TOPIC 1: WHAT IS STRESS?

Dictionary definitions do not quite capture the meaning of

stress as it is seen and experienced in the world of work. One of the
Webster’s definitions describes it as an “…emotional factor that
causes bodily or mental tension.” A practical way of defining stress
is the feeling one gets from prolonged, pent-up emotions. If the
emotions you experience are pleasant and desirable – joy, elation,
ecstasy, delight – you usually feel free to let them show. They are
not suppressed. Therefore, positive emotions do not usually cause
stress. Negative emotions, on the other hand, are more often held
inside. They are hidden. You suffer quietly and you experience stress.
Do not confuse positive situations with positive emotions. A
wedding, for example, is a positive situation that often brings about
the negative emotions of anxiety and tension. So, stress can exist in
great situations.

TOPIC 2: CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF STRESS

Just as there is great variety in the range of emotions you
might experience, there are many possible manifestations of stress
– in your private life and in your working life. Here are some words
that describe the emotions associated (as cause and effect) with
stress.
• Anxiety
• Pressure
• Misery
 • Strain
• Desperation
• Tension
• Anger
• Panic
• Dejection
Prolonged stress can be devastating; burnout, breakdown,
and depression are some of the potential results of long-term,
unmanaged stress. By wearing a mask, you may expect to hide
stress caused by problems in your personal life and not let them
influence your performance on the job. This will probably not work.
The more you try to hold your emotions in, the greater the pressure
build-up will be.

A. Everyday Frustrations Cause Stress Build-Up

From the time you wake up until you go to sleep, you may be
confronted with a succession of stressful situations. Managing to get
yourself (and possibly a spouse and children) out of bed and ready
to face the day can be a challenge to your patience and ingenuity.
Driving to school or work can be harrowing – especially if you’re
running late. You may experience frustration in arranging to get the
car repaired. You may face conflicts in school or at work, such as
coping with unrealistic deadlines, equipment failures, or unexpected
bad weather. If part of your job is selling, you may experience
feelings of rejection when most of your customers say “no.”
A series of stressful and frustrating experiences throughout
the day can cause you to lie awake at night in an emotional turmoil
– unable to get needed rest. You face the next day with less
emotional and physical stamina. After another stressful day and
another night without rest, you may have even less emotional
strength and stability. Therefore, stress build-up, if not resolved,
continues day after day.

B. Problems in our Personal Life can be Devastating

Surviving the normal, everyday stress described above can
be difficult. But far more serious and painful circumstances can
create long-term stress. More serious stressful circumstances may
include separation from loved ones, personal illness, or illness of a
loved one, death of someone you care about, or conflict with a
spouse or close friend. Other major causes of stress are problems
with drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, care of children and
elderly relatives, chronic mental illness, injury, physical handicaps,
even moving to a new home, if you’ve lived in the same place for
more than 10 years. The list goes on and on.
Managing your personal finances can be another stressful
experience. This can be a problem no matter what your income level,
but it is especially difficult if you must support a family and do not
earn enough to live comfortably. Unpaid bills, unwise use of credit,
and budget limitations can make life difficult.

C. Common Cause of Stress is Dealing with Life’s Transitions

This is especially true when a person must cope with too
many transitions all at once. For example, Ellen has just completed
a program in fashion merchandising. She is eager to get started on
her new job. Her mother is ill and requires care. Her father died a few
months ago. Ellen’s new job requires that she relocate to a town 100
miles from home. The move, a new career, and a change in family
relationships may cause excessive stress for her. Too many changes
have arrived at the same time.

Topic 3: STRESS RESPONSE

Your stress response is the collection of physiological
changes that occur when you face a perceived threat—when you
face situations where you feel the demands outweigh your resources
to successfully cope. These situations are known as stressors.
When your stress response is triggered, a series of changes
occur within your body. They include:
• Redirection of blood away from extremities and instead to
major organs
• The release of cortisol and other hormones, which bring other
short- and
• long-term changes.
• The stress response is intended to give you a burst of energy
so you’re
able to fight off attackers or run away from them effectively.
This helped our ancestors, who faced numerous physical
threats, to stay safe. However, now our threats tend to be less
physical and more associated with our way of life—a challenge to
our status, a demand for performance, etc. In addition to giving us a
set of changes that may not match our needs as well (it might be
more effective for us to have a burst of mental clarity or wisdom than
a burst of physical strength, for example), the stress response can
actually cause harm if it leads to a state of chronic stress—that is, if
our stress response is triggered, and then our body doesn’t go back
to its normal state via the relaxation response.
 A. Keep Stress Under Control
There are many effective ways to handle stress. Of course,
you can’t avoid stress—in fact, you wouldn’t want to avoid all stress,
because you’d never grow. However, you can manage your life so
that you survive the emotional down times without allowing stress
to engulf you. Also, you can work to eliminate controllable stress
factors, such as running late or not getting enough sleep. But when
stress is constant or too great, your wisest option is to find ways to
reduce or control it. You need not, and should not, live your life in
emotional stress and discomfort. Stress can be successfully
managed. Here are some suggestions that may help.

B. Understand the Causes of Stress

Understanding why you are under stress is important. This
may seem obvious, but it requires deliberate, conscious effort to
pause and simply ponder your situation. By now, you are familiar
with the stress response, the emotional or physical symptoms of
uncontrolled stress. Now you need to try to discover the stressors,
the factors of which create the stress in your life.

C. Analyze your Stress Factors and Write Them Down

Write down your response to stress. For example, you may
write down, “I feel tired most of the time. My lower back seems to
ache all through the day and night. I miss deadlines and run behind
schedule.” Analyze stress responses and consequences, and
consider each item, and ask why. “Why am I feeling tired? Why does
my back ache? Why do I run behind schedule? Carefully consider
each answer, because the answers will reveal stressors, such as
deadlines, anxieties, trying to do so much, managing time or money
poorly, or poor health habits.
 D. Deal with the Stressors
Develop techniques to deal with the causes of stress. The
longer you avoid dealing with the stress factors, the more the stress
will build up. If tension comes because you have put off an
unfinished task, restructure your priorities so you can get the task
that you have been avoiding out of the way and off your mind.

E. Learn to Work under Pressure or Unusual Conditions

When you can’t reduce the stressors, you need to manage
your stress response. Almost everyone, at least at some point, has
to meet deadlines, keep several jobs going at once, resolve problems
that come up, and do extra work when necessary. However, when
the pressure mounts, you can relieve it. Relaxation is key—but most
people must train themselves to relax when the pressure is on.

Some tips to relax when under pressure are the following:

• Stop for a moment (especially when you feel your muscles
tightening up) and take a few deep breaths.
• Do a relaxing exercise. Swing your hands at your sides and
stretch.
• Take a “power nap.” Lie down and totally relax for a few
minutes.
• Find time to do the things you enjoy.
• Leave your study area for a while to take a brisk walk.
• Find a quiet place to read a magazine or novel during break or
at lunch.
• If possible, look at some peaceful images such as forests,
beaches, etc.
• These images can initiate a relaxation response.
• Look up.
• Keep something humorous on hand, such as a book of jokes.