Stress & Stress Management at Work Place

Understanding of Stress & Stress Management at the Work Place

Stress: Basics

Stress is the “psychological, physiological and behavioural response by an individual when they perceive a lack of equilibrium between the demands placed upon them and their ability to meet those demands, which, over a period of time, leads to ill-health”.

Stress Management is “set of techniques and programs intended to help people deal more effectively with stress in their lives by analysing the specific stressors and taking positive actions to minimize their effects”.

Types of Stress

Eustress (Good Stress): Eustress refers to the healthy , positive , constructive outcome of stressful events and the stress response . Eustress is the stress experience that activates and motivates people to achieve their goals and succeed in theirs life challenges.

Distress (Bad Stress): A condition arising from the interaction of people and their jobs and characterized by changed within people that force them to deviate from their normal functioning is called distress.

Symptoms of Stress

• Physiological symptoms: Ulcers, Digestive problems, Headaches, High blood pressure, Sleep disruption
• Psychological symptoms: Emotional instability, Moodiness, Nervousness & tension, Chronic worry, Depression, Burnout
• Behavioural symptoms: Excessive smoking, Abuse of alcohol / drugs, Absenteeism, Aggression, Safety problems, Performance problems

Stages of reactions to stress

1. Alarm – increase in anxiety, fear, sowrrow or loss
2. Resistance – attempt to control stress using defence mechanism
3. Exhaustion – stop trying to defend against stress

Typical Stress Defence Mechanisms

Aggressive – the stressor is attacked directly – it may also involve violence against oneself, other people or objects

Regression – the adoption of patterns of response that were successful earlier, perhaps in childhood, eg. sulking

Denial – forgetting, avoiding or redefining the stressor

Escape – in physical or psychological form including an escape to fantasy, eg. a holiday

Fixation – a response repeated regardless of its effectiveness – redialling a number or rechecking we have ‘all the notes’

Work Stress

Work – related stress is a response people may have when presented with work demands and pressure that are not matched to their knowledge & abilities and which challenge their ability to cope.

Role of Management: Ineffective management, Employee stress

Causes of Stress:

Research findings show that the most stressful type of work is that which values excessive demands and pressures that are not matched to workers knowledge and abilities, where there is little opportunity to exercise any choice or control, and where there is little support from others.

The more the demands and pressures of work are matched to the knowledge and abilities of workers, the less likely they are to experience work stress.

Work Content:

Job Content – Monotonous, Under – stimulating, meaningless task, Lack of Variety, Unpleasant Tasks, Aversive Tasks Work Load and Work Pace – having too much or too little to do, Working under time pressures Working hours – Strict and inflexible working schedules, Long & unsocial hours, unpredictable working hours, badly designed shift systems Participation & Control- Lack of Participation in decision making, lack of control (for eg – over work methods, work pace, working hours & the environment)

Work Context:

Career Development, Status & Pay – Job Insecurity, Lack of Promotional prospects, Under promotion or over promotion, Work of low social value, piece rate system schemes, unclear or unfair performance evaluation system, Being over skilled or under skilled for the job.

Role in the Organisation – Unclear role, Conflicting roles with the same job, responsibility for the people, continuously dealing with other people and their problems.

Interpersonal Relationships –Inadequate, inconsiderate or unsupportive supervision, poor relationships with co workers, bullying, harassment & Violence, Isolated or solitary work, no agreed procedures or dealing wit problems or Complaints.

Organisational Culture – poor Communications, Poor leaderships, lack of clarity about organisational objectives & Structure

Home work interface – Conflicting demand of work & home, lack of support for domestic problems at work, Lack of support for work problems at home

IMPACT OF STRESS ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE

Eustress: Innovation, Optimum use of resources, Reduction in wastages, Motivation, Reduction in Absenteeism, Encourages initiatives, Better Relations, Higher Efficiency

Distress: Job dissatisfaction, increase in accidents, icrease in employee turnover, icrease in absenteeism, poor relations with others in the organization, lack of motivation, wastage of resources, inefficiency, Burnout & Trauma

IMPACT OF STRESS:

Individual: Become increasingly distressed & irritable, Become unable to relax & Concentrate, Have difficulty thinking logically & making decisions, Enjoy their work less & feel less committed to it; Feel tired, depressed & anxious; Physical Problem, disorder; Have difficulty in sleeping; Organization: Increase absenteeism; Decrease commitment to work; Increase Staff turnover; Impairing performance & productivity; Increasing unsafe working practices & accident rates; Adversely affecting staff recruitment; Increasing complaints from clients & Customers; Increasing liability to legal claims & action by stressed workers; Damaging organisational image both among workers & externally

Risk Assessment:

Work stress can be effectively managed by applying a risk management approach as is successfully done with other major health and safety problems. A risk management approach assesses the possible risks in the work environment that may cause particular existing hazards to cause harm to employees. A hazard is an event or situation that has the potential for causing harm. Harm refers to physical or psychological deterioration of health. The causes of stress are hazards related to the design and management of work and working conditions, and such hazards can be managed and their effects controlled in the same way as other hazards.

Assessing the risks of work-related stress involves answering the basic questions:

• Is there a problem? Could work stress be affecting your workers health?
• How can the stress problem be solved?
• Is the whole system being monitored?

The aim of these questions is to identify work practices or circumstances that may cause significant imbalances of demand and resources. In the case of stress it is the association of these imbalances with signs of stress in individual employees and work groups that indicate their significance. Once identified and assessed, steps may be taken to reduce work stress at the group level.

