Stress Mangement At Workplace

"You don't get ulcers from what you eat. You get them from what's eating you." - Vicki Baum

Handling Employee Stress Presented to: Miss Javeria Ikram Presented by: Sarah Naeem Roll no: 27 1

TABLE OF CONTENT • • • • • • • •

Stress Types of stress Symptoms of stress Common factors of stress Top ten stressful events of life Stress management Ways to manage stress at workplace Ways to reduce stress

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STRESS Stress in humans results from interactions between persons and their environment that are perceived as straining or exceeding their adaptive capacities and threatening their well-being. The element of perception indicates that human stress responses reflect differences in personality, as well as differences in physical strength or general health. The causes of stress can include any event or occurrence that a person considers a threat to his or her coping strategies or resources. Researchers generally agree that a certain degree of stress is a normal part of a living organism's response to the inevitable changes in its physical or social environment, and that positive as well as negative events can generate stress. Stress-related disease, however, results from excessive and prolonged demands on an organism's coping resources. It is now believed that 80–90% of all disease is stress-related.

"The perfect no-stress environment is the grave. When we change our perception we gain control. The stress becomes a challenge, not a threat. When we commit to action, to actually doing something rather than feeling trapped by events, the stress in our life becomes manageable." - Greg Anderson "Mental tensions, frustrations, insecurity, aimlessness are among the most damaging stressors, and psychosomatic studies have shown how often they cause migraine headache, peptic ulcers, heart attacks, hypertension, mental disease, suicide, or just hopeless unhappiness." - Hans Slyer When you suffer an attack of nerves you're being attacked by the nervous system. What chance has a man got against a system?" - Russell Hoban

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"Pressure and stress is the common cold of the psyche." Andrew Denton

Types of Stress • •

Eustress Distress

Eustress Where stress enhances function (physical or mental, such as through strength training or challenging work) it may be considered eustress. Winning an athletic competition is an example of eustress.

Examples of causes of eustress • • • • • • •

Meeting a challenge Coming in first or winning Getting a promotion Marriage The holidays Buying a new home Going on a roller coaster ride

Distress Persistent stress that is not resolved through coping or adaptation may lead to escape or withdrawal behavior is known as distress. Distress is a kind of suffering. In medicine, distress is stress caused by adverse events

Distress versus eustress Distress is the most commonly-referred to type of stress, having negative implications, whereas eustress is a positive, desirable form of stress. Both can be equally taxing on the body, and are cumulative in nature

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"For fast-acting relief try slowing down." - Lily Tomlin

Symptoms of Stress The symptoms of stress can be either physical and/or psychological. Stressrelated physical illnesses, such as irritable bowel syndrome, heart attacks, and chronic headaches, result from long-term overstimulation of a part of the nervous system that regulates the heart rate, blood pressure, and digestive system. Stress-related emotional illness results from inadequate or inappropriate responses to major changes in one's life situation. Marriage, completing one's education, the death of a loved one, divorce, becoming a parent, losing a job, or retirement. Psychiatrists sometimes use the term adjustment disorder to describe this type of illness. In the workplace, stress-related illness often takes the form of burnout—a loss of interest in or ability to perform one's job due to long-term high stress levels.

Prevention Complete prevention of stress is neither possible nor desirable because stress is an important stimulus of human growth and creativity, as well as an inevitable part of life. In addition, specific strategies for stress prevention vary widely from person to person, depending on the nature and number of the stressors in an individual's life, and the amount of control he or she has over these factors. In general a combinations of attitudinal & behavioral changes work well for most patients. The best form of prevention appears to be parental modeling of healthy attitudes and behaviors within the family or counseling.

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Common Factors of Stress Both negative and positive stressors can lead to stress. Some common categories and examples of stressors include: • • • • • • • • •

Sensory: pain, bright light Life events: birth and deaths, marriage, and divorce Responsibilities: lack of money, unemployment Work/study: exams, project deadlines Personal relationships: conflict, deception Lifestyle: heavy drinking, insufficient sleep Early life exposure (e.g. child abuse) can permanently alter an individual's stress response[citation needed] Environmental: Lack of control over environmental circumstances, such as food, housing, health, freedom, or mobility Social: Struggles with co specific individuals and social defeat can be potent sources of chronic stresses

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Top Ten Stressful Events "Mental tensions, frustrations, insecurity, aimlessness are among the most damaging stressors, and psychosomatic studies have shown how often they cause migraine headache, peptic ulcers, heart attacks, hypertension, mental disease, suicide, or just hopeless unhappiness." Hans Selye Hans Selye, a Canadian scientist (1907–1982), noticed that people who suffered from chronic illness or disease showed some of the same symptoms. Selye related this to stress and he began to test his hypothesis. From his study he concluded that there are 10 major factors that cause extreme stress among people. 1. Death of spouse 2. Divorce 3. Marital separation 4. Jail term or death of close family member 5. Personal injury or illness 6. Marriage 7. Loss of job due to termination 8. Marital reconciliation or retirement 9. Pregnancy 10. Change in financial state

Stress Management Stress management encompasses techniques intended to equip a person with effective coping mechanisms for dealing with psychological stress, with stress defined as a person's physiological response to an internal or external stimulus that triggers the fight-or-flight response. Stress management is effective when a person utilizes strategies to cope with or alter stressful situations. Stress management refers to various efforts to control and reduce the tension that occurs in stressful situations

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AN INDIVIDUAL STRESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM • • • •

Positive thinking. Refocus the negative to be positive. Make an effort to stop negative thoughts. Plan some fun. Take a break.

