INDEX

1 Introduction to stress management

2 About stress

3 Techniques to cope up with stress

4 Type of stress

5 Causes of stress

6 Effects of stress

7 Stress at work place

8 Stress management programmes

9 Fight or flight

10 How it affects us?

11 Stress should be limited

12 Career stress

13 Questionnaire for stress management in an organization

14 Conclusion

15 Bibliography and reference

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 INTRODUCTION TO STRESS MANAGEMENT

Stress management refers to the wide spectrum of techniques and psychotherapies aimed at

controlling a person's levels of stress, especially chronic stress, usually for the purpose of

improving everyday functioning. In this context, the term 'stress' refers only to a stress with

significant negative consequences. Stress produces numerous physical and mental symptoms

which vary according to each individual's situational factors. These can include physical health

decline as well as depression. The process of stress management is named as one of the keys to a

happy and successful life in modern society. Although life provides numerous demands that can

prove difficult to handle, stress management provides a number of ways to manage anxiety and

maintain overall well-being. Despite stress often being thought of as a subjective experience,

levels of stress are readily measurable, using various physiological tests, similar to those used in

polygraphs. Many practical stress management techniques are available, some for use by health

professionals and others, for self-help, which may help an individual reduce their levels of stress,

provide positive feelings of control over one's life and promote general well-being.

Evaluating the effectiveness of various stress management techniques can be difficult, as limited

research currently exists. Consequently, the amount and quality of evidence for the various

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techniques varies widely. Some are accepted as effective treatments for use in psychotherapy,

whilst others with less evidence favoring them are considered alternative therapies. Many

professional organisations exist to promote and provide training in conventional or alternative

therapies. There are several models of stress management, each with distinctive explanations of

mechanisms for controlling stress. Much more research is necessary to provide a better

understanding of which mechanisms actually operate and are effective in practice.

ABOUT STRESS

The Stress Management Society defines stress as: “a situation where demands on a person

exceed that person’s resources or ability to cope”.

What is Stress? These days you can’t turn on the television or the radio, or pick up a newspaper

or a magazine without someone going on about Stress. And if they are not directly talking about

Stress, maybe they are giving you some information that is likely to get you stressed – the

failing global economy, wars and terrorism, climate challenges, murder, your sports team’s poor

results.....We live in a stressful era, possibly the most stressful period humans have ever

experienced. It is the biggest issue that modern man has to deal with and the biggest cause of

illness some of which even lead to death. It is the issue that costs companies and our economies

billions. It is an issue we can all relate to. Even though we can all relate to stress, being

something we have all had an experience of and most of us are concerned about, most of us do

not really understand what it is and are ill equipped to recognise it or take steps to minimise the

negative effects of stress. We exist to empower and enlighten you. To teach you what we should

all have been taught as children – how to manage stress and ensure that we are able to recognise

when we are a state that is not serving us and be able to take the steps to change our experience

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quickly. All of the information and services we provide are delivered in plain English, lacking

the jargon and technical language which would fail to connect with the majority of people. We

are here to give you simple, practical knowledge and techniques that will empower you to take

back control of your life and free you from the slavery of stress.

Explore our powerful solutions to increase your resilience to more effectively cope with the

challenges and pressures of modern life. It also has a considerable impact in the workplace. The

UK’s government agency the Health and Safety Executive says there is a convincing link

between stress and ill health. Its research with Personnel Today Magazine recently showed that

over 105 million days are lost to stress each year– costing UK employers £1.24 billion. The

research is based on responses from almost 700 senior HR practitioners and almost 2,000

employees.

Other findings include:

11% of absence is attributed to stress

52% say stress is increasing

60% claim stress is damaging staff retention

83% think stress is harming productivity

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TECHNIQUES TO COPE UP WITH STRESS

High demand levels load the person with extra effort and work. A new time schedule is worked

up, and until the period of abnormally high, personal demand has passed, the normal frequency

and duration of former schedules is limited.

Many techniques cope with the stresses life brings. Some of the following ways induce a lower

than usual stress level, temporarily, to compensate the biological tissues involved; others face the

stressor at a higher level of abstraction:

Autogenic training, Social activity, Cognitive therapy, Conflict resolution, Cranial release

technique, Getting a hobby, Meditation, Mindfulness (psychology), Deep breathing, Yoga Nidra,

Nootropics, Reading novels, Prayer, Relaxation techniques, Artistic expression, Fractional

relaxation, Humor, Physical exercise, Progressive relaxation, Spas, Somatics training, Spending

time in nature, Stress balls, Natural medicine, Clinically validated alternative treatments, Time

management, Planning and decision making, Listening to certain types of relaxing music,

Spending quality time with pets.

