UNIT 5

STRESS MANAGEMENT
WHAT IS STRESS
 ORIGINAL DEFINITION: pressure from environment or strain within
the person
 TODAY’S DEFINITION: stress is the psychological and physical state
that results when the resources of the individual are not sufficient to
cope with the demands and pressures of the situation.
SIGNS OF STRESS
FEELINGS: Anxiety depression irritability, fatigue
BEHAVIOUR : feeling withdrawn, aggressive, tearful, unmotivated
THINKING: difficulties in problem solving and concentrating
PHYSICAL SYMTOMS: nausea, palpitations headaches
HOW IS STRESS CAUSED
TYPES OF
STRESS
ACUTE STRESS: Acute stress is the most common form of stress. It comes from demands and
pressures of the recent past and anticipated demands and pressures of the near future. Acute stress
is thrilling and exciting in small doses, but too much is exhausting. A fast run down a challenging
ski slope, for example, is exhilarating early in the day. That same ski run late in the day is taxing
and wearing. an auto accident that crumpled the car fender, the loss of an important contract, a
deadline they're rushing to meet, their child's occasional problems at school and so on.
 Because it is short term, acute stress doesn't have enough time to do the extensive damage
associated with long-term stress. The most common symptoms are:
 Emotional distress — some combination of anger or irritability, anxiety and depression, the three
stress emotions.
 Muscular problems including tension headache, back pain, jaw pain and the muscular tensions
that lead to pulled muscles and tendon and ligament problems.
 Stomach, gut and bowel problems such as heartburn, acid stomach, flatulence, diarrhea,
constipation and irritable bowel syndrome.
 Transient overarousal leads to elevation in blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, sweaty palms, heart
palpitations, dizziness, migraine headaches, cold hands or feet, shortness of breath and chest
pain. 
 Acute stress can crop up in anyone's life, and it is highly treatable and manageable.
Episodic acute stress
•There are those, however, who suffer acute stress frequently, whose lives are so
disordered that they are studies in chaos and crisis. They're always in a rush, but
always late. If something can go wrong, it does. They take on too much, have too
many irons in the fire, and can't organize the slew of self-inflicted demands and
pressures clamoring for their attention. They seem perpetually in the clutches of acute
stress.
•It is common for people with acute stress reactions to be over aroused, short-
tempered, irritable, anxious and tense. Often, they describe themselves as having "a
lot of nervous energy." Always in a hurry, they tend to be abrupt, and sometimes their
irritability comes across as hostility. Interpersonal relationships deteriorate rapidly
when others respond with real hostility. The workplace becomes a very stressful place
for them.
•The symptoms of episodic acute stress are the symptoms of extended over arousal:
persistent tension headaches, migraines, hypertension, chest pain and heart disease.
Treating episodic acute stress requires intervention on a number of levels, generally
requiring professional help, which may take many months.
•Often, lifestyle and personality issues are so ingrained and habitual with these
individuals that they see nothing wrong with the way they conduct their lives. They
blame their woes on other people and external events. Frequently, they see their
lifestyle, their patterns of interacting with others, and their ways of perceiving the
world as part and parcel of who and what they are.
•Sufferers can be fiercely resistant to change. Only the promise of relief from pain and
discomfort of their symptoms can keep them in treatment and on track in their
Chronic stress
•Chronic stress comes when a person never sees a way out of a miserable situation. It's the
stress of unrelenting demands and pressures for seemingly interminable periods of time.
With no hope, the individual gives up searching for solutions.
•Some chronic stresses stem from traumatic, early childhood experiences that become
internalized and remain forever painful and present. Some experiences profoundly affect
personality. A view of the world, or a belief system, is created that causes unending stress
for the individual (e.g., the world is a threatening place, people will find out you are a
pretender, you must be perfect at all times). When personality or deep-seated convictions
and beliefs must be reformulated, recovery requires active self-examination, often with
professional help.
•The worst aspect of chronic stress is that people get used to it. They forget it's there.
