STRESS

MANAGEMENT
STRESS IS A STATE OF MENTAL OR EMOTIONAL
STRAIN OR TENSION RESULTING FROM ADVERSE
OR DEMANDING CIRCUMSTANCES
OR
ANYTHING THAT POSES A CHALLENGE OR A
THREAT TO OUR WELL-BEING IS A STRESS.
Some stresses get you going and they are
good for you - without any stress at all many
say our lives would be boring and would
probably feel pointless.

However, when the stresses undermine

both our mental and physical health they
are bad. In this context, we shall be focusing
on stress that is bad for you.
Tounderstand the stress response, we
must possess a fundamental knowledge
not only of
psychology
but of physiology as well.
- George Everly
STRESS & FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE-
PHYSIOLOGICAL PHENOMENON
 The way we respond to a challenge may also be a
type of stress.. When faced with a challenge or a
threat, our body activates resources to protect
us - to either get away as fast as we can, or
fight.

If we are upstairs at home and an earthquake

starts, the faster we can get oneself and our
family out the more likely we are all to survive.
If you need to save somebody's life during that
earthquake, by lifting a heavy weight that has
fallen on them, you will need components in
your body to be activated to give you that extra
strength - that extra push.
 Our fight-or-flight response is our body's
sympathetic nervous system reacting to a
stressful event. Our body produces larger
quantities of the chemicals cortisol, adrenaline
and noradrenaline, which trigger a higher heart
rate, heightened muscle preparedness,
sweating, and alertness - all these factors help us
protect ourselves in a dangerous or challenging
situation.

Non-essential body functions slow down, such as

our digestive and immune systems when we are
in fight- or flight response mode. All resources
can then be concentrated on rapid breathing,
blood flow, alertness and muscle use.
HARVARD PHYSIOLOGIST WALTER CANNON COINED THE TERM FIGHT- OR-
FLIGHT RESPONSE TO DESCRIBE OUR BODY'S AUTOMATIC RESPONSE WHEN
WE PERCEIVE THREAT OR DANGER. THIS IS A PRIMITIVE RESPONSE THAT
GIVES US STRENGTH, POWER, AND SPEED TO AVOID HARM.
THE FREEZE RESPONSE HAS SINCE THEN BEEN ADDED. IN EARLIER TIMES,
STRESSFUL SITUATIONS REFERRED TO THE ANIMALS IN THE WILD, AND MAN HAD TO
BE IN A READY STATE WHEN ENCOUNTERED WITH THESE TO EITHER FIGHT OR RUN
AWAY FROM THEM. IN MODERN SOCIETY, THE ELEMENTS OF STRESS HAVE BEEN
REPLACED BY DEADLINES, MEETINGS, NOISE POLLUTION, RUSH-HOUR TRAFFIC, AND
THE LIKE.
 Stress can be seen in anyone, either housewife
or student , tea maker or an office manager,
doctor or pilot, everyone has stress related to
their work and living circumstances.

 While talking about an organization, individual

can get stressed due to external factor or
organizational factor or even due to individual
factor.

 These dynamic condition leads individual

confronted from an opportunity with constrains
because of which outcome is uncertain and
important .
 CAUSES OF STRESS
1. Environmental
Factor
2. Organizational
Factor
3. Individual Factor
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS:-

 Economic uncertainties
 Political uncertainties

 Technological uncertainties

 Similarly it's everywhere in our daily lives:

noise, crowds, pollution. Environmental
stresses may be individually minor, but can
accumulate to form a high background
stress load, diminishing your capacity for
dealing with stress from other sources.
ORGANIZATIONAL FACTOR:
 Work Content:
1. Job Content-Monotonous, Unpleasant,
aversive task.
2. Workload and work pace- Having too much
work and have to work in certain period of
time under pressure. Working in an
overcrowded room or visible place, where
interruptions are constant can increase
anxiety & stress.
3. Working Hour- Strict and
unpredictable working hours, Badly
designed shifts
4. Participation and Control: Lack of
Participation in decision making / Lack of
 Work Context:
1. Organizational Culture: Poor Leadership, Poor
Communication, Lack of clarity about organizational
structure and objectives.
2. Role in the organization:
Role conflicts create expectations that may be
hard to reconcile or satisfy.
- Role overload is experienced when the employee is
expected to do more than time permits.
- Role ambiguity is created when role expectations are
not clearly understood & employee is not sure what he
or she is to do
 3.Interpersonal Relationship: Poor
relationship with co-workers, isolation or
solitary works, inadequate or unsupportive
supervision. Lack of social support from the
colleagues & poor interpersonal
relationships .

