WORKS STRESS&

STRESS MANAGEMENT

Presented by

B.K.Samanta

Roshan.k

1st Semester

STRESS • Stress is an individual’s response to a disturbing factor in

the Environment, and the consequence of such reaction.• Stress obviously involves interaction of the Person and

the environment.• Stress is an adaptive response to an external situation

that results in Physical, Psychological and or Behavioral deviations for Organizational Participants.

• The Physical or Psychological demands from the environment that cause stress are called Stressors.

How an individual experiences Stress depends on• The Person’s Perception of the Situation• The Person’s Past Experience.• The Presence or Absence of Social Support.

Symptoms of Stress :• Symptoms of stress vary from the psychological, in

the form of Anxiety and Depression.• Physical, in the form of Headaches, Insomnia, Bowel

Problems and Impotence.

• In its severest forms stress can lead to Hypertension, Heart Attacks and Mental Breakdown.

• Now a days it is also being blamed for causing cancer.

Sources of Stress• Stressors originate at Individual, Group, Organizational

and Extra-Organizational Levels.

Individual level Stressors :• These relate directly to a Person’s Personality and Job

Responsibilities.• The most common individual level Stressors are Type of

Personality, Role Overload, Role Conflict and Role Ambiguity.

Personality Type• Type A Personality is Stress Prone as it is associated with

the following Behavioral Patterns :• Always Moves, Walks and Eats Rapidly.• Feels impatient with the pace of things, hurries others,

dislikes waiting.• Does several things Simultaneously.• Feels guilty when relaxing.• Tries to schedule more and more in less and less time.• Uses nervous gestures such as clenched fist, banging

the hand on the table.• Does not have time to enjoy life.

• Type A Personalities, in this sense, bring stress on themselves.

• The Type B Personality, on the other hand, is less Stress Prone.

• Following are the typical characteristics of Type B Personality: Is not concerned about time. Is Patient.Does not BragPlay to Fun, not to win.Relaxes without feeling Guilty.Has no Pressing Deadlines. Is mild-mannered. Is never in a hurry.

Group Level Stressors :• Group Level Stressors are caused by Group Dynamics

and Managerial Behaviors.• Managers create Stress for Employees by

• Exhibiting Inconsistent Behaviors.• Failing to Provide Support.• Showing Lack of Concern.• Providing inadequate Direction.• Creating a High Productivity Environment.• Focusing on Negatives while ignoring Good

Performance.

• Sexual Harassment is yet another Group Level Stressor.

• Sexual Harassment refers to unwelcome conduct of a Sexual nature that affects the job-related performance of an Employee adversely.

• Another serious Interpersonal Stressor is the rising wave of Physical Violence and Aggression in the Workplace.

• Workplace Violence includes Assaults, Rape and Threats using a Weapon.

Organizational Stressors :• Organizational Stressors affect large number of

Employees.• Organizational Climate is a Prime Example.• A High Pressure Environment that places chronic work

demands on Employees fuels the Stress Response.• In Contrast, Participative Management can reduce

Organizational Level Stressors.• Poor Lighting, Loud Noise, Improper placement of

Furniture, and a Dirty and Smelly Environment can create Stress.

• Organizational Structure defines the level of differentiation, the degree of Rules and Regulations, and where decisions are made.

• Excessive Rules and lack of Participation in decision that affect an employee are examples of Structural variables that might be potential stressors.

• Organizational Leadership represents Managerial style of the Organization’s Senior Executives.

• Some Chief Executive Officers create a culture characterized by Tension, Fear , and Anxiety.

• They establish unrealistic pressures to perform in the short run, impose excessively tight controls etc.

Extra Organizational Stressors : Extra Organizational Stressors are caused by factors

outside the Organization. For Instance, conflicts associated with one’s career and

family life are stressful. Home Life certainly impact’s one’s attitudes and

performance at work. Death of a Spouse, Injury to one’s child, Failure in School

or at Work and other life events can be stressful. Socioeconomic Status represents a combination of

Economic Status as measured by IncomeSocial Status assessed by Educational LevelWork Status as indexed by Occupation.

Effects of Stress Stress has Behavioral, cognitive and Physiological

Consequences. Research Studies indicate that Stress is negatively related to

Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment and Performance and positively related to Turnover.

Burnout Burnout is a troublesome outcome of Stress. Burnout is a state of mind resulting from prolonged exposure

to emotional stress. It manifests through Emotional Exhaustion and a

combination of Negative Attitudes.

• Burnouts occurs due to prolonged exposure to Stress and that too in phases.

• The Three key phases of Burnout are • Emotional Exhaustion• Depersonalization• Feeling a lack of Personal Accomplishment

• Emotional Exhaustion is due to a combination of Personal, Job and Organizational Stressors.

• People who expect a lot from themselves and the Organization in which they work tend to create more internal stress, which in turn leads to Emotional Exhaustion.

• Emotional Exhaustion is fuelled by having too much work to do, by role conflict and by the type of interpersonal interactions encountered at work.

• Overtime, Emotional Exhaustion leads to Depersonalization, which is the state of psychologically withdrawing from one’s job.

• This finally results in a feeling of being unappreciated, ineffective or inadequate.

• The addictive effect of these three phases is a host of negative attitudinal and behavioral outcomes.

How to Manage Stress ?

Stress Management Stress Reduction Strategies may be categorized into

Individual Strategies Organizational Strategies

Individual Strategies : First Step in managing Stress is to understand that the

individual is exposed to Stressors. Stress cannot be managed unless we know that what

causes stress and how these causes are affecting us Psychologically, Physiologically and Organizationally.

Individual Strategies to cope with Stress include :Muscle RelaxationBiofeedbackMeditationCognitive RestructuringTime Management

Organizational Strategies :Organizational Strategies help reduce the harmful effects of Stress in three ways: Identify and then modify or eliminate work stressors Help Employees modify their perception and

understanding of work stress. Help Employees cope more effectively with the

outcomes of the Stress.

Organizational Strategies aimed at removing Stress often include removing Stress often include :• Improvements in the Physical Environment• Job redesign to remove stressors• Changes in workloads and deadlines• Structural Reorganization• Changes in work schedules, more flexible hours • Greater level of Employee Participation.• Workshops dealing with Role clarity and Role

Analysis.

ORGANISATIONAL INITIATIVES :

• Team building

• Time management workshops

• Job burnout workshops

• Training in relaxation techniques

• Career counseling

MENTAL TECHNIQUES

• Time management

• Organize

• Problem solving attitude

• Think Positive

DIVERSIONS

• Music

• Hobbies

• Play

• Learning

• Vacation

PHYSICAL TECHNIQUES

• Body Scan – “relax-let go”

• Deep breathing

• Exercise

• Meditation

• Nutrition

• Rest

• Laughter

WORKPLACE SKILLS

• Delegate

• Anticipate problems

• Be assertive

• Be decisive

• Organize

• Balance work and personal time

10 Ways to Relieve Stress:1. Take a few deep breaths. This makes you breathe slower and helps your muscles relax. 2. Exercise - take a walk during the day.3. Think positive. Remember the things that are good in your life.4. Take a good stretch. Stretching makes muscles relax and helps you feel less tense.5. Massage the tense muscles. The muscles in the back of your neck and upper back usually get tense when you are stressed.6. Take hot baths or showers to help you relax. 7. Listen to soothing music.8. Talk to your family and friends about your feelings. It is important for them to know how you feel so they can help you.

“winners don’t do different things ,they do things differently”

-By Shiv Khera

William James ~ The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another ~

In times of great stress or adversity, it's always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive.