STRESS MANAGEMENT NOTES

What Is Stress ?
Stress can be defined as a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation.
Stress is a natural human response that prompts us to address challenges and threats in our
lives. Everyone experiences stress to some degree.

What Is Stress Management ?

How do we control, reduce, and cope with our stress? Check out these science-based stress
management strategies.

Stress Management Defined

Stress management is defined as the tools, strategies, or techniques that reduce stress
and reduce the negative impacts stress has on your mental or physical well-being. A
variety of techniques can be used to manage stress. These include mental, emotional,
and behavioral strategies. When stress management is used regularly and in response
to stressful life events, we can optimize our well-being (take this well-being quiz to see
how you're doing).

Why Managing Stress Is Important

Stress can be acute (e.g., in response to a lion) or chronic (e.g., in response to a
stressful job we've had for years). Stress can come from work, finances, relationships,
and a variety of other places, but stress can also come from inside the body, from
illnesses or inflammation. These stressful events initiate activation of the Hypothalamic-
Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. And the greater the stress we have, the greater the
activation of the HPA axis.

When we get stressed, we may at first feel energized. That’s because cortisol gives us
the energy we need to escape predators or fight disease and inflammation. But when
we are stressed too much, we can start to feel wired. Then after time, we start to feel
exhausted. That's because we were designed to get bursts of energy to chase after our
next meal or run away from a lion. But now in our modern world, we have this kind of
ongoing chronic stress that wears us down over time. This can be devastating for our
mental and physical health. And we may even need a stress detox to remove the built
up stress hormones and get our bodies working properly again.
Stress Management Activities :-
Some of the most important activities for stress management include optimizing sleep,
eating, and exercise.

Sleep

Insufficient sleep contributes to greater HPA axis activation. That's why stress
management should include improving duration and quality of sleep. To start, be sure
to block out blue light (from TVs, phones, and computers) at least 30 minutes before
bed. You might also try getting blue-light blocking glasses or getting a sleep-inducing
red light bulb (which improves sleep) for your bedside lamp.

Diet
Dieting or restricting calories actually increases HPA activation. So if you’re aiming to
manage stress be sure to eat enough nutritious food to fuel all your body's systems.

Exercise

Because exercise increases the demand for energy and cortisol, avoid high-intensity
exercise when trying to get your stress under control. Instead, do low-intensity exercise
like walking, swimming, or yoga.

Stress Management Skills :-

In addition to making sure we do stress management activities, we can also build up
our stress management skills. Here are some skills that can help you beat stress.

Try Meditation

Multiple studies have shown that mediation can decrease cortisol in the context of
stressful situations. This suggests that building our meditation skills may be helpful for
managing stress. Consider checking out Emily Fletcher's Meditation Masterclass.
Find Opportunities To Be Kind To Others

Expressing positivity towards others, for example with compassion, gratitude, and
loving-kindness, can buffer us against stress. So finding ways to be kind may indeed be
a good stress reducer.

Shift Your Mindset

When we are stressed, we can view the situation as a challenge that we can handle or
a threat that we are afraid of. The research suggests that viewing a situation as a
challenge (and not a threat) reduces our stress. So try to remind yourself that “You can
do this! And you’re stronger than you think !”

Stress Management Techniques :-

Changing our minds is just one avenue for stress management. We can also practice
stress management techniques that capitalize on the body-mind connection. Here some
science-based stress management techniques to try:

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation involves tensing a group of muscles as you breathe in

and quickly releasing tension as you breathe out. Proceed through one set of muscles
at a time. For example, start with the hands, then forearms, then biceps, then
shoulders, and so on. Research has shown that progressive muscle relaxation can lower
cortisol, so it may be a helpful technique to try.

Breathing Exercises
One effective way to activate the parasympathetic nervous system (the rest and digest
system) is with deep breathing. For example, cycling slow breathing (2-4 breaths per
minute) then fast (30 breaths per minute), then ending with three long “Om”s, can
reduce anxiety. Breathing techniques like this and others can help turn off your stress
response.
Cold Water Dunk

Another way to activate the parasympathetic nervous system is by submerging our

bodies in cold water. So, if you’re feeling stressed, jump in a cold shower or pool to
tamp down your stress.

Causes Of Stress In The Workplace

If you feel like stress is affecting job performance, it’s a good idea to start digging into what is
causing work-related stress.

 Poor company culture

 Long hours & excessive workload
 Worrying about job security
 Poor management, including both under and over-managing
 Lack of communication/transparency about business changes
 Workplace harassment

If you recognize any of these as issues within your organization, now’s the time to start
identifying ways to reduce stress at work for employees.

Advantages Of Stress Management In The

Workplace

So far, the discussion has been about the effects of stress at work, but we’d like to turn the
focus to the benefits of a low-stress work environment.

 Strong company culture: Employees have a major role in a company’s culture. Healthier
employees operating under manageable levels of stress will be happier and more positive,
helping to maintain a strong, healthy workplace culture that’s conducive to creativity and
productivity.
 Less sick days: Stress is one of the leading causes of absenteeism in the workplace. Not only
will less stress in the workplace result in less “mental health days,” but it will also reduce the
amount of sick days taken by employees due to a weakened immune system as a result of
excessive stress.
 Employee retention & talent acquisition: Employees who aren’t overly stressed are much
more likely to stick around, and prospective employees are much more likely to work for an
employer that promotes a low-stress work environment and takes the initiative to help keep
their employees healthy.
 It shows you care: Actively working to reduce stress through measures like stress
management programs and policy shows that you care about your employees and their
health and happiness.

How Can Employers Reduce Stress in the

Workplace ?

There are several stress management techniques that can work for your business. View a few
of the ideas below.

ADDRESS KNOWN ISSUES

For starters, if you know there’s an issue that’s creating stress, find a way to fix it. This isn’t
always easy, but it’s important. If you don’t do what you can to give your employees a healthy,
low-stress work environment, you’re going to suffer from low productivity and will be training
new employees sooner than later.

TRAINING PROGRAMS
Being trained to implement is a strategic place to start, and it also helps you and your
organization prioritize stress management as an ongoing initiative. WELCOA offers advanced
training courses, such as Jim Porter’s “Stress Prevention in Six Steps” to equip leadership and
individuals at your company with effective stress management strategies.

WELLNESS PROGRAMS & INITIATIVES

Wellness programs have countless benefits for businesses. One of the benefits is reduced stress
around the office. Our stress incentive campaign, In Tune: Take Charge Of Your Stress, is a
campaign designed to help individuals respond to common stressors, such as work deadlines or
traffic congestion that are always going to be part of life.
Stress-related programs aren’t the only way to help relieve stress around the office, though.
Exercise is proven to help reduce stress, so a health initiative like On the Move is a great way to
help employees start making healthier decisions that can reduce stress.
Stress Management For Employees Is Critical To
Your Organization’s Success

Stress can’t be entirely eliminated, and a healthy amount of stress leads to productivity and
creativity. But there’s a fine line and when employees become overly stressed, it takes a toll on
both them personally and the overall health of the company. To ensure you have happy,
healthy, and engaged employees, stress management in the workplace is a must.