STRESS MANAGEMENT

What is Stress?
Stress is a normal part of a life. According to Dr. Hans Selye Stress is a non
specific response of the body to any demand made upon it , whether it is
caused by any results , pleasant or unpleasant condition. Stress is
essentially reflected by the rate of all the wear and tear caused by life.

Types of Stress:
Stress can be negative as well as positive.
Eustress:
Positive Stress results from the exhilarating experiences like winning the
lottery , Unexpected promotion and awards etc.
Distress:
Stress of losing , failing and overworking and not coping can be harmful but
it is normal.

Stressors :
Element which trigger stress are known as stressors. They can be external or
internal factors. It does not matter how pleasant or unpleasant the impact is.
External Stressor:
External stressors may include major life events like moving , death of
spouse , family member or friend and divorce. Besides major life event it
may includes everyday pressures such as financial issues, deadlines,
arguments,family concerns and lack of sleep.
Internal Stressors :
Internal stressor is present Inside ourselves. This type of stressor may play
a great role in the stress of our daily life. Examples are our values and
beliefs, faith , goals, self image, expectations of selves and others.

What actually happens to the body?

Our response to stress is the automatic state that results when the body
attempts to make changes in order to adapt to any demand. When we are
stressed out hypothalamus stimulates pituitary . pituitary releases ACTH into
blood and ACTH then stimulates adrenal glands to secrete further chemicals
that affect other organ systems.
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As a result of stress our heart rate speeds up, BP rises , breathing speeds
up, we start sweating and blood sugar increases.Many people have
symptoms of distress everyday . We accept it as a part of a normal day.
Common symptoms of stress are recognized in three broad categories.
Physical , Mental and Behavioral.
Physical Symptoms include muscle tension , nausea, vomiting, headaches,
jaw, neck and back pain , diarrhea, sleep disturbances, dry mouth and
sweaty palm and upper respiratory infections.
Emotional Symptoms includes anxiety, worry , guilt , nervousness , anger,
frustration, moodiness, depression, appetite varies, racing thoughts,
nightmares, diminished concentration, impaired memory or forgetfulness,
indecisiveness , lonliness and suicidal thinking.
Behavioral symptoms are often observed at workplace includes
tardiness,serious appearance,nervous behaviors, rushing/pacing,
overreacting, reduced productivity and defensive.

How to Cope Stess:

There are three steps to cope with stress.
(a) Conceptualization Phase
(b)Skill Phase
(c) Implementation Phase
(a)
Conceptualization Phase:
Following steps to be taken in conceptualization phase:
Understand stress
Identify effects of stress in behavioral, emotional, physical, and
psychological areas
Ascertain the specific effects of stress on individual performance and
productivity
(b)

Skills Phase
Develop & practice a variety of stress reduction skills
Skills include- learning how to relax, reducing stress through deep
breathing and muscle relaxation & developing a toolbox of positive
coping thoughts.
Practice skills in imagination and then in real life situations
Rehearse from less to more difficult stressful situations
Develop confidence to handle any situation

(c)
Implementation Phase
Plan, anticipate and prepare for potential and actual difficulties in
personal training program
Coach thyself
Assess own progress
Follow up plans

Blue Print Plan

A blue print plan should be followed which includes following steps:
1. Learn relaxation skills
2. Identify specific stressors
3. Develop plan to respond differently
4. Write up Plan & Practice
5. Coach self through the situation
6. Positively assess own performance
7. Plan & execute improvements
Deep Breathing
This relaxation strategy may be used anywhere and at any time.Good
breathing provides more oxygen to the blood stream that results in
endorphin release. The result is deeper relaxation. Slowly inhale through
your nose. Expand your abdomen before permitting air to fill your lungs.
Slowly release the air from your abdomen and your lungs.Repeat slowly for 3
to 5 minutes. Enjoy the relaxed sensation.
Muscle Relaxation
Goal is to relax every major muscle group, from head to toe, through tensing
and then releasing the muscles.
May be used in a variety of operational settings and situations with excellent
success.You may use and practice this skill sitting or laying down. Each
muscle is tensed from 5 to 10 seconds and then relaxed for 10 to 20
seconds. If the muscle group remains tense, the exercise may be repeated
for the muscle group to induce relaxation.Practice twice daily for 10 to 15
minutes. Deep Muscle Relaxation reduces tension & is not compatible with
stress. Often we are unaware of our tension and stress levels.

Coping With Stress at Work:

Everyone who has ever held a job has, at some point, felt the pressure of
work-related stress. Any job can have stressful elements, even if you love
what you do. In the short-term, you may experience pressure to meet a
deadline or to fulfill a challenging obligation. But when work stress becomes
chronic, it can be overwhelming and harmful to both physical and
emotional health.
You can't always avoid the tensions that occur on the job. Yet you can take
steps to manage work-related stress.

