Managing Stress

Studies by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and the American Psychological Association show that stress on the job siphons of more than US$500 billion from the economy. A survey by an insurance company showed that 50% of those interviewed said that stress reduced their productivity. 46% said that they experienced more job stress now than a few years ago. Minor illnesses like headaches, backaches, anxiety and fatigue and major illness like hypertension, heart attacks, ulcers, strokes are common in places where workers experiences a high level of stress. How will this apply in Malaysia? We witness a high rural urban migration, we see the setting up of high-tech fast paced industries ; we rush to and from work. Many of us are in the rat race, working ourselves towards becoming type A personalities.

A neglected risk factor.

Stress is a highly complex and personal matter. It affects all of us in the way we feel, behave, perform at work, and fall prey to accidents or illness. Stress occurs whenever we feel under any pressure. It also a response to any situation to which we are accustomed. It is virtually impossible to formulate an accurate definition of stress because it varies so much according to person's perception of situation, as well as his ability to cope it.

Perception of Stress.

Different people, when confronted with the same information, situation or problem, will respond to it in different ways. What feels like overwhelming stress to one person may be a stimulating challenge to another or mere trifle to a third person.

Our genetic endowment, upbringing, education and previous experience in dealing with such situations will determine whether they are challenging, threatening, acceptable or boring and tension, physiological, such as a rise in blood pressure; or behavioral, such as defying authority.

Some Stress is Necessary.

A certain amount of stress is essential for our personal growth; it gives us a zest for life, spurs us on, keep us going and makes us creative. Too few challenges make our lives boring and frustrating and this can be just as stressful as too many challenges. It has been said that finding the right balance is like adjusting the strings of a musical instrument to obtain melodies tune : too loose the tune will break.

Stress is a fact of life : we can't escape it. Any change, pleasant or not, is stressful to some degree. A new love affair, getting married, going on holiday and being promoted are all examples of positive kind of stress. Bereavement, being burgled and breaking leg, on the other hand, are all negative type of stress, but as long as these experiences are few and far between, most of us would recover from them without any long-term ill effects. Becoming tense over making a difficult decision, getting anxious about the outcome of an uncertain situation, worrying about the problems of relationships with others and feeling frightened when faced with dangers are all perfectly normal reactions. The stress response prepares us to face all these difficult situations.

How to Recognize Stress

In order to recognize the signs and symptoms of stress in yourself or anyone else, it is necessary to understand what effect it has on the body and mind and on behavior.

The "fight or flight" machanism
Whenever we receive a stress signal, whether real or imaginary, a biological mechanism called the "fight or flight" response comes into operation. The situations that cause this response are known as stressors.

• As soon as the brain receives a stress signal, the production of adrenaline and other stress hormones is stepped up
• The liver release sugar and fats, which flow into the bloodstream to provide fuel for quick energy
• Red blood cells flood the blood-stream, carrying more oxygen to the muscles of the limbs and brain
• The heart beats faster and blood pressure rises, ensuring that sufficient blood reaches the necessary areas. This can sometimes be felt as pounding heart of racing pulse
• The blood clotting mechanism is activated in anticipation of injury. This clotting mechanism ensures that the clots seal up the injured blood vessels
• The muscles become tense in preparation for action: leg muscles are tense in readiness to run; fists and jaw are clenched, ready to fight
• Digestion ceases, so blood may be diverted to the muscles and brain
• Perspiration increases in anticipation of the heat that may be induced by fighting
• The mouths feel dry
• The bowel and bladder muscles may become loose so there may be desire to defecate or urinate
• The pupils dilate to let more light in so that you can see in the dark
• The senses are heightened, enabling quick action and decision making

The person who undergoes these changes is in prime state of readiness to deal with danger, challenges or other feel of imaginary demands. It is also important, however, to recognize that this state is a temporary one, reserved to deal with emergencies. The body cannot maintain it as a lasting condition.

Once the immediate threat has been removed or overcome, or after we have adapted to the disturbance, a reverse mechanism is activated and the body returns to its normal state. If however, the stressor persists, another stressor develops or the resistance continues after the stressor has been removed, the alarm stage is replaced by stress response which can show itself in a variety of ways.

Managing Strategies for Eliminating

Type of Stressor = Elimination Strategies

Time = Effective Time Management, Efficiency Time Management,
Delegating

Encounter = Collobaration and clan building, interpersonal competency

Situational = Work design

Anticipatory = Goal setting, Small wins

Article by Trainer Alliance - Corporate Learning Provider