Physical activity: • •

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Start an individualized program of physical activity. Most experts recommend doing 20 minutes of aerobic activity 3 times per week. Decide on a specific time, type, frequency, and level of physical activity. Make this dedicated time fit into your schedule so it can be part of your routine. Find a buddy to exercise with -- it is more fun and it will encourage you to stick with your routine. You do not have to join a gym -- 20 minutes of brisk walking outdoor will do the trick.

Nutrition: • • •

Plan to eat foods that improve health and well-being. For example, increase the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat. Use the food guide pyramid to help make healthy food choices. Eat an appropriate amount of food at a reasonable schedule.

Social support: •

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Make an effort to interact socially with people. Even though you feel stressed, you will be glad to have gone out to meet your friends if only to get your mind off of things. Reach out to individuals. Nurture yourself and others.

Relaxation: •

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Learn about and try using one or more of the many relaxation techniques, such as guided imagery, listening to music, or practicing yoga or meditation. One or more should work for you. Take time for personal interests and hobbies. 8

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Listen to your body. Take a mini retreat.

Ways to Manage Stress at Workplace: The time you spend at the office may be the most stressful part of your day, but it doesn't have to be. You have a greater ability to shape your office environment than you may realize. •

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Take breaks throughout the day. It will help clear your mind and relieve pressure. Something as simple as going to the water cooler for a drink may do the trick. Enroll in a noontime or an after-work exercise class. This will give you a chance to unwind and a way to relieve stress. To help your workday go smoothly, try pacing your activities: Do more demanding work in the morning, when your energy level is higher, and easier work later in the day, when you may be tired. Try listening to music recordings, such as pounding surf or songbirds, to help you relax. Such tapes are sold commercially. Use headphones if you'll be listening to them in the middle of the workday. Get to work early or stay late once a week. You may be able to accomplish more when you vary your routine.

Managing Job Insecurities If your stress comes from job insecurity, take stock of yourself. Update your resume, and remind yourself of your skills and strengths. Also, make sure you keep up with new developments in your field. This will make you valuable to employers. Don't let work rumors, which are usually false, may cause you worry. A coworker may just be thinking out loud about worst-case scenarios. If your office is less structured (or if you are the boss), consider a company mascot. A cat or dog can do wonders for workers' morale.

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Ways to Reduce Stress 1. Eliminate as many sources of stress as you can. For example, if crowds bother you, go to the cafeteria when you know the lines won't be too long. Try eating at your seat rather than going in the break lounge. Clear up the clutter in your life & at your desk by giving away or throwing away the things that get in your way. Make the things around you look comfortable and easy to you. 2. If you are always running late, sit down with a pencil and paper and see how you are actually allotting your time. Say it takes you 40 minutes to get to work. Are you leaving your house on time? You may be able to solve your problem (and de-stress your life a bit) just by being realistic. If you can't find the time for all the activities that are important to you, maybe you are trying to do too much. Again, make a list of what you do during the day and how much each activity takes. Then cut back. 3. Avoid predictably stressful situations. If a certain sport or game makes you tense (whether it's tennis or bridge), decline the invitation to play. After all, the point of these activities is to have a good time. If you know you won't, there's no reason to play. Remember after work hours you are your own boss. 4. If you can't remove the stress, remove yourself. Slip away once in a while for some private time. These quiet moments may give you a fresh perspective on your problems. Avoid stressful people. For example, if you don't get along with some other executive or secretary but you don't want to make an issue of it, and if it’s inevitable to talk to them just make sure there are others people around. As having other people around will absorb some of the pressure you would normally feel. 5. Competing with others, whether in accomplishments, appearance, or possessions, is an avoidable source of stress. You might know people who do all they can to provoke envy in others. While it may seem easy to say you should be satisfied with what you have, it's the truth. Stress from this kind

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of jealousy is self-inflicted. 6. Laborsaving devices, such as cellular phones or computer hookups, often encourage us to cram too many activities into each day. Before you buy new equipment, be sure that it will really improve your life. Be aware that taking care of equipment and getting it repaired can be stressful. Don’t start too many new thing at one time, because as the pressure increase stress increases as well. 7. Try doing only one thing at a time. For example, when you're on a phone call, you don't have to read the report in front of you or check email or whatever. 8. Remember, sometimes its okay to do nothing. You don’t always have to be involved in top level projects or busy in assignments. A few breathers here and there are allowed to every one. 9. If you suffer from insomnia, headaches, recurring colds, or stomach upsets, consider whether stress is part of the problem. Being chronically angry, frustrated, or apprehensive can deplete your physical resources. 10. If you feel stress (or anything else) is getting the better of you, seek professional help -- a doctor or therapist. Early signs of excess stress are loss of a sense of well-being and reluctance to get up in the morning to face another day.

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