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STRESS IN WORKPLACE.
Term Paper ID:18726
Essay Subject:
Definition, stressors, negative & positive effects, stress management & coping aids.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Definition, stressors, negative & positive effects, stress management & coping aids.
Paper Introduction:
Outline
Thesis: Learning to cope effectively with stress in the workplace enables individuals to use their stress in ways which are beneficial rather than detrimental.
I. Introduction
A. Stress: What is it?
B. Stress in the workplace.
C. Major changes contributing to today's workplace stress.
II. Negative aspects of stress.
A. Mental illnesses related to stress.
B. Physical problems related to stress.
C. Substance abuse related to stress.
III. Positive aspects of stress.
A. Productivity related to stress.
Text of the Paper:
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As damagingas these mental conditions are, stress can also cause effects which areeven worse. Summary and conclusion. In this regard, there are many coping techniques formanaging stress which the employee may use, including relaxation, exercise,and nutrition, among others. In order for occupational stress to beused in positive ways, the employee must have a healthy attitude towardstress in general. C. For example, it is appropriate if there is an actualdanger in the environment. 229). Exercise has shown to be effective in reducing stress because ithelps people to release the tension which they feel as a result of theirfight-or-flight responses. R. Furthermore, excessive stress may lead tostomach problems such as heartburn, nervous indigestion, bloating, orulcers (Executive Health Examiners, 1983, p. Infact, as noted by the psychologist Albert J. However, if the fight-or-flight reaction occursat inappropriate times, the result is a physical or mental reaction withinthe body. These characteristics make inappropriatefight-or-flight reactions more common in Type A people than in otherpeople. C. 83). 141). New York: G. P.Putnam's Sons.----------------------- 12 Thus, a personmay learn to cope with stress by seeing work and responsibilities in apositive rather than a negative light. D. However, this extreme situation will not occur if people knowhow to cope with stress. Other treatments and therapy.V. Hanson (1989) in hismotivational books which offer ways to use stress for achieving businesssuccess. 17). Although stress in the workplace has many potentially damagingeffects, recent studies have shown that it also has the potential for beinga great benefit on the job as well. 13). Stroebel, C. At the sametime, however, recent studies have shown that stress in the workplace canalso be used in positive ways which are not damaging to one's health. Stress has also been known tocause muscle pain and back pain. The fact that proper exercisehelps people to release their feelings of tension has been supported byscientific research. Proper exercise program. In this regard, "many studies have established thatphysical activity is one of the best antidotes for mental and emotionaltensions; that it is difficult, if not impossible, to remain tense duringvigorous activity" (Executive Health Examiners, 1983, pp. Personalized stress management: A manual for everydaylife and work. G. In most cases, people can train themselves to dealwith their own feelings of stress in the workplace. For example, interactions withclients, employers, and co-workers can all be possible sources for feelingsof stress in the workplace. Biofeedback involves the use of a machine whichregisters the levels of tension within the human body. Furthermore, it can be seenthat stress may often serve as a motivating factor by getting people moreexcited about their work through the "fighting" part of the fight-or-flightresponse. New York: Viking Penguin. 18). In Hanson's view, it is not only possible to deal with stresspositively; it is also possible "to use the existing stress in your life tobring out the best in ourself" (p. Thus, as noted the medicaladviser Dr. Robert B. Major changes contributing to today's workplace stress.II. Thus, it can be seen that learning tocope effectively with stress. In fact, stress can be seen as being anormal aspect of the working day, because all people must deal withproblems of one sort or another at their jobs. A studyconducted by Holmes and Rahe in the 196 's gave strong evidence to supportthe relationship between environmental change and stress. Another way in whichstress on the job can have a negative impact is by encouraging substanceabuse among certain individuals. Winter, Editor.New York: McGraw-Hill. Stress: What is it? In this way, it can be seen thatincreased productivity may come about through taking a positive attitudetoward stress. 1 ). C. Despite the effectiveness of psychotherapy, however, it can be seenthat the best methods of all for reducing stress in the workplace are thosein which the employees learn to control their own behaviors. Stress in the workplace can have serious detrimental effects on anemployee's mental and physical well-being. Aerobic exercises, such as running, walking, cycling, andswimming, help people to release tensions and reduce stress because theyincrease both the pace of breathing and the heart rate (p. However, the reason whystress occurs is not directly due to the stressors themselves. 22). Executive HealthExaminers. Hanson, P. 142). Stress may be defined as "the response within our bodies that occurswhen some kind of external event 'threatens' us" (Complete manual offitness and well-being, 1984, p. 62). Thisprocess is known as coping" (p. 2 9). In this regard, workplace stressors are generallydivided into those which are "job-related" and those which are "within theindividual" (Executive Health Examiners, 1983, p. Stress in the workplace. Two modern methods for learning to relax can beseen in the techniques of self-hypnosis and biofeedback. References Bernstein, A. Hanson, "inmost cases, the precipitating cause of substance abuse is related tostress; either too much or too little" (Hanson, 1989, p. Otherexercises, such as weight-lifting, stretching, yoga, and traditionalcalisthenics, have also been found effective in reducing stress. Nutrition and weight control are two other factors which have beenfound effective in reducing stress in the workplace. In addition, workplace stress may cause a person to become ahypochondriac who is always imagining illnesses and taking inappropriatemedications to deal with them (Complete Manual, 1984, p. Meditation generally involves the regulation ofone's breathing and as such it helps people to become calm, centered andfocused. (1984). 241). Productivity related to stress. Arnot,Special Advisor. (1983). 25). Studies have shown thatpsychotherapy is particularly efficient in relieving feelings of stress.In this regard, it has been noted that "short-term psychotherapy,consisting of 1 to 15 counseling sessions and sometimes even fewer, oftenhelps during a particularly difficult stress or an emotional situation"(Executive Health Examiners, 1983, p. Thus, exercise "can serve as an outletfor the indirect expression of emotions, and can aid in the relaxation ofspecific muscles and muscle groups that are tense from prolonged andunresolved stress" (Gill, 1983, p. Using this type of attitude when dealing with problems canmake stressful reactions not occur in the first place. in the workplace enables individuals to usetheir stress in ways which are beneficial rather than detrimental. 183-184). of all the employees in the workplace, the oneswho are most susceptible to stress are those who exhibit the "Type Apersonality." Type A people are "highly competitive, ambitious, andimpatient" (Gill, 1983, p. Inaddition, stress can lead to physical