People are immediately aware of acute stress because it is new; they ignore chronic stress
because it is old, familiar, and sometimes, almost comfortable.
•Chronic stress kills through suicide, violence, 
heart attack, stroke and, perhaps, even cancer. People wear down to a final, fatal
breakdown. Because physical and mental resources are depleted through long-term
attrition, the symptoms of chronic stress are difficult to treat and may require extended
medical as well as behavioral treatment and stress management.
•Eustress is the good stress that motivates you to continue working. Stress
can be a motivater and provide incentive to get the job done. This "good stress"
is what eustress can be identified as and some people enjoy it. Everyone needs
a little bit of stress in their life in order to continue to be happy, motivated,
challenged and productive. It is when this stress is no longer tolerable and/or
manageable that distress comes in.

•Bad stress, or distress, is when the good stress becomes to much to bear or
cope with. Tension builds, there is no longer any fun in the challenge, there
seems to be no relief, no end in sight. This is the kind of stress most of us are
familiar with and this is the kind of stress that leads to poor decision making.
Physiological symptoms of distress include and increase in blood pressure,
rapid breathing and generalized tension. Behavioral symptoms include
overeating, loss of appetite, drinking, smoking and negative coping
mechanisms.
•Hyperstress:  “Don’t stress  me out!”
•The psychological strain people often feel when they perceive themselves as
being overwhelmed by work forms the basis of a good working hyperstress
definition. 
•The feeling occurs when someone feels pushed beyond the limits of what he
or she can handle, whether it's caused by an excessively high workload,
unreasonable deadlines or working too long and too hard. 
•A person who is hyperstressed often overreacts to what would otherwise be
insignificant triggering events.  For example, an individual with hyperstress
might snap at his or her spouse for very little reason at all. 
•In addition to a short temper, hyperstress can also induce or increase anxiety
and/or depression.  People with high pressure jobs such as stock brokers,
neurosurgeons and high-level attorneys are likely candidates for hyperstress,
but anyone can succumb to the feeling of being overworked.
•Hypostress
•Hypostress is the opposite of hyperstress. Hypostress occurs when an individual is
bored or unchallenged. People who experience hypostress are often restless and
uninspired. A factory worker who performs repetitive tasks might experience
hypostress.
•While this type of stress is not generally considered harmful in the short term, it
can have significant negative impacts over the long term, affecting a person’s
motivation, performance and overall health and wellbeing.
THEORIES OF STRESS
Hans selye : General Adaptation Syndrome
•RICHARD LAZARUS TRANSACTIONAL MODEL
•WALTER CANNON MODEL OF STRESS
•COX AND MACKAY: THE INVERTED- U MODEL

model of stress described by Cox and Mackay (1978) works as follows:

1.The situation starts with a demand for action of some kind.
2.The person perceives (accurately or not) this demand.
3.The person has capability to meet the demand.
4.The person perceives (accurately or not) their capability.
5.The person cognitively appraises the match between perceived
demand and perceived capability.
6.Any perceived imbalance in a lack of capability to meet the demand
is felt as stress.
7.The person experiences an emotional response to this.
8.There is also a stress response.
9.There is a felt physiological response.
10.There is also a psychological stress response.
11.The psychological response includes a behavioral response, which
feeds back into the original demand and cognitive appraisal.
12.The psychological response also includes a cognitive defense, which
feeds back into the cognitive appraisal.
STRESS IN ORGANIZATIONS
Stress is defined in terms of how it impacts physical
and psychological health; it includes mental, physical,
and emotional strain. Stress occurs when a demand
exceeds an individual's coping ability and disrupts his
or her psychological equilibrium. Stress occurs in the
workplace when an employee perceives a situation to
be too strenuous to handle, and therefore threatening
to his or her well-being.
Stress at Work
•While it is generally agreed that stress occurs at work, views differ
on the importance of worker characteristics versus working
conditions as its primary cause.
•The differing viewpoints suggest different ways to prevent stress
at work.