Common Sources of Work Stress

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Certain factors tend to go hand-in-hand with work-related stress. Some

common workplace stressors are:
Low salaries.
Excessive workloads.
Few opportunities for growth or advancement.
Work that isn't engaging or challenging.
Lack of social support.
Not having enough control over job-related decisions.
Conflicting demands or unclear performance expectations.

Effects of Uncontrolled Stress

Unfortunately, work-related stress doesn't just disappear when you head
home for the day. When stress persists, it can take a toll on your health and
well-being.In the short term, a stressful work environment can contribute to
problems such as headache, stomachache, sleep disturbances, short temper
and difficulty concentrating. Chronic stress can result in anxiety, insomnia,
high blood pressure and a weakened immune system. It can also contribute
to health conditions such as depression, obesity and heart disease.
Compounding the problem, people who experience excessive stress often
deal with it in unhealthy ways such as overeating, eating unhealthy foods,
smoking cigarettes or abusing drugs and alcohol.

Taking Steps to Manage Stress

1.

Track your stressors

Keep a journal for a week or two to identify which situations create the most
stress and how you respond to them. Record your thoughts, feelings and
information about the environment, including the people and circumstances
involved, the physical setting and how you reacted. Did you raise your voice?
Get a snack from the vending machine? Go for a walk? Taking notes can help
you find patterns among your stressors and your reactions to them.
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2.

Develop healthy responses

Instead of attempting to fight stress with fast food or alcohol, do your best
to make healthy choices when you feel the tension rise. Exercise is a great
stress-buster. Yoga can be an excellent choice, but any form of physical
activity is beneficial. Also make time for hobbies and favorite activities.
Whether it's reading a novel, going to concerts or playing games with your
family, make sure to set aside time for the things that bring you pleasure.
Getting enough good-quality sleep is also important for effective stress
management. Build healthy sleep habits by limiting your caffeine intake late
in the day and minimizing stimulating activities, such as computer and
television use, at night.
3.
Establish boundaries
In today's digital world, it's easy to feel pressure to be available 24 hours a
day. Establish some work-life boundaries for yourself. That might mean
making a rule not to check email from home in the evening, or not answering
the phone during dinner. Although people have different preferences when it
comes to how much they blend their work and home life, creating some clear
boundaries between these realms can reduce the potential for work-life
conflict and the stress that goes with it.
4.

Take time to recharge

To avoid the negative effects of chronic stress and burnout, we need time to
replenish and return to our pre-stress level of functioning. This recovery
process requires switching off from work by having periods of time when
you are neither engaging in work-related activities, nor thinking about work.
That's why it's critical that you disconnect from time to time, in a way that
fits your needs and preferences. Don't let your vacation days go to waste.
When possible, take time off to relax and unwind, so you come back to work
feeling reinvigorated and ready to perform at your best. When you're not
able to take time off, get a quick boost by turning off your smartphone and
focusing your attention on non-work activities for a while.

5.

Learn how to relax

Techniques such as meditation, deep breathing exercises and mindfulness (a
state in which you actively observe present experiences and thoughts
without judging them) can help melt away stress. Start by taking a few
minutes each day to focus on a simple activity like breathing, walking or
enjoying a meal. The skill of being able to focus purposefully on a single
activity without distraction will get stronger with practice and you'll find that
you can apply it to many different aspects of your life.

6.

Talk to your supervisor

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Healthy employees are typically more productive, so your boss has an

incentive to create a work environment that promotes employee well-being.
Start by having an open conversation with your supervisor. The purpose of
this isn't to lay out a list of complaints, but rather to come up with an
effective plan for managing the stressors you've identified, so you can
perform at your best on the job. While some parts of the plan may be
designed to help you improve your skills in areas such as time management,
other elements might include identifying employer-sponsored wellness
resources you can tap into, clarifying what's expected of you, getting
necessary resources or support from colleagues, enriching your job to
include more challenging or meaningful tasks, or making changes to your
physical workspace to make it more comfortable and reduce strain.
7.

Get some support

Accepting help from trusted friends and family members can improve your
ability to manage stress. Your employer may also have stress management
resources available through an employee assistance program (EAP),
including online information, available counseling and referral to mental
health professionals, if needed. If you continue to feel overwhelmed by work
stress, you may want to talk to a psychologist, who can help you better
manage stress and change unhealthy behavior.

Bibliography:

www.wellness.cuyahogacounty.us
https://das.nh.gov/wellness/.../Stress%20Less%20in%20the%20Workplac
www.wellnessproposals.com/stress/presentations/stress-innoculation