and heart failure.
Muscles: Constant tension from stress can lead to neck, shoulder, and low back pain.
Stress may make rheumatoid arthritis worse.
Stomach: If you have stomach problems, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease
(GERD), peptic ulcer disease, or irritable bowel syndrome, stress can make your
symptoms worse.
Skin: Skin problems such as acne and psoriasis are made worse by stress.
Stress also becomes harmful when people turn to alcohol, tobacco, or drugs to try
to relieve their stress. Unfortunately, instead of relieving the stress and returning the body
to a relaxed state, these substances tend to keep the body in a stressed state and cause more
problems. Consider the following:
• The Health and Safety Executive says around 9.9 million working days are lost
each year to stress, depression or anxiety.
• Occupations with some of the highest rates of work-related stress are education,
health and social care, public administration and defence.
• The NHS says psychological problems, including stress, anxiety and depression,
are behind one in five visits to a GP.
STRESS MANAGEMENT
LEARN TO RELAX:
Not all stress can be avoided, and it’s not healthy to avoid a situation that needs to
be addressed. You may be surprised, however, by the number of stressors in your life that
you can eliminate.
• Learn how to say “no”: Know your limits and stick to them. Whether in your
personal or professional life, refuse to accept added responsibilities when you’re
close to reaching them. Taking on more than you can handle is a surefire recipe for
stress.
• Avoid people who stress you out: If someone consistently causes stress in
your life and you can’t turn the relationship around, limit the amount of time you
spend with that person or end the relationship entirely.
• Take control of your environment: If the evening news makes you anxious,
turn the TV off. If traffic’s got you tense, take a longer but less-traveled route. If
going to the market is an unpleasant chore, do your grocery shopping online.
• Avoid hot-button topics: If you get upset over religion or politics, cross them
off your conversation list. If you repeatedly argue about the same subject with the
same people, stop bringing it up or excuse yourself when it’s the topic of discussion.
• Pare down your to-do list: Analyze your schedule, responsibilities, and daily
tasks. If you’ve got too much on your plate, distinguish between the “should” and
the “musts.” Drop tasks that aren’t truly necessary to the bottom of the list or
eliminate them entirely.
Alter the situation:
If you can’t avoid a stressful situation, try to alter it. Figure out what you can do
to change things so the problem doesn’t present itself in the future. Often, this involves
changing the way you communicate and operate in your daily life.
• Express your feelings instead of bottling them up: If something or
someone is bothering you, communicate your concerns in an open and respectful
way. If you don’t voice your feelings, resentment will build and the situation will
likely remain the same.
• Be willing to compromise: When you ask someone to change their behavior,
be willing to do the same. If you both are willing to bend at least a little, you’ll have
a good chance of finding a happy middle ground.
• Be more assertive: Don’t take a backseat in your own life. Deal with problems
head on, doing your best to anticipate and prevent them. If you’ve got an exam to
study for and your chatty roommate just got home, say up front that you only have
five minutes to talk.
• Manage your time better: Poor time management can cause a lot of stress.
When you’re stretched too thin and running behind, it’s hard to stay calm and
focused. But if you plan ahead and make sure you don’t overextend yourself, you
can alter the amount of stress you’re under.
If you can’t change the stressor, change yourself. You can adapt to stressful situations and
regain your sense of control by Changing your expectations and attitude.
• Reframe problems: Try to view stressful situations from a more positive
perspective. Rather than fuming about a traffic jam, look at it as an opportunity to
pause and regroup, listen to your favorite radio station, or enjoy some alone time.
• Look at the big picture: Take perspective of the stressful situation. Ask
yourself how important it will be in the long run. Will it matter in a month? A year?
Is it really worth getting upset over? If the answer is no, focus your time and energy
elsewhere.
• Adjust your standards: Perfectionism is a major source of avoidable stress.
Stop setting yourself up for failure by demanding perfection. Set reasonable
standards for yourself and others, and learn to be okay with “good enough.”
• Focus on the positive: When stress is getting you down, take a moment to
reflect on all the things you appreciate in your life, including your own positive
qualities and gifts. This simple strategy can help you keep things in perspective.
• Don’t try to control the uncontrollable: Many things in life are beyond our
control— particularly the behavior of other people. Rather than stressing out over
them, focus on the things you can control such as the way you choose to react to
problems.
• Look for the upside: As the saying goes, “What doesn’t kill us makes us
stronger.” When facing major challenges, try to look at them as opportunities for
personal growth. If your own poor choices contributed to a stressful situation, reflect
on them and learn from your mistakes.
• Share your feelings: Talk to a trusted friend or make an appointment with a
therapist. Expressing what you’re going through can be very cathartic, even if there’s
nothing you can do to alter the stressful situation.
• Learn to forgive: Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world and that
people make mistakes. Let go of anger and resentments. Free yourself from negative
energy by forgiving and moving on.
Beyond a take-charge approach and a positive attitude, you can reduce stress in
your life by nurturing yourself. If you regularly make time for fun and relaxation, you’ll
be in a better place to handle life’s stressors when they inevitably come.
• Set aside relaxation time: Include rest and relaxation in your daily schedule.
Don’t allow other obligations to encroach. This is your time to take a break from all
responsibilities and recharge your batteries.
• Connect with others: Spend time with positive people who enhance your life.
A strong support system will buffer you from the negative effects of stress.
• Do something you enjoy every day: Make time for leisure activities that
bring you joy, whether it be stargazing, playing the piano, or working on your bike.
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Adopt a healthy lifestyle:
You can increase your resistance to stress by strengthening your physical health.
• Exercise regularly: Physical activity plays a key role in reducing and preventing
the effects of stress. Make time for at least 30 minutes of exercise, three times per
week. Nothing beats aerobic exercise for releasing pent-up stress and tension.
• Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs: Self-medicating with alcohol or drugs
may provide an easy escape from stress, but the relief is only temporary. Don’t avoid
or mask the issue at hand; deal with problems head on and with a clear mind.
• Get enough sleep: Adequate sleep fuels your mind, as well as your body. Feeling
tired will increase your stress because it may cause you to think irrationally.