Approaches to Explore Existing Risk:

You should ask employees directly about their work problems and whether or not they feel their health may be adversely affected by their work

You could ask employees to describe the best and the worst aspects of their job, any aspects of work place them under too much pressure

Questions that are tailor made to specific working contexts are likely to be more useful in designing further action than any off the shelf package

Sicknesses, absence, staff turnover, performance levels, accidents and mistakes should be regularly monitored and checked

Stress Management Techniques & Strategies

Action Orientated Approaches: used to take action to change a stressful situation
Be assertive, Reduce the noise, Manage your time, Creating boundaries, Get out of your head

Emotion-oriented approaches: used to change the way we perceive a stressful situation
Affirmations and imagery, Cognitive Restructuring, ABC Technique

Acceptance-oriented approaches: used for dealing with stressful situations you can’t control:
Diet and Exercise, Meditation and physical relaxation, Build resilience, Talk it out, Sleep

Prevention of work Stress

• Primary Prevention: Ergonomics, Work and environmental design, Organisational & Management development
• Secondary Prevention: Worker education & Training
• Tertiary Prevention: Developing more sensitive & responsive management system, Enhanced occupational health provision

Strategies to Solve Work Stress Problems: Work Redesign, Stress Management Training
Other APPROACHES TO STRESS MANAGEMENT: Physical exercise, Meditation, Relaxing Training, Time management, Social support, Behavioral self –control, Networking, Changes in the organizational structure/Culture, Decentralization of authority, Working environment, Changes in the nature of job, Sabbaticals, Removing sources of frustration

Stress management advantages:

To the OrganIsatIon: A well managed health and safety programme, A positive and caring image, Improved staff morale, Reduced staff turnover, Reduced absenteeism, Increased productivity, Reduced health care/insurance costs, Reduced risk of fines and litigation.

To the employee: A safe and healthy work environment, Enhanced self-esteem, Reduced stress, Improved morale, Increased job satisfaction, Increased skills for health protection, Improved health, Improved sense of well-being.

What Stage Are You In?

“It’s not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.”

Determining what stage you’re in is an important first step in learning to manage stress. Once you know where you’re at, you’ll be better equipped to cope with whatever life throws at you.

To find out what stage you’re in, pick the statement that most accurately describes you:

• I’m currently stressed, and I don’t intend to find ways of coping within the next six months (this is stage one).
• I’m currently stressed, but I’m thinking about dealing with it in the next six months (stage two).
• I’m currently stressed, but have, on and off, tried to gain some control over it (stage three).
• I’ve managed to reduce my stress within the last six months (stage four).
• I’ve been successfully managing my stress for more than six months now (stage five).

Strategies for Change: Stage 1

• Not Interested in Changing Now
• Read, Coping With Stress.
• Create a list of reasons why managing your stress will benefit you.
• Create a list of why managing your stress will benefit your family.
• Watch the movie, Falling Down.
• Make a list of the people pressuring you to better manage your stress.
• Write about two situations in the last year where you defended your inability to deal with stress.

Strategies for Change: Stage 2

• I’m Giving Change Serious Consideration
• Read, Who Moved My Cheese? By Ken Blanchard.
• Describe how your stress makes you feel emotionally.
• Write down your five biggest stressors.
• Speak with a friend who’s experiencing negative health effects as a result of high stress.
• At least one time per day, make sure to spend 15 minutes doing something you find relaxing (reading, talking with friends, etc.).
• Take a stress self-assessment.

Strategies for Change: Stage 3

Getting Ready to Change Soon

• If available, meet with an EAP (Employee Assistant Program) counsellor at your place of work.
• Create a written plan to incorporate a moderate amount of physical activity into your routine to help you deal with stress.
• Tell your friends and family about your plans to reduce your stress level.
• Find a friend who will help you manage your stress. Make sure to develop a plan on how this relationship will function.
• Mark a date on the calendar when you will begin a new, less stressed way of life.
• Purchase relaxation CD’s and videos to use at home and in the car.

Strategies for Change: Stage 4

• Let’s Go…I’m Taking Action
• Enrol in a stress management class to help you achieve your goals.
• Regularly update your friends and family on your efforts to reduce stress.
• Begin a regular walking program to help you reduce stress.
• Create a list of responses that you can use as substitutes to getting stressed out
• Take on a new activity like golfing, joining a walking club, or bicycling.
• Learn and utilize a stress management technique like yoga or meditation.

Strategies for Change: Stage 5

• Old News…Been There, Done That
• Celebrate accomplishing your written stress management plan.
• Continue to develop healthy habits in your life beyond exercise and stress management.
• Offer yourself as a testimonial to others about the benefits of stress management.
• Create a list of all the benefits you’ve been experiencing since beginning to manage your stress—be sure to review previous lists and write down how things have changed.
• Identify what has been the most helpful resource on your road to managing stress and incorporate more of it into your life (i.e., books, relaxation CD’s, etc.).

References

Johnson JV, Hall EM (1988) Job strain, work place social support,and cardiovascular disease: a cross-sectional study of a randomsample of the Swedish working population. Am J Public Health78:1336–1342

Kompier MAJ, Marcelissen FHG. (1990) Handboek werkstress [Handbook of work stress]. Nederlands Instituut voor Arbeid-somstandigheden, Amsterdam

Streiner DL, Norman GR (1989) Health measurement scales. Apractical guide to their development and use. Oxford UniversityPress, Oxford

Schaufeli WB, Van Dierendonck D, Van Gorp K (1996) Burnoutand reciprocity: towards a dual-level social exchange model.Work Stress 10:225–237

Warr PB (1990) Decision latitude, job demands, and employeewell-being. Work Stress 4:285–294