Techniques of stress management will vary according to the philosophical paradigm.

Stress prevention & resilience:

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Although many techniques have traditionally been developed to deal with the consequences of

stress considerable research has also been conducted on the prevention of stress, a subject closely

related to psychological resilience-building. A number of self-help approaches to stress-

prevention and resilience-building have been developed, drawing mainly on the theory and

practice of cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Measuring stress:

Levels of stress can be measured. One way is through the use of psychological testing: The

Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale is used to rate stressful life events, while the DASS contains a

scale for stress based on self-report items. Changes in blood pressure and galvanic skin response

can also be measured to test stress levels, and changes in stress levels. A digital thermometer can

be used to evaluate changes in skin temperature, which can indicate activation of the fight-or-

flight response drawing blood away from the extremities. Cortisol is the main hormone released

during a stress response and measuring cortisol from hair will give a 60-90 day baseline stress

level of an individual. This method of measuring stress is currently the most popular method in

the clinic.

Effectiveness:

Stress management has physiological and immune benefits

Positive outcomes are observed using a combination of non-drug interventions:

 treatment of anger or hostility,

 autogenic training

 talking therapy (around relationship or existential issues)

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  biofeedback

 cognitive therapy for anxiety or clinical depression

TYPES OF STRESS

Distress can come - and end - suddenly, or it can linger. Types of stress - or more properly,

distress - are listed below according to how they come on and how long they last.

Acute distress is the most common of the types of stress. It comes on quickly and is usually

short-lived. It is the most intense stress.

When it's all over - and we are safe - we can stop and take some deep breaths, put a hand over

our racing heart, and say "Phew! THAT was exciting!" Then we move on with a thrilling story to

share.

ACUTE STRESS

Acute stress is the most common form of stress among humans worldwide. Acute stress deals

with the pressures of the near future or dealing with the very recent past. This type of stress is

often misinterpreted for being a negative connotation. While this is the case in some

circumstances, it is also a good thing to have some acute stress in life. Running or any other form

of exercise is considered an acute stressor. Some exciting or exhilarating experiences such as

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riding a roller coaster is an acute stress but is usually very fun. Acute stress is a short term stress

and in result, does not have enough time to do the damage that long term stress causes.

If you have acute episodic distress you may have a never-ending to-do list, may have trouble

saying no, and may seem to be always in a hurry while seldom being on time. You may come

across as abrupt, insensitive, and irritable with other people at home, at work, at the grocery

store, even in purely social situations.

You may have the worry habit and engage in blaming. You believe the world is a scary, mean,

and dangerous place. And you really suffer because of that belief. Just take a look back at that

list of symptoms above.

Acute episodic stress response can actually become a habit that is difficult that is difficult to

break. A Life and Wellness Coach starts a process to get relief from the pain of that type of

stress. Some sufferers may even need help from a therapist or a medical professional to begin

recovery.

CHRONIC STRESS

Chronic stress is unlike acute stress. It has a wearing effect on people that can become a very

serious health risk if it continues over a long period of time. Chronic stress can lead to memory

loss, damage spacial recognition and produce a decreased drive of eating. The severity varies

from person to person and also sex difference can be an underlying factor. Women are able to

take longer durations of stress than men without showing the same maladaptive changes. Men

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can deal with shorter stress duration better than women can but once males hit a certain

threshold, the chances of them developing mental issues increases drastically.

Chronic Distress is the type of stress that arises out of long-lasting events and circumstances

beyond your control. According to Monika Fleshner, a neuroimmunophysiologist at the

University of Boulder, Colo. who has studied stress and the immune system. She says "It’s only

under the circumstances of chronic stress or extreme, severe stress that we suffer negative

effects."

Here are some examples of situations that cause chronic distress.

•Living with constant relational conflict.

•Feeling trapped in poverty.

•Caring for someone with significant illness or disabilities.

•Being overwhelmed by a job or feeling trapped in a career that doesn't feel right.

•Living with unresolved childhood trauma.

Chronic distress often results in feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, and misery. You feel

there is no way out.