•Different individual characteristics, like personality and coping
skills, can be very important predictors of whether certain job
conditions will result in stress. In other words, what is stressful for
one person may not be a problem for someone else.
•Stress-related disorders encompass a broad array of conditions,
including psychological disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, post-
traumatic stress disorder) and other types of emotional strain (e.g.,
dissatisfaction, fatigue, tension), maladaptive behaviors (e.g.,
aggression, substance abuse), and cognitive impairment (e.g.,
concentration and memory problems).
• Job stress is also associated with various biological reactions that may
ultimately lead to compromised physical health, such as cardiovascular
disease.
Categories of Work Stress
Four categories of stressors underline the different causal circumstances for
stress at work:
•Task Demands - This is the sense of not knowing where a job will lead you
and whether the activities and tasks will change. This uncertainty causes stress
that manifests itself in feelings of lack of control, concern about career
progress, and time pressures.
•Role Demands - Role conflict happens when an employee is exposed to
inconsistent or difficult expectations. Examples include: interole conflict (when
there are two or more expectations or separate roles for one person), intrarole
conflict (varying expectations of one role), person-role conflict (ethics are
challenged), and role ambiguity (confusion about their experiences in
relation to the expectations of others).
•Interpersonal Demands - Examples include: emotional issues (abrasive
personalities, offensive co-workers), sexual harassment (directed mostly
toward women), and poor leadership (lack of management experience, poor
style, cannot handle having power).
•Physical Demands - Many types of work are physically demanding, including
strenuous activity, extreme working conditions, travel, exposure to hazardous
materials, and working in a tight, loud office.
 SYMPTOMS OF STRESS IN WORKPLACE
Stress can cause changes in those experiencing it. In some cases
there are clear signs that people are experiencing stress at work
and if these can be identified early, action can be taken before the
pressure becomes a problem. This may make it easier to reduce
and eliminate the causes.
It is important that everyone looks out for changes in a person's
or a group's behaviour. However, in many cases the changes may
only be noticeable to the person subject to the stress and so it is
also important to look at how you are feeling and try to identify
any potential issues you may have as early as possible and take
positive action to address them; this may be raising the matter
with a line manager, talking to an occupational health
professional or your own GP.
Signs of stress in individuals
If you are suffering from some of the following symptoms it may indicate that you
are feeling the effects of stress. If you find that work or aspects of your work bring
on or make these symptoms worse, speak to your line manager, trade union
representative or your HR department. It may be that some action taken at an early
stage will ease the stress and reduce or stop the symptoms.

Emotional symptoms
•Negative or depressive feeling
•Disappointment with yourself
•Increased emotional reactions - more tearful or sensitive or aggressive
•Loneliness, withdrawn
•Loss of motivation commitment and confidence
•Mood swings (not behavioural)

Mental
•Confusion, indecision
•Cant concentrate
•Poor memory
Changes from your normal behaviour
•Changes in eating habits
•Increased smoking, drinking or drug taking 'to cope'
•Mood swings effecting your behaviour
•Changes in sleep patterns
•Twitchy, nervous behaviour
•Changes in attendance such as arriving later or taking more time off.

Signs of stress in a group

•Disputes and disaffection within the group
•Increase in staff turnover
•Increase in complaints and grievances
•Increased sickness absence
•Increased reports of stress
•Difficulty in attracting new staff
•Poor performance
•Customer dissatisfaction or complaints
SOURCES OF STRESS
1. ORGANISATIONAL FACTORS:
 Discrimination in pay salary
 Strict rules and regulations
 Ineffective communication
 Peer pressure
 Goal conflicts/ goal ambiguity
 More of centralised and formal organization structure
 Less promotional opportunities
 Excessive control over the employees by the managers
 Work environment factors such as heat, radiation, smoke and poor lighting are
stress inducing agents.( ex: Hawthorne studies).
 Insufficient resources such as time, budget, raw material, and space or man
power also induce stress.
 Structural factors such as reaward systems may also cause stress.
