Its been quite a while since I blogged anything... Reason why...? Is simply because I didn’t want to write something just for the heck of writing...!
I would love to write on something that really impresses me or what I experience...!
Off late I have been observing my husband working day in and out, including his team members.
Where as some people are able to manage job stress. Although the fact remains that they spend less time for their family...!
As an industrial psychologist, His work style and lifestyle always prompted me to do some readings and research on job stress.
More importantly I wanted to know why some people can handle job stress, while others simply can’t??....!
Well… first I would like to tell what is stress its definition:-
What is stress….?
Are you someone, who is bothered by work pressure or life style pressure?
Then you are not alone….! People around you, your friends or family members might have had or will be experiencing stress..!
Now what is “stress”…?
There is no proper definition for stress.. Because every one handle and experience stress in different form, so it’s been one of the most of the researchers to define it aptly.
Well, one of the definitions of general stress is that: - “Stress is a feeling that's created when we react to particular events. It's the body's way of rising to a challenge and preparing to meet a tough situation with focus, strength, stamina, and heightened alertness.”
The events that provoke stress are called stressors, and they cover a whole range of situations — everything from outright physical danger to making a class presentation or taking a semester's worth of your toughest subject.
This natural reaction is known as the stress response. Working properly, the body's stress response enhances a person's ability to perform well under pressure. But the stress response can also cause problems when it overreacts or fails to turn off and reset itself properly.
According to me Stress is always not bad, because certain amount of stress is required to meet deadlines at work or at home, To achieve success…! It all depends on how the person handles it or manages himself…!
Psychologists categorize stress in to 2 types…
a) Eustress:- Is a positive stress, which is required to do our day today activities,, which brings positive outcomes.
b) Distress- Is a negative stress which leads to emotional and physical hazards’…!
Well what is this occupational or job stress….?
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, job stress can be
defined as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the
requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker.
People always choose fight or flight reaction..
For example, In the case of people who are able to manage stress, are fighting the stress by considering stress, as not a stress but a challenge…! And they fight the situation rather than choosing flight reaction.
Where as in the case of one of my friends, he chose flight reaction looking out for other alternative opportunities, Nothing wrong in that because, as I told earlier everyone experience stress differently,
"What is a stressor for me wouldn’t be a stressor for you…!"
Although there are differences in individual, it cannot be ignored; research studies indicate certain working conditions are stressful to most people.
This scientific evidence places greater emphasis on working conditions as the key source of job stress, and job redesign as the primary prevention strategy. Excessive workload demands and conflicting expectations, for example, are key sources of job stress.
Some of the causes for Job stress as I have observed and some of the scientific research are:-
1) Poor Time Management: - As I have observed poor time management and procrastination is one of the major reasons for job stress in meeting the dead lines…! This has motivated me to do a short study on time management and work stress management..! Hope to start the research at the earliest…!
2) Long hours of work and demanding work shifts..!:- this is another important observation I made when my husband was working in the night, working from home and going to office early in the morning and returned home late in the evening and some time at night…! This indeed had negative effect on personal relationship.
3) Management styles - a lack of participation by workers in decision-making, poor communication in the organization, lack of family-friendly policies;
4) Work roles - conflicting or uncertain job expectations, too much
responsibility, too many "hats to wear";
5) Career concerns - job insecurity, lack of growth opportunity,
rapid changes for which workers are unprepared;- This many would have had experienced and observed during the time of recession…. Corporate world had become a Rat Race…! This is another important reason that motivates people to take up multiple responsibilities and treat stressor as a challenge, rather than stress…!
6) Environmental conditions - unpleasant physical conditions
such as crowding, noise, air pollution; ergonomic problems;-- this is something I personally experienced when I was working as a training coordinator, Since it was a new project that we were launching I had to travel long distance and didn’t have proper seating arrangement and since it was a training institute we were collaborating with , It was noisy because it is common since, it was a training institute for teenagers…! I had to ask for proper seating arrangement and space with a dust free environ…! Although later I got it from the friendly management.
7) Work conditions that pose risk to health and safety. :- this is one of my personal observations at one of the major companies and had even heard from some of my friends how they were not provided proper desk and work space had developed sever back pain and they had to voluntirely request for proper seating and desk arrangement.
8) Infrequent rest breaks;:-- one of the close friends of mine, she is just an example, she was taking inadequate rest break and she had developed headache…!
Do you know what the indicators of jobstress are???? :-
1) Headache
2) Short temper,Irritablity and moodiness
3) Sleep disturbances
4) Upset stomach
5) Job Dissatisfaction
6) Low morale.
7) Sadness and Depression
8) Drinking too much, Smoking and, over eating. sometimes even Drugs…!
How to avoid this culprit….out of our way..! Or how to manipulate him in to a challenge rather than to a stressor????