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CAUSES OF STRESS

A lot of things can cause stress. You may feel stress when you go on a job interview, take a test,

or run a race. These kinds of short-term stress are normal. Long-term (chronic) stress is caused

by stressful situations or events that last over a long period of time, like problems at work or

conflicts in your family. Over time, chronic stress can lead to severe health problems.

Personal problems that can cause stress:

Your health, especially if you have a chronic illness such as heart disease, diabetes, or arthritis

Emotional problems, such as anger you can't express, depression, grief, guilt, or low self-esteem

Your relationships, such as having problems with your relationships or feeling a lack of

friendships or support in your life

Major life changes, such as dealing with the death of a parent or spouse, losing your job, getting

married, or moving to a new city

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Stress in your family, such as having a child, teenager, or other family member who is under

stress, or being a caregiver to a family member who is elderly or who has health problems

Conflicts with your beliefs and values. For example, you may value family life, but you may not

be able to spend as much time with your family as you want.

Social and job issues that can cause stress:

Your surroundings: Living in an area where overcrowding, crime, pollution, or noise is a

problem can create chronic stress.

Your social situation: Not having enough money to cover your expenses, feeling lonely, or

facing discrimination based on your race, gender, age, or sexual orientation can add stress to

your life.

Your job: Being unhappy with your work or finding your job too demanding can lead to chronic

stress. Learn how to manage job stress.

Unemployment: Losing your job or not being able to find work can also add to your stress level.

Post-traumatic stress:

You may need help dealing with stress if you have faced a life-threatening or traumatic event

such as rape, a natural disaster, or war. These events can cause acute stress disorder or post-

traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For more information, see the topic Post-Traumatic Stress

Disorder.

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EFFECTS OF STRESS

How stress affects the body?

Common symptoms of stress include:

A fast heartbeat.

A headache.

A stiff neck and/or tight shoulders.

Back pain.

Fast breathing.

Sweating, and sweaty palms.

An upset stomach, nausea, or diarrhea.

Over time, stress can affect your:

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1. Immune system: Constant stress can make you more likely to get sick more often. And if you

have a chronic illness such as AIDS, stress can make your symptoms worse.

2. Heart: Stress is linked to high blood pressure, abnormal heartbeat (arrhythmia), blood clots,

and hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). It's also linked to coronary artery disease, heart

attack, and heart failure.

3. Muscles: Constant tension from stress can lead to neck, shoulder, and low back pain. Stress

may make rheumatoid arthritis worse.

4. Stomach: If you have stomach problems, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD),

peptic ulcer disease, or irritable bowel syndrome, stress can make your symptoms worse.

5. Reproductive organs: Stress is linked to low fertility, erection problems, problems during

pregnancy, and painful menstrual periods.

6. Lungs: Stress can make symptoms of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

7. Skin: Skin problems such as acne and psoriasis are made worse by stress.

An extreme reaction to stress is a panic attack. A panic attack is a sudden, intense fear or anxiety

that may make you feel short of breath, dizzy, or make your heart pound. People who have panic

attacks may feel out of control, like they are having a heart attack, or are about to die. Panic

attacks may happen with no clear cause, but they can be brought on by living with high levels of

stress for a long time. For more information on panic attacks, see the topic Panic Attacks and

Panic Disorder.

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STRESS AT WORKPLACE

Stress in the workplace is a commonality throughout the world in every business. Managing that

stress becomes vital in order to keep up job performance as well as relationship with co-workers

and employers. For some workers, changing the work environment relieves work stress. Making

the environment less competitive between employees decreases some amounts of stress.

However, each person is different and some people like the pressure to perform better. Salary

can be an important concern of employees. Salary can affect the way people work because they

can aim for promotion and in result, a higher salary. This can lead to chronic stress. Cultural

differences have also shown to have some major effects on stress coping problems. Eastern

Asian employees may deal with certain work situations differently from how a Western North

American employee would. In order to manage stress in the workplace, employers can provide

stress managing programs such as therapy, communication programs, and a more flexible work

schedule.

Job stress may need to be approached in two ways. The two approaches would include:

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Stress Management to improve a worker's ability to cope with difficult work situations.

Companies sometimes offer stress management training or offer assistance through an Employee

Assistance Program.