2. INDIVIDUAL FACTORS
expectations from the employee by the superiors, subordinates, peers family also
cause stress. Family issues, financial problems, sudden career changes all lead to
stress. Transfer to new area, new work setting new work environment and new
People may also be a cause of stress for an individual.
3. JOB CONCERNING FACTORS
•Monotonous nature of job
•Unsafe and unhealthy working conditions
•Lack of confidentiality
•Crowding
•Ambuity- uncertainty regarding job definitions
•Role conflict – inconsistency of expectations associated with role results in stress
•Role overload – employees are asked to do more than their ability permits
•Role underlaod – employees have little work or less variety of work to do.
•Ethical dilemmas – ex: casting couch, sexual harssment by colleagues.
4. EXTRA- ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS
Inflation, technological change social responsibilities are such factors which cause
Stress.
5. INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
•Amount of contact with others – too much prolonged contact with
other people can cause stress.
•Amount of contact witj people in other departments – people in
other departments do not always have adequate understanding of jobs
outside their own areas which can cause stress. Unfriendly or hostile
exchanges are such examples.
•Organizational climate
 STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING STRESS
 While some workplace stress is normal, excessive stress can interfere
with your productivity and performance—and impact your physical
and emotional health. Often, your ability to deal with stress can mean
the difference between success and failure in any kind of work. You
can’t control everything in your work environment, but that doesn’t
mean you’re powerless—even when you’re stuck in a difficult situation.
Whatever your work demands or ambitions, there are steps you can
take to protect yourself from the damaging effects of stress and
improve your job satisfaction.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
 Initiate positive relationships at work and beyond
 Get up and moving—don't sit in a desk job for more than an hour at a
time
 Learn how omega-3 fats in your diet helps reduce stress and boost
mood
 Get the full amount of sleep you need to feel your best
 Regain control by prioritizing and organizing
 Look for the humor in what seems to be a bad situation
 Learn more by reading the related articles
WHAT IS EXCESSIVE WORK PLACE STRESS
 Stress isn’t always bad. Stress within your comfort zone can help you
stay focused, energetic, and able to meet new challenges in the
workplace. Stress is what keeps you on your toes during a presentation
or alert to prevent accidents or costly mistakes at work. But in today’s
hectic world, the workplace can often seem like an emotional roller
coaster. Long hours, tight deadlines, and ever increasing demands can
leave you feeling worried, uncertain, and overwhelmed by stress.
 When stress exceeds your comfort zone, it stops being helpful and can
start causing major damage to your mind and body as well as your job
satisfaction. But no matter what you do for a living, or how stressful
your job is, there are plenty of things you can do to reduce your overall
stress levels and regain a sense of control at work.
STRESS AT WORK WARNING SIGNS
 When you feel overwhelmed at work, you lose confidence and may
become angry, irritable, or withdrawn. Other signs and symptoms of
excessive stress at work include: 
•Feeling anxious, irritable, or depressed
•Apathy, loss of interest in work
•Problems sleeping
•Fatigue
•Trouble concentrating
•Muscle tension or headaches
•Stomach problems
•Social withdrawal
•Loss of sex drive
•Using alcohol or drugs to cope
COMMON CAUSES OF EXCESSIVE
WORKPLACE STRESS
 Fear of being laid off
 More overtime due to staff cutbacks
 Pressure to perform to meet rising expectations but with no increase in
job satisfaction
 Pressure to work at optimum levels—all the time!
STRATEGIES TO MANAGE STRESS
1. BEAT STRESS BY INITIATING POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS : Since
the face and heart are wired together in the brain, talking face to face
with a good listener can help to quickly calm your nervous system and
relieve stress. Of course, you may not have a close buddy at work, but
you can take steps to be more sociable with your coworkers. When you
take a break, for example, instead of directing your attention to your
smart phone or tablet, try engaging your colleagues.
2. SOCIAL CONTACT IS NATURE’S ANTIDOTE TO STRESS:
 Simply sharing your thoughts and feelings with another person can
help reduce stress. Talking over a problem with someone who is both
supportive and empathetic can be a great way to let off steam and
help you become calm and focused.