Well there are many proven techniques to manage stress or to handle stress, these help us to remain calm and effective in high pressure situations, and help us avoid the problems of long term stress.
Some of the methods I have also tried when I was working are :-
• First, identify what's creating stress at work.
• Get organized. Keep track of your projects and deadlines by making a list of what's urgent. Decide what matters most and what can wait.
• Set a Contingent time:- Always have a contingent time for each task.
• Use a schedule planner:- to plan your day or week. Just seeing on paper that there is time to get each task done can help you get to work. Break a large project into small steps, and set a deadline for each one.
• Learn to say "no." Don't over commit yourself. If you take on too much, you're creating stress.
For example:- John’s long-term goal is to reduce stress by learning to say "no" to projects he doesn't have time to handle. His short-term goal is to get organized and prioritize the projects he has now. He is going to make a list of all of his work and then prioritize the tasks that are most important.
• Delegate. Ask someone else to take on a task. This helps Managers and team leaders in general because they have lot more responsibilities’ than rest of the team members.
• Focus. Do one thing at a time. In some cases, you can do two things at a time. But if you start to feel stressed, go back to doing one thing at a time.
• Meet with your manager at least once a year to talk about your performance. If performance review is already a part of your job, then discusses issues that are causing stress. Discuss how you can improve
• Do Regular exercise: - Yoga and breathing exercise are best possible exercise you can add on to you routine or you can even go for a jog or a log walk either early in the morning or in the evening after work, pamper yourself with a good walk and fresh Air.
• Try Meditation:- best way to relax your mind…!
• Sleep. Make sure you get enough sleep. Lack of sleep impairs concentration
which can add pressure and anxiety.
• Take a real vacation. When you take time off, avoid thinking about work. Focus on things you enjoy. This applies to your time off on weekends as well.
• Avoid any sought of Stressful relationships…! It might be a tough friend or may be even for that matter extra marital affair…! You have to confront the person who is responsible for stress…!
• Set a goal for yourself that involves reducing your stress level. Think about both a long-term and a short-term goal.
For example: - Raoul’s long-term goal is to reduce stress by having a better understanding of what’s expected of him at work. His short-term goal is to find out how he is doing now. He plans to schedule a meeting with his boss to talk about his performance and how he can improve.
Once you have set your goal think of all the possible issues that might get your way…! So prepare a
• “action plan”..! To write down your goals, the possible barriers, and your ideas for getting past them. By thinking about these barriers now, you can plan ahead for how to deal with them if they happen. Prepare the action plan in a table format.
• Maintain a “Stress Dairy”:-- Stress Diaries are important for understanding the causes of short-term stress in your life. They also give you an important insight into how you react to stress, and help you to identify the level of stress at which you prefer to operate. The idea behind Stress Diaries is that, on a regular basis, you record information about the stresses you are experiencing, so that you can analyze these stresses and then manage them.
• Prepare a table in the “stress Dairy “ So that it should contain 8 columns:-
Column 1 Should be for Date and time
Column 2 Should be allocated for :-“Most Recent Stressful even you Experienced”;
Column 3 containing:- “Fundamental Cause of the Event”
Column 4 containing:- “How much Stressed are you now on a scale of 1 to 10”
Column 5 For:-“What are the physical symptoms or indicators felt during stressful situation”
Column 6 “How effectively did you handle the Stress”
Column 7 For “How likely you are to use the same strategy for a similar situation next time(on a scale of 1 to10)
Column 8 for: - “how happy you are now? on a scale of 1 to 10 And how is your current mood”
At last analyze your stress Dairy…! Count on me by now you would have had got the clear picture to solve the problem, Important and frequent cause of stress, your routine, This helps you to use your strategies’ to cope up your stress when encountered next…! You can even use this to improve your skill.
• Engaging in an activity you enjoy diverting your attention. And talk to your friends about the stress; this method is called catharsis…! You friends might not give you a solution but talking out will definitely help.
• Your last Resort should be “Flight Reaction…!” that may be either changing the organization or change of project…! Or in day to day activity putting an end to the person or the stressor simply by avoiding them or ignoring them…!
Because Remember friends stress is every where, each organization or a person will have their own rules and set of principles, we have to learn to fight and face it…! And our last resort should be flight reaction…!
For further information on stress management you can visit:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_management
http://changingminds.org/techniques/stress/stress_management.htm
one of the best books which would help workingprofessionals and leaders :-
Review of the book :-http://search.barnesandnoble.com/How-to-Reduce-WorkPlace-Conflict-and-Stress/Anna-Maravelas/e/9781564148186#TABS
All the best to all of my friends who are in the journey to manipulate stressor to a challenge, fight and face it….!
"Please Blopers(bloggers) please do share some of the tips you follow to handle stress." I am eager to learn for you....! :)