Organizational Change by the company upon identifying stressful aspects of work, and designing

strategies and improving work conditions to reduce or eliminate the identified stressors. Be

aware management is often uncomfortable with the "organizational change" approach because it

can involve changes in work loads, work routines, work schedules, work production, or changes

in the organizational structure. As a general rule, however, it takes organizational change to

improve working conditions, and it takes improved working conditions to reduce job stress. And

it takes reduced to job stress to boost morale and retain workers.

Tips for managing stress in the workplace

Stress affects everyone and everyone reacts differently to it. A person’s reaction to stress

depends on their physical or mental make-up, their level of vulnerability, and what is happening

in their life.

Management can proactively manage the risks of stress by telling staff about the personal costs

effects and risks that result from stress in the workplace.

Larger organisations might invest in stress reduction strategies, such as:

 employee assistance programs: confidential services for all employees and their families

to deal with problems that may be causing difficulties in their work or personal lives.

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  mental wellness forums, or activities that promote healthy practices such as home and life

balance, physical exercise, diet, and stress reduction practices.

All organisations can:

 promote stress reduction plans in staff recruitment, induction and training processes

put reminders and tips for stress management in staff bulletins or on noticeboards

print this fact sheet and make available to all staff.

MEDICAL ENVIRONMENT STRESS

A study was done on the stress levels in general practitioners and hospital consultants in 1999.

Over 500 medical employees participated in this study done by Dr. R.P Caplan. These results

showed that 47% of the workers scored high on their questionnaire for high levels of stress. 27%

of the general practitioners even scored to be very depressed. These numbers came to a surprise

to Dr. Caplan and it showed how alarming the large number of medical workers become stressed

out because of their jobs. Managers stress levels were not as high as the actual practitioners

themselves. An eye opening statistic showed that nearly 54% of workers suffered from anxiety

while being in the hospital. Although this was a small sample size for hospitals around the world,

Caplan feels this trend is probably fairly accurate across the majority of hospitals.

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STRESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES

Many businesses today have begun to use stress management programs for employees who are

having trouble adapting to stress at the workplace or at home. Many people have spill over stress

from home into their working environment. There are a couple of ways businesses today try to

alleviate stress on their employees. One way is individual intervention. This starts off by

monitoring the stressors in the individual. After monitoring what causes the stress, next is

attacking that stressor and trying to figure out ways to alleviate them in any way. Developing

social support is vital in individual intervention, being with others to help you cope has proven to

be a very effective way to avoid stress. Avoiding the stressors all together is the best possible

way to get rid of stress but that is very difficult to do in the workplace. Changing behavioral

patterns, may in turn, help reduce some of the stress that is put on at work as well.

Employee assistance programs can include in-house counseling programs on managing stress.

Evaluative research has been conducted on EAPs that teach individual stress control and

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inoculation techniques such as relaxation, biofeedback, and cognitive restructuring. Studies show

that these programs can reduce the level of physiological arousal associated with high stress.

Participants who master behavioral and cognitive stress-relief techniques report less tension,

fewer sleep disturbances, and an improved ability to cope with workplace stressors.

Another way of reducing stress at work is by simply changing the workload for an employee.

Some may be too overwhelmed that they have so much work to get done, or some also may have

such little work that they are not sure what to do with themselves at work. Improving

communications between employees also sounds like a simple approach, but it is very effective

for helping reduce stress. Sometimes making the employee feel like they are a bigger part of the

company, such as giving them a voice in bigger situations shows that you trust them and value

their opinion. Having all the employees mesh well together is a very underlying factor which can

take away much of workplace stress. If employees fit well together and feed off of each other,

the chances of lots of stress is very minimal. Lastly, changing the physical qualities of the

workplace may reduce stress. Changing things such as the lighting, air temperature, odor, and up

to date technology.

Intervention is broken down into three steps: primary, secondary, tertiary. Primary deals with

eliminating the stressors all together. Secondary deals with detecting stress and figuring out ways

to cope with it and improving stress management skills. Finally, tertiary deals with recovery and

rehabbing the stress all together. These three steps are usually the most effective way to deal

with stress not just in the workplace, but overall.

Workplace stress can cause organisations to lose millions of pounds through high levels of

absenteeism, long term absence and a lack in productivity amongst staff. Being active and

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tackling the issue of stress in the workplace before it effects your company is the best way to

safeguard against, be preventative opposed to reactive.

