Be Free from Stress at Work

Expections After Reading

This is for teaching you some basic principles of psychology. You will better understand stress, body’s reaction to stress and importance of managing stress. Moreover, you will clearly learn strategies for managing and responding to stress at workplace and any other situation.

Stress Description

Stress is a state of mental or emotional pressure caused by person’s response to opposing or challenging circumstances. According to Centre for Good Governance (n.d.), it occurs when there is a mismatch between what the people wish to do and what they are capable of doing. The stress can increase person’s vulnerability to illness. Constant stress over a long time can cause stomach pain, nervous, chest pain, headache, backache, neckache, and jaw-ache.

Body’s Reaction to Stress

1.    Changes to the Nervous System

      Lack of concentration while a person is reading, listening, talking and etc.

      Memory breaks or forgetting easily.

      Getting maximum confusion.

      Panic attacks.

      Lack of decision-making ability.

2.    Changes to Hormones

      Glycogen hormone stimulates the liver to release sugar into the blood which raises blood glucose for energy.

      Adrenaline hormone is released by adrenal glands to cause fight or flight reaction. At this time a person has enough energy to combat with another person. Or he/she can run away from something or someone who stressed him/her. 

      The skin sweats to keep a person cool.

3.    Changes to Heart

      The heart beats rapidly which is known as hypertension.

      The heart supplies high quantity of blood in the arteries.

      In addition, these changes to heat cause faster breathing which increases the oxygen supply to produce energy and eliminates the waste carbon dioxide.

Suddenly, a person with stress may manifest behavioral symptoms including loss of appetite or overeating, phobias (avoidance) and poor time management. In addition, there might be mental and emotional symptoms such as lack of concentration, panic attacks, confusion, impatience, anxiety, depression, anger, shame and weakening of personal hygiene and appearance. The physical symptoms also might include tension, headaches and dry mouth (Centre for Good Governance, n.d.).

Psychological Terms

1.    Optimism

Optimism is being hopeful and emphasizing a positive thinking of a situation rather than the bad part. Generally, optimists expect the positive outcomes in future results which enable them to be happier and have less stress.

2.    Self-Efficacy

As Saylor Foundation (n.d., p. 507) defined, self-efficacy is a belief in our ability to carry out actions that produce desired outcomes. People with high self-efficacy respond to environmental and other threads in an active and constructive way by getting information, talking to friends and attempting to face and reducing the difficulties they are experiencing.

3.    Hardiness

Hardiness is like stamina, and it is the physical and mental strength to do something which might bear extreme conditions or difficult situations which will take a long time to accomplish the activities. Although there might be the obstacles, a person with hardiness does not care he keeps moving forward.

Importance of Managing Stress

As Eliaz (2011) wrote, stress management is so important for person’s wellbeing. An employee with stress works ineffectively and fruitlessly. Thus, the use of managing stress includes the following, 

      Reducing stress is vital for maintaining overall health.

      It allows being more productive at work.

      It improves the person’s good mood.

      Managing stress boosts immune function to fight illness such as stomach ulcers, stroke, asthma and heart disease (Eliaz, 2011).

      Handling stress promotes long life.

Strategies for Managing and Responding to Stress 

According to Ostdick (2014), the best strategies for managing and responding to stress includes the following tips noted below.

      Express your feelings instead of bottling them up or hiding. This helps your family members and friends to take care of you.

      Focus on the positive side of a person or situation which worries you.

      Develop the practice of taking several deep diaphragmatic breaths in a stressed moment; it clears the mind, body, and soul.

      Find a quiet and comfortable place to relief the mind, body, and soul.  

      The practice of journaling or writing reduces stress by moving these worries and concerns out of your body on a paper.

      Regular physical exercise plays a key role in reducing and preventing the effects of stress.

      Enough sleep of eight hours per day fuels the mind as well as the body.

      Eat a healthy food with balanced and nutritious diet. It is recommended to reduce and eliminate the caffeine and sugar.

      Eliminate interruptions such as emails, phone calls and instant messages (Goudreau, 2013). 

      As Goudreau (2013) added, to manage stress you have to act rather than react. To Schedule your day for energy and focus is also essential.

References

Burchard, B. (2014, May 4). How to Be Happy - Secrets to Happiness [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI9jv_KJsTw

Centre for Good Governance. (n.d.). Handbook on Stress Management Skills. Retrieved from https://www.cgg.gov.in/publicationdownloads2a/Stress%20Management%20Skill.pdfhttps://www.cgg.gov.in/publicationdownloads2a/Stress%20Management%20Skill.pdf

Eliaz, I. (2011, June 8). Why Stress Management Is So Important for Your Health - mindbodygreen. Retrieved from http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-2557/Why-Stress-Management-Is-So-Important-for-Your-Health.html

Goudreau, J. (2013, March 20). 12 Ways to Eliminate Stress at Work. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2013/03/20/12-ways-to-eliminate-stress-at-work/#7d79ada37ff7

Lyubomirsky, S. (2010, July 15). Sonja Lyubomirsky: Happiness for a Lifetime [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EJIaTFfBss

Ostdick, J. H. (2014, April 7). 11 Strategies for Managing Stress. Retrieved from http://www.success.com/article/11-strategies-for-managing-stress

Saylor Foundation. (n.d.). Introduction to Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.saylor.org/site/textbooks/Introduction%20to%20Psychology.pdf#page=474

SETAC. (n.d.). Judging the Quality of Science. Retrieved from http://web.archive.org/web/20140527144001/http://www.usc.edu/org/cosee-west/Aug1-5_2011/teach_judging_science.pdf

Stemwedel, J. D. (2011, September 30). Evaluating scientific claims. Retrieved from https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/doing-good-science/evaluating-scientific-claims-or-do-we-have-to-take-the-scientists-word-for-it/