 The other person doesn’t have to “fix” your problems; they just have
to be a good listener.
 Developing friendships with some of your co-workers can help buffer you
from the negative effects of stress. Remember to listen to them and offer
support when they are in need as well.
 As well as increasing social contact at work, having a strong network of
supportive friends and family members is extremely important to managing
stress in all areas of your life. On the flip side, the more lonely and isolated
you are, the greater your vulnerability to stress.
 If you don’t feel that you have anyone to turn to—at work or in your free
time—it’s never too late to build new friendships. Meet new people with
common interests by taking a class or joining a club, or by volunteering your
time. As well as being a great way to expand your social network, being
helpful to others—especially those who are appreciative—delivers immense
pleasure and can help to significantly reduce stress.
3. GET MOVING :
Regular exercise is a powerful stress reliever.
Aerobic exercise—activity that raises your heart rate and makes you
sweat—is a hugely effective way to lift your mood, increase energy, sharpen
focus, and relax both the mind and body. Try walking, dancing, swimming,
or playing ping pong with your kids.
As you move, instead of continuing to focus on your thoughts, focus on
your body and how it feels as you exercise. As well as maximizing stress
relief, adding this mindfulness element can help your nervous system
become “unstuck” if you’ve experienced trauma.
For best results, try to get at least 30 minutes of activity on most days. If
it’s easier to fit into your schedule, break up the activity into two or three
shorter segments.
When stress is mounting at work, try to take a quick break and move
away from the stressful situation. Take a stroll outside the workplace if
possible. Physical movement can help you regain your balance.
4. EAT WELL : Your food choices can have a huge impact on how you
feel during the work day. Eating small, frequent and healthy meals, for
example, can help your body maintain an even level of blood sugar,
keeping your energy and focus up, and avoiding mood swings. Low
blood sugar, on the other hand, can make you feel anxious and
irritable, while eating too much can make you lethargic.
 
Minimize sugar and refined carbs. You may crave sugary snacks, baked
goods, or comfort foods such as pasta or French fries, but these “feel-good”
foods quickly lead to a crash in mood and energy.
Reduce your intake of foods that can adversely affect your mood, such
as caffeine, alcohol, trans fats, and foods with high levels of chemical
preservatives or hormones.
Eat more Omega-3 fatty acids to give your mood a boost. The best
sources are fatty fish (salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines),
seaweed, flaxseed, and walnuts
Avoid nicotine. Smoking when you're feeling stressed may seem
calming, but nicotine is a powerful stimulant, leading to higher, not
lower, levels of anxiety.
Drink alcohol in moderation. Alcohol temporarily reduces worry,
but too much can cause anxiety as it wears off.
5. GET ENOUGH SLEEP :
Not only can stress and worry can cause insomnia, but a lack of sleep can
leave you vulnerable to even more stress. When you're well-rested, it's much
easier to keep your emotional balance, a key factor in coping with job and
workplace stress.
Try to improve the quality of your sleep by keeping a regular sleep schedule
and aiming for 8 hours a night.
Avoid stimulating activity and stressful situations before bedtime such as
catching up on work.
Turn off screens one hour before bedtime. The light emitted from TV,
tablets, smartphones, and computers suppresses your body’s production of
melatonin and can severely disrupt your sleep. Instead, focus on quiet,
soothing activities, such as reading or listening to soft music, while keeping
lights low.
STRESS AND SHIFT WORK :
Working night, early morning, or rotating shifts can impact your quality
sleep, which in turn can affect productivity and performance and leave
you more vulnerable to stress.
Adjust your sleep-wake cycle by exposing yourself to bright light when
you wake up at night, using bright lamps or daylight-simulation bulbs in
your workplace, and then wearing dark glasses on your journey home to
block out sunlight and encourage sleepiness.
Limit the number of night or irregular shifts you work in a row to
prevent sleep deprivation mounting up.
Avoid frequently rotating shifts so you can maintain the same sleep
schedule.