Pressure itself is not bad. In fact, many thrive on it. But when those pressures exceed a person’s

ability to cope, then that is when the problems start. It follows, therefore, that we can tackle

stress either by reducing pressures or by increasing coping resources – or a combination of the

two. That’s where The Stress Management Society comes in, by giving people the techniques

they need to cope with the stresses of daily life.

Stress is caused by two things. Primarily it is down to whether you think situations around you

are worthy of anxiety. And then it's down to how your body reacts to your thought processes.

This instinctive stress response to unexpected events is known as 'fight or flight'. Stress happens

when we feel that we can't cope with pressure and this pressure comes in many shapes and

forms, and triggers physiological responses. These changes are best described as the fight or

flight response, a hard-wired reaction to perceived threats to our survival. When survival had

meant facing immediate and real threats such as confronting a charging elephant, our response

has saved lives.

At times of danger, the body's innate intelligence automatically takes charge by triggering a set

of changes that bypass our rational thoughts. Priority is given to all physical functions which

provide more power to face an enemy or to flee. To understand why stress can have negative

impacts on your health, you must first understand the physiological changes that occur within

your body during the fight or flight response.

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FIGHT OR FLIGHT

The fight or flight response was first noted by one of the early pioneers in stress research,

Walter Cannon. In 1932 he established that when an organism experiences a shock or perceives a

threat, it quickly releases hormones that help it to survive.

In humans, as in other animals, these hormones help us to run faster and fight harder. They

increase heart rate and blood pressure - delivering more oxygen and blood sugar to power

important muscles. They increase sweating in an effort to cool these muscles, and help them stay

efficient. They divert blood away from the skin to the core of our bodies - reducing blood loss if

we are damaged. As well as this, these hormones focus our attention on the threat, to the

exclusion of everything else. Breathing is accelerated to supply more oxygen for conversion to

energy. The heart moves into overdrive to supply the body with more oxygen and nutrients. Our

immune system is activated, ready to administer to wounds. Attention and sight become acute

and highly focused and our sense of pain is diminished as the body releases analgesic hormones.

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This physiological aspect leaves us viewing the world as a hostile place and we are fully

prepared to fight or run. Whichever one we choose, our body will expend an immense amount of

energy which in itself prevents the build up of stress related to this response.

Modern civilisation mostly provides a shield against predators. Charging elephants are a less

likely concern, unless you happen to be living the natural life in the jungle full of rampaging

pachyderms. The inherent fight or flight response still resides in us but now it is triggered by

different, seemingly less life threatening events. Many day-to-day situations can set it off - a

change of home, a difficult boss, divorce, separation, demanding children, traffic jams, the fear

of terrorism etc.

The more often we are exposed to these types of stressors, the more overactive our fight or flight

response becomes until we find ourselves operating at fever pitch level, constantly prepared for

battle, perceiving potential threats everywhere. That is why people who are over stressed not

only show physiological symptoms such as high blood pressure, rapid heart rate or shallow fast

breath; they can seem overly sensitive or aggressive. Today many of us don’t take enough

physical exercise to ‘burn off’ the effects of our response and we’re left with stress build up. We

learn to control our reactions, but this does not counteract the stress response.

Life-threatening events are not the only ones to trigger this reaction. We experience it almost

any time we come across something unexpected or something that frustrates our goals. When the

threat is small, our response is small and we often do not notice it among the many other

distractions of a stressful situation.

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Unfortunately, mobilising the body for survival has negative consequences too. We are excitable,

anxious, jumpy and irritable. This reduces our ability to work effectively. With trembling and a

pounding heart, we can find it difficult to execute precise, controlled skills. Focusing on survival

means we make decisions based on the good of ourselves rather than the good of the group. We

shut out information from other sources and cannot make balanced decisions.

HOW IT AFFECTS US?

Every human is programmed to recognise stress, and respond with ‘fight or flight’. But does that

really do us any harm? Is it really worth worrying about? The Stress Management Society says

'Yes'. Study after study shows that prolonged severe stress has a negative impact on health. It it

implicated in everything from high blood pressure to infertility.

