STRESS, ITS CAUSES AND MANAGEMENT

Stress is a worry or force that deforms the personality by producing a feeling of anxiety and
nervousness caused in a sudden different set up or situation. There are many stressors associated
with a persons life and it is important to understand how stress affects individual functioning and
performance. It is a mental state in which activation and alertness may be too low to foster effective and
conductive performance While stress may contribute to reduced task performance and weakened decision
making processes, there are intervening variables, or moderators, that can help offset some the negative
effects of stress on individual and group functioning.

Causes of Stress:Stressors can be divided into those that arise from within an individual (internal) and those that are
attributable to the environment (external). Internal sources of stress can arise from an individual's
perceptions of an environmental threat, even if no such danger actually exists.
A. Internal conflicts maybe:

Non-specific fears
fears of inadequacy
guilt feelings are

B. Environmental stressors are external conditions beyond an individual's control. Bhagat (1983) has
reported that work performance can be seriously impaired by external stressors. There are many aspects
of organizational life that can become external stressors. These include:

Issues of structure
Managements use of authority
Monotony, a lack of opportunity for advancement
Excessive responsibilities
Ambiguous demands
Value conflicts
Unrealistic workloads

Other factors may include:

1. A person's non-working life (e.g. family, friends, health, and financial situations) can also contain
stressors that negatively impact job performance.
2. Many situations in organizational life can be stressful. These include:
1)
2)
3)
4)

Problems with the physical environment, such as poor lighting or excessive nose,
Problems with the quality of work such, as lack of diversity, an excessive pace, or too little work,
Role ambiguities or conflicts in responsibilities,
Relationships with supervisors, peers, and subordinates,

5) Career development stressors:

Such as lack of job security

Perceived obsolescence
Inadequate advancement.
Adverse working conditions
Such as excessive noise
Extreme temperatures
Overcrowding,

Swing shifts of workers

3. Poor interpersonal relationships including

Too much prolonged contact with other people,

Too much contact with people from other departments
An unfriendly or hostile organizational climate.

4. Personal factors are often a source of stress. These include:

Career related concerns, such as job security and advancements

Financial and family concerns.

Holmes and Rahe (1967) constructed a scale of forty-three life events, and rated them according to the
amount of stress they produce. The most notable feature of their instrument is that many positive life
changes (i.e., marriage, Christmas, vacations, etc.) are substantial sources of stress. Generally, stress
appears to be a result of any change in one's daily routine.
.

Stress Management How to Reduce, Prevent, and Cope with Stress

No matter how powerless you may feel in the face of stress, one should have control over your lifestyle,
thoughts, emotions, and the way you deal with problems. Stress management involves changing the
stressful situation when one can, changing reaction when one cant, taking care of one, and making time
for rest and relaxation. The first step is to recognize the true sources of stress in your life.
A. Unhealthy Approach to Reduce Stress.
These coping strategies may temporarily reduce stress, but they cause more damage in the long run:

Smoking
Bingeing on junk or comfort food
Withdrawing from friends, family
Using pills or drugs to relax
Sleeping too much
Procrastinating
Filling up every minute of the day to avoid

facing problems
Taking out your stress on others (lashing
out, angry outbursts, physical violence)

B. Healthier ways to manage stress:

If your methods of coping with stress arent contributing to your greater emotional and physical health,
its time to find healthier ones. No single method works for everyone or in every situation, so experiment
with different techniques and strategies. Focus on what makes you feel calm and in control. These
include:

1: Get moving
Physical activity plays a key role in reducing and preventing the effects of stress. Here are a few easy
ways:

Put on some music and dance around

Walk or cycle to the grocery store

Use the stairs at home or work rather than an elevator
Park your car in the farthest spot in the lot and walk the rest of the way
Pair up with an exercise partner and encourage each other as you workout
Play ping-pong or an activity-based video game with your kids

2. Engage socially to Reach out and build relationships:

Reach out to a colleague at work

Help someone else by volunteering
Have lunch or coffee with a friend
Ask a loved one to check in with you regularly
Accompany someone to the movies or a concert

Call or email an old friend

Go for a walk with a workout buddy
Schedule a weekly dinner date
Meet new people by taking a class or joining a club
Confide in a clergy member, teacher, or sports coach

3. Avoid unnecessary stress by avoiding stressors.

Its not healthy to avoid a stressful situation that needs to be addressed, but you may be surprised
by the number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate such as:

Learn how to say no

Avoid people who stress you out
Take control of your environment

4: Alter the situation by:

Express your feelings instead of bottling them up

Be willing to compromise.
Manage your time better

5: Adapt to the stressor by:

Reframe problems.
Look at the big picture.
Adjust your standards.

6: Accept the things you cant change by:

Not trying to control the uncontrollable.

Looking for the upside.
Learning to forgive.

7: Make time for fun and relaxation

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, youll be in a better place
to handle lifes stressors.
8: Adopt a healthy lifestyle by

Eating healthy diet

Reducing caffeine and sugar.
Getting enough sleep

In short:Develop a "stress relief toolbox" for feeling good by adapting following tricks:

Go for a walk
Spend time in nature
Call a good friend
Play a competitive game
Write in your journal.

Savor a warm cup of coffee or tea

Play with a pet
Work in your garden
Curl up with a good book
Watch a comedy

Stay happy, healthy and peaceful by adapting positive approach and perspective of life