(Personal Development)

STRESS

Dictionary definitions do not quite capture the meaning of stress as it is seen and
experienced in the world of work. One of Webster's definitions describes it as an “…emotional
factor that causes bodily or mental tension.”

⮚ A practical way of defining stress is the feeling one gets from prolonged, pent-up
emotions. If the emotions you experience are pleasant and desirable – joy, elation,
ecstasy, delight – you usually feel free to let them show. They are not suppressed.
Therefore; positive emotions do not usually cause stress. Negative emotions, on the
other hand, are more often held inside. They are hidden. You suffer quietly and you
experience stress. Do not confuse positive situations with positive emotions. A wedding,
for example, is a positive situation that often brings about the negative emotions of
anxiety and tension. So stress can exist in great situations.

Causes and Effects of Stress

1. Anxiety 6. Tension
2. Pressure 7. Anger
3. Misery 8. Panic
4. Strain 9. Rejection
5. Desperation

✔ Prolonged stress : devastating; burnout, breakdown, and depression are some of the
potential results of long-term, unmanaged stress. By wearing a mask, you may expect
to hide stress caused by problems in your personal life and not let them influence your
performance on the job. This will probably not work. The more you try to hold your
emotions in, the greater the pressure build-up will be.

Causes:

1. Everyday frustrations cause stress build-up

From the time you wake up until you go to sleep, you may be confronted with a succession of
stressful situations. Managing to get yourself (and possibly a spouse and children) out of bed
and ready to face the day can be a challenge to your patience and ingenuity. Driving to school
or work can be harrowing – especially if you’re running late. You may experience frustration in
arranging to get the car repaired. You may face conflicts in school or at work, such as coping
with unrealistic deadlines, equipment failures, or unexpected bad weather. If part of your job is
selling, you may experience feelings of rejection when most of your customers say “no.”

A series of stressful and frustrating experiences throughout the day can cause you to lie awake
at night in an emotional turmoil – unable to get needed rest. You face the next day with less
emotional and physical stamina. After another stressful day and another night without rest, you
may have even less emotional strength and stability. Therefore, stress build-up, if not resolved,
continues day after day.
 2. Problems in our personal life can be devastating

Surviving the normal, everyday stress described above can be difficult. But far more serious and
painful circumstances can create long-term stress. More serious stressful circumstances may
include separation from loved ones, personal illness, or illness of a loved one, death of someone
you care about, or conflict with a spouse or close friend. Other major causes of stress are
problems with drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, care of children and elderly relatives,
chronic mental illness, injury, physical handicaps, even moving to a new home, if you’ve lived in
the same place for more than 10 years. The list goes on and on.

Managing your personal finances can be another stressful experience. This can be a problem no
matter what your income level, but it is especially difficult if you must support a family and do
not earn enough to live comfortably. Unpaid bills, unwise use of credit, and budget limitations
can make life difficult.

3. Dealing with life’s transitions

This is especially true when a person must cope with too many transitions all at once. For
example, Ellen has just completed a program in fashion merchandising. She is eager to get
started on her new job. Her mother is ill and requires care. Her father died a few months ago.
Ellen’s new job requires that she relocate to a town 100 miles from home. The move, a new
career, and a change in family relationships may cause excessive stress for her. Too many
changes have arrived at the same time.
Source: Personal Development for Life and Work, 8th Ed., by Wallace, H.R. & Masters, L.A., 2001.

Reading: KEEP STRESS UNDER CONTROL

There are many effective ways to handle stress. Of course, you can’t avoid stress—in fact, you
wouldn’t want to avoid all stress, because you’d never grow. However, you can manage your
life so that you survive the emotional down times without allowing stress to engulf you. Also,
you can work to eliminate controllable stress factors, such as running late or not getting enough
sleep. But when stress is constant or too great, your wisest option is to find ways to reduce or
control it. You need not, and should not, live your life in emotional stress and discomfort. Stress
can be successfully managed. Here are some suggestions that may help.

1. Understand the Causes of Stress

Understanding why you are under stress is important. This may seem obvious, but it requires
deliberate, conscious effort to pause and simply ponder your situation. By now, you are familiar
with the stress response, the emotional or physical symptoms of uncontrolled stress. Now you
need to try to discover the stressors, the factors of which create the stress in your life.

2. Analyze your Stress Factors and Write Them Down

Write down your response to stress. For example, you may write down, “I feel tired most of the
time. My lower back seems to ache all through the day and night. I miss deadlines and run
behind schedule.” Analyze stress responses and consequences, and consider each item, and ask
why. “Why am I feeling tired? Why does my back ache? Why do I run behind schedule?
Carefully consider each answer, because the answers will reveal stressors, such as deadlines,
anxieties, trying to do so much, managing time or money poorly, or poor health habits.
 3. Deal with the Stressors

Develop techniques to deal with the causes of stress. The longer you avoid dealing with the
stress factors, the more the stress will build up. If tension comes because you have put off an
unfinished task, restructure your priorities so you can get the task that you have been avoiding
out of the way and off your mind.

4. Learn to Work under Pressure or Unusual Conditions

When you can’t reduce the stressors, you need to manage your stress response. Almost
everyone, at least at some point, has to meet deadlines, keep several jobs going at once,
resolve problems that come up, and do extra work when necessary. However, when the
pressure mounts, you can relieve it. Relaxation is key—but most people must train themselves
to relax when the pressure is on.

✔ Some tips to relax when under pressure are the following:

❖ Stop for a moment (especially when you feel your muscles tightening up) and take a few
deep breaths.
❖ Do a relaxing exercise. Swing your hands at your sides and stretch.

❖ Take a “power nap.” Lie down and totally relax for a few minutes.

❖ Find time to do the things you enjoy.

❖ Leave your study area for a while to take a brisk walk.

❖ Find a quiet place to read a magazine or novel during break or at lunch.

❖ If possible, look at some peaceful images such as forests, beaches, etc. These images can
initiate a relaxation response.
❖ Look up.

❖ Keep something humorous on hand, such as a book of jokes.