Eliminate noise and light from your bedroom during the day. Use
blackout curtains or a sleep mask, turn off the phone, and use ear plugs or
a soothing sound machine to block out daytime noise.
6. PRIORITIZE AND ORGANIZE :
When job and workplace stress threatens to overwhelm you, there are simple,
practical steps you can take to regain control over the situation.
Create a balanced schedule. All work and no play is a recipe for burnout.
Try to find a balance between work and family life, social activities and
solitary pursuits, daily responsibilities and downtime.
Leave earlier in the morning. Even 10-15 minutes can make the
difference between frantically rushing and having time to ease into your day.
Don’t add to your stress levels by running late.
Plan regular breaks. Make sure to take short breaks throughout the day
to take a walk or chat to a friendly face. Also try to get away from your desk or
work station for lunch. It will help you relax and recharge and be more, not
less, productive.
TASK MANAGEMENT TIPS FOR REDUCING JOB STRESS :
Prioritize tasks. Tackle high-priority tasks first. If you have
something particularly unpleasant to do, get it over with early. The rest
of your day will be more pleasant as a result.
Break projects into small steps. If a large project seems
overwhelming, focus on one manageable step at a time, rather than
taking on everything at once.
Delegate responsibility. You don’t have to do it all yourself. Let go of
the desire to control every little step. You’ll be letting go of unnecessary
stress in the process.
Be willing to compromise. Sometimes, if you can both bend a little
at work, you’ll be able to find a happy middle ground that reduces the
stress levels for everyone.
6. BREAK BAD HABITS :
Many of us make job stress worse with negative thoughts and behavior. If
you can turn around these self-defeating habits, you’ll find employer-
imposed stress easier to handle.
Resist perfectionism. When you set unrealistic goals for yourself,
you’re setting yourself up to fall short. Aim to do your best, no one can ask
for more than that.
Flip your negative thinking. Try to think positively about your work,
avoid negative-thinking co-workers, and pat yourself on the back about
small accomplishments, even if no one else does.
Don’t try to control the uncontrollable. Many things at work are
beyond our control—particularly the behavior of other people. Rather
than stressing out over them, focus on the things you can control such as
the way you choose to react to problems. 
Look for humor in the situation. When used appropriately, humor is
a great way to relieve stress in the workplace. When you or those around
you start taking things too seriously, find a way to lighten the mood by
sharing a joke or funny story.
HOW MANAGERS OR EMPLOYERS REDUCE STRESS AT WORK :
Managers can act as positive role models. If you can remain calm in stressful
situations, it’s much easier for your employees to follow suit. You can also make a
number of organizational changes to reduce workplace stress, including:
Improve communication
One of the best ways to improve communication and reduce stress is to listen
attentively to an employee in a calm, face-to-face setting.
You’ll hear the subtle intonations in someone’s voice that tell you how that
employee is really feeling.
You’ll make that employee feel heard.
You’ll experience the face-to face interaction that lowers stress for both of you.
Consult your employees
Share information with employees to reduce uncertainty about their jobs
and futures.
Give workers opportunities to participate in decisions that affect their jobs.
Be sure the workload is suitable to employees’ abilities and resources;
avoid unrealistic deadlines.
Show that individual workers are valued.
Offer rewards and incentives.
Provide opportunities for career development.
Promote an “entrepreneurial” work climate that gives employees more
control over their work.
Cultivate a friendly social climate
Provide opportunities for social interaction among employees.
Establish a zero-tolerance policy for harassment.
Make management actions consistent with organizational values.
CONCLUSION
Stress and stress management is a reality in today’s organizations.
Successful organizations today realize the importance of not only
monitoring workplace stress, but implementing vehicles to reduce
stress for all employees. Time and money can be spent by a company
creating programs and initiatives to address stress related issues ( i.e.
flexible time , job sharing, childcare, health and fitness team building
activities) or a company can spend their money battling absenteeism,
employee turnover and rising cost benefits. The intelligent choice
should be clear.