 4.Career development, status and pay: Job

insecurity, Lack of promotion, Being over-
skilled or under-skilled for job.
INDIVIDUAL FACTOR
 Individual works about 40-50 hrs a week.
 People encounter 120 plus non-work hrs

per week–outside the work place–family

& others.
 Family issues, economic problems, marital

relationship, discipline troubles with children

are the examples that create stress for
employees -----
------- bring to work place.
 Health:Aging, diagnosis of a new
disease, complications from an
existing disease, and undiagnosed
symptoms can increase stress
 Life Changes:The death of a loved one,
changing jobs, moving houses, and
sending a child off to college are
examples of big life changes that can be
stressful.
 Financial:Financial trouble is a common
source of stress. Credit card debt, not
making rent, inability to provide for a family
—not being able to make ends meet can
put a serious amount of stress on a person
 Relationships: Arguments with a
spouse, parent, or child can certainly
increase stress. Problems among other
members of the family, even if you’re not
directly involved, can cause additional
stress.

 Emotional Problems: Unexpressed anger,

low self-esteem, depression and loneliness
will cause personal stress.
 EFFECTS OF
STRESS
 Affects different people in different way.

 Physiological effects– Headaches, Hypertension,

Heart disease, Digestive problems, increased blood
pressure, Musculoskeletal disorder, affect
immune system impairing people’s ability to fight
infections.

 Psychological effects: Anxiety, Depression, &

Decrease in job satisfaction, unable to relax and
concentrate, Having difficulty in thinking logically
and difficulty in decision making.

 Behavioral effects: Absenteeism, Turnover,

alcoholism & smoking, & sleep disorders, Drug
abuse
WORK STRESS AND EFFECT IN
ORGANIZATION

1. Increasing absenteeism
2. Decreased commitment to work
3. Impairing performance and productivity
4. Increasing complaints from clients
and customers
5. Damaging the organizational image
6. Increasing staff turn over
7. Increasing unsafe working practice and
accident rates
MANAGEMENT OF STRESS
Stress also Known as “managerial illness”
can be avioded and managed. It should
be treated at both organizational and
individual level as stress not only affects
the individual but also
results in harm to the organizations.

1.Individual approaches
2. Organizational approaches
1. Individual approaches:
 Physical exercise – increase heart

capacity & provide mental diversion from

work pressure.
 Relaxation techniques – meditation,

hypnosis, aerobics etc.

 Expanding social network - having

friends & family, or work colleagues to

talk to provide
outlet when stress becomes excessive.
 Time management-

 Making daily list of activities to

be accomplished.
 Prioritizing activities by
importance & urgency.
 Scheduling activities according to the
priorities set

 Proper Nutrition
STRESS MANAGEMENT- ORGANIZATIONAL
APPROACH
 Work stress is a challenge to healthy and
saftey of workers and to healthiness of an
organization.

 Work stress can be effectively managed by

applying a risk management approach for
work stress.

 It assesses the possible risk in working

environment that may cause particular
hazard to cause harm to employee.
PREVENTION OF WORK STRESS

There are number of ways by which the risk

of
work stress can be reduced. These include:

--Primary prevention,reducing stress

through: ergonomics,work and
environmental design

--Secondary prevention,reducing stress

through: worker education and training,
and

--Tertiary prevention, reducing the impact

of stress by developing more sensitive
ORGANIZATIONAL APPROACHES
 Improved personnel selection
 Job placement

 Use of realistic goal setting

 Redesigning of jobs

 Stress management trainings

 Increased employees involvement

 Improved organizational communication

 Establishment of corporate wellness

programs
THANK-YOU