Case Questions:

1. How can good stress be distinguished from bad stress? How much stress is
too much stress? (Marie Sheryl)
It’s quite difficult to distinguish good stress from bad stress because
somehow it depends to a person’s emotional capacity and stress-coping characteristics.
In a psychological sense, good stress is referred to as eustress while bad stress is
called distress. These two are clearly opposite to each other, as the former produces
positive outcomes to a person and the latter does not. Good stress is a proof that not
all stress posits negative energy. It attest that some stress can promote feelings of
excitement, motivates a person to push past their limits, assist a person in rising
through challenges and develops efficiency, focus and fulfillment. This usually happens
when stressors are manageable by a person within a short time or when he perceives it
as a positive challenge. Exam preparation, career promotion, moving out of your
parents' home, marriage, and a variety of other personal stressors are examples of
typical stressors that may considered good stress. Although these stressors are
worrisome, an individual can still manage the stress and deal with it positively.
Moreover, good stress has a variety of health benefits. According to research, some
stress will help strengthen the immune system as well as help the heart function better
and protect the body from infection. On the other hand, bad stress or distress occurs
when a person is overcome by the pressure of a situation in which he believes the
negative feelings will last for a long time and be greater than his ability to cope. Bad
stress leads to loss of efficiency, focus and interest on the job or task, and
emotional/physical changes like anxiety, depression, panic attacks, heartburn, weaken
of immune system and some heart diseases. Some of the negative personal stressors
are the loss of a loved one, violence/abusive experiences, financial problems, too much
workload, toxic working environment and a lot more. Most people who had experienced
these unfavorable circumstances have gone through the effects of bad stress and some
have even died as a result of it.
Too much stress is when there are unfavorable changes in your physical,
emotional and social aspect. It is when your body is responding to the stress beyond
what is normal for a particular situation. For instance, small amount of stress are natural
and the normal reaction to it is our fight-or-flight response which allow us to
manage/avoid situations whom we perceive harmful to us. However, stress can be too
much if it’s experienced for a long period and if a person is unable to handle it. Too
much stress is detrimental to physical and mental health and can have serious effects
that lasts for a long time.
2. How can managing stress in an organization contribute to improve strategy
implementation and organizational performance? (German & Hanzel)

The only way to overcome bad stress is to learn how to manage it. Hence,
stress management in an organization is vital as it is a contributing factor of an
organization’s success in terms of strategy implementation and work performance. It
is because proper management of stress in a workplace produces productivity,
satisfaction, more driven working individuals and less conflicts. When there is proper
management of stress, it is easier for the organization to implement and work on
their strategies regarding the entity’s goals. Because when employees are capable
of handling their stress and feels support from the management then she is able to
focus on how to reach their goals, contribute innovative ideas and work with greater
peace of mind. With this, organizational performance will be influenced as well.
Employees would not be stuck in a position where they have to compromise their job
responsibilities due to poor stress management at work. Instead, they will be more
efficient, fulfilled, motivated and challenged to do better in their work.
3. How much stress do you commonly experience? How can reducing your stress
increase your performance in school and enhance your life in general? (Indicate
each of your answer with your partner/groupmates by labeling it through your
names)

Marie Sheryl Fernandez

On a scale of 1-10, 1 being the lowest; 10 the highest, I can say that my
stress level during this times of pandemic is 9. I experienced more stress than usual
not just academically but all aspects in life. As mentioned in the demand-control model
by Karasek, being in control of one’s responsibility relieves stress however, this
pandemic has restrained us from being in control of our own isolation. As a result, I
cannot avoid to overthink and worry on things because there is just so much going on in
the world and just the uncertainty of the future with this virus is too much already. In
addition, online classes has been very stressful as well to both educators and students
like me. It seems like working on loads of tasks compromising the personal and rest
hours, as opposed to face to face classes, where there is a set schedule of classes and
breaks, as well as the physical interaction of friends that makes learning more enjoyable
and less stressful. Furthermore, financial difficulties, health & safety problems and
national issues occupy a big space in my mind and makes me more stressful. That is
why, in order to have peace of mind and regain the quality and focus that I had lost, I
must learn the characteristics and routines of stress management. With stress
management, I can learn how to deal with things that I worry about and find more
constructive solutions instead of just drowning myself of emotions. Stress management
reduces stress by directing one’s attention to the bright side, to the solution, rather than
to the feelings that there is no way out of the problem.
Hanzel Rose Buar
I have so much stress especially today that we are in quarantine we cannot go out to do
some stuff to enjoy but with the help of meditating, praying and spending time with close
friends and family even at home helps me a lot in reducing my stress. Reducing my stress can
help me boost my mood to do my activities and modules in school and of course to be
physically fit we have to be mentally fit first.

German Jr. Sarza

If I rate my stress level from 1-10, I will rate it 9. Most of the reasons that makes me feel
stressed is being unstable in financial and school works. I cannot regret that I born in a poor
family but I just faced the reality that being unstable in financially to pay your fees and not
enough budget to our needs and wants makes me feel stressed and breakdown. In addition,
school works makes me feel stressed too even I do my best to study but still get a low score and
low grades. I can reduce my stress to increase my performance in school by eating because I am
a stress eater and study smart. I improve my study in order to get an enough score to get a pass
grade. When it talks about enhancing my life I always ask to God for the guidance and
enlightened my mind and heart to do good in myself and for the other people also. I always
think positive when I faced the challenges in life and believe in myself that I can do all things
with the help of God.