Links between stress and poor health include:

 Allergies

 Asthma

 Colitis

 Constipation

 Depression

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  Diabetes mellitus

 Hay fever

 Heart attack

 High blood pressure

 Indigestion

 Menstrual difficulties

 Migraine

 Overactive thyroid gland

 Peptic ulcers

 Rheumatoid arthritis

 Skin Disorders

STRESS SHOULD BE LIMITED

If severe stress is allowed to go unchecked in the longer term, performance will ultimately

decline. Not only that, the constant bombardment by stress related chemicals and stimulation

will weaken a person's body. And ultimately that leads to degenerating health. In extreme cases,

it can cause psychological problems such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Cumulative Stress

Disorder. Remember it is physically impossible to be anxious and relaxed at the same time.

When we have plenty of energy we can handle anything without experiencing stress. If we lack

energy even the slightest demands can cause us to become stressed. Usually our first response

when we start to feel stressed is to cut back on our activities so we don't feel so much pressure:

"I'm doing too much, I need to cut down". However this is rarely the most effective strategy.

Whilst it can be useful to cut out unnecessary or unwanted activities, reducing demand can

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eventually lead to disappointment and dissatisfaction. Each time you reduce a demand you

eliminate a challenge from your life. If you do this too often your life gradually becomes less

challenging and less productive. For example if you decide not to go for promotion because you

want to avoid stress you lose an opportunity to develop yourself. If you cut down on your

hobbies or social life because you have a demanding job you may feel you are missing out on

something valuable to you.

Another option is much more positive - increase your energy so you can handle more demands.

This gives you the chance to increase your capacity and to handle a richer and more interesting

life. If you increase your energy you increase your capacity for life and you are more positive

and confident. You can handle more challenges and you feel satisfied because you are able to

handle your life better. You experience more, achieve more and enjoy life more.

The symptoms of stress act as an early warning system. They tell us that we are getting out of

balance. If the imbalance continues or gets worse we run the risk of getting sick in the future.

When you start to feel the symptoms of stress it is time to do something about your energy. The

sooner you go into action the better. Preventing stress prevents later disease, unhappiness and

dissatisfaction.

Having a good level of energy makes you feel:

 Positive

 Motivated

 Confident

 Focused

 Relaxed

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It gives you the belief to be able to achieve whatever you want.

CAREER STRESS

Do you drag yourself to work every morning? Watch the clock wishing time would go faster?

Feel exhausted and drained at the end of the day? Do you find it hard to switch off? Are you

always looking forward to the weekend and then suffer Sunday night blues?

If you answered yes to any of these, then you’re not alone: 3 in 4 people working in the UK

don’t have a career that makes them happy and wish they could change career. That’s a

whopping great 500,000 of us in the UK feeling trapped in jobs we don’t enjoy - no wonder up to

75% of all illnesses in the UK can be related to stress. While it’s an employer’s responsiblity to

create a stress-free work culture and environment, it’s up to each and every one of us to make

sure our own career is in good shape and that we have a work-life balance that keeps us happy

and healthy. So, what does a healthy, stress-free career look like?

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The key ingredients to a healthy, stress-free career are:

1. A role that involves your favourite activities

An average working life is about 40 years. Imagine if at the beginning of your working life

someone said to you, "you can spend the next 40 years doing activities that you enjoy and that

make you come alive or you can spend the next 40 years doing activities that you find boring,

difficult, stressful and exhausting." People who have stress-free careers are doing daily work that

they love, so much so that many will say it doesn’t even feel like work!

2. Subjects that concern you

When we work with subjects that we find endlessly fascinating, interesting and enjoyable we are

fully engaged in what we do. If we are working with subjects that we have no interest in then

we’re not engaged in the work we do and we literally become bored to tears – never

underestimate the stress caused by boredom and disinterest.

3. Playing to your strengths

When a career is built up on a person’s strengths then work becomes effortless and stress-free.

People that work to their strenghts have a sense of achievement, enjoyment, are confident in

what they do and tend to perform well. A person that finds themselves using their weaker skills

rather than their strengths in their career will experience work as a constant struggle, will have a

sense of failure and subsequently a total loss in confidence in their abilities. It is one of the

biggest causes of career stress.

4. Challenge and Reward

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A healthy career provides just the right amount of challenge – not too much for a person to feel

over pressured or stressed out and not too little for them to be bored or restless. Just the right

amount of challenge and reward keeps a person feeling engaged, alert and feeling alive.

5. An environment that you thrive in

Different people will thrive in different environments – it all comes down to personality,

strengths and style. Some people will buzz in a fast-pace, where people are rushing around, while

others will prefer working in quiet surroundings, with no distractions and without pressures of

deadlines to work to. A healthy work environment for a person is a place where they can be fully

themselves, feel alive and energised.

6. Working style

Just as different personalities thrive in different environments, so too do different personalities

suit different working styles. Some of us need security and stability, others need freedom and

flexibility. So, while some people will love being self-employed and being their own boss, others

prefer to work as part of a company where they can see a path for promotion. Some people like

structure to their day, others feel stifled by it. A happy and healthy career is one that offers a

work-style that suits the individual and their chosen lifestyle.

7. Financial security to meet your needs

A stress-free career provides a person with an income that enables them to fund a lifestyle that

makes them happy and healthy and not have to worry about money. Interestingly, many people

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report that once they have a career that they love, they don’t find the need to spend as much

money as they did when they were in stressful careers.

8. Sense of purpose & pride

When a person is happy in their career they feel that what they’re doing is worthwhile, that

they’re making a positive contribution to the world through their work. With a sense of purpose,

comes a sense of pride – these are the people that are happy to tell you what you do for a living,

in fact it will probably be hard to shut them up about it!

9. Matching of values

Your values are the qualities that are most important to you in life – the things that make you

laugh, cry, feel alive and uplifted – this might be fun, integrity, creativity, justice, community,

helping others, variety, exploration etc.

People who have careers that make them happy have found work that reflects their values

causing a deep sense of fulfilment.

10. Healthy Life-Work Balance

With a healthy work-life balance, equal importance is given to career, leisure, relaxing,

relationships, family& friends. A person with a healthy work-life balance can switch off from

their work and completely relax, values their friends and relationship as much as their work and

makes sure all aspects of their life are healthy.

No matter how much you love the work you do, if you don’t have a healthy work-life balance

then eventually the stress will catch up with you.

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QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT IN AN

ORGANIZATION IS AS FOLLOWS:

Q1. Is work culture supportive in your organization?

a. Mostly

b. Rarely

c. Sometimes

d. Not at all

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From the above question most of the employees answered that they sometimes do get support

from their organization but some did answer that due to competition they rarely get support.

Q2. How often you face stress Situation in your organization.?

a. Mostly

b. Rarely

c. Sometimes

d. Not at all

To the above question maximum employees answered that they mostly face stress as they have a

lot of workload on them.

Q3. Most of your Stress are related to :

a. Work Environment

b. Supervision

c. Workgroup

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For the above question maximum employee i.e 50% said that their stress is related to workgroup

due to conflict between them. 30% feel stress due to work environment and 20% due to

supervision.

Q4. How do you feel while working in the organization?

a. Great b. Satisfied

c. Frustrated d. Depressed

Maximum number of employees feel depressed at work with 40%. Followed by 30% who feel

frustrate at work. Whereas 15% feel satisfied and 10% feel great at work.

Q5. Have you taken leave in the past 12 months due to work related stress?

a. Yes

b. No

Maximum number of employees answered yes to this question.

Q6. Please indicate total workload has changed during last three years?

a. Workload has decreased

b. Remained the

c. Same

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d. Workload increased

Maximum employees answered that their workload has increased during 3 years.

Q7. Stress is related to Demand?

a. Dealing with Customers/ Colleagues

b. Administration

c. Need to hit targets/deadlines

d. Long working hours

For the above question employees said that each aspect given above has a relation to stress as

they have to deal with all the above situation.

Q8. What causes Stress at work?

a. Feeling work not valued

b. Lack of management support

c. Over competitive/ confrontational institutional culture

d. Incentive Policy

Employees feel stress due to incentive policy and not being valued at work.

Q9. How often you face stress situation being taken care off ?

a. Mostly

b. Rarely

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c. Frequently

d. Not at all

Some employees said that they have counseling room where they can cure their stress.

Q10. How do you handle Stress situations?

a. Optimistically

b. With the help of others

c. Depends upon level

Employees share stress problem with their friends and with the help of others.

CONCLUSION

Taking Steps to Manage Stress:

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

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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.

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. 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. 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-

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work activities for a while. 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.

Talk to your supervisor. 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.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

WEBSITES:

http://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/stress-management-topic-overview

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_management

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http://www.stress.org.uk/Stress-at-work.aspx

REFERENCE BOOKS:

Susan R. Gregson-2000 Stress Management

Jane Cranwell-Ward, Alyssa Abbey – 2005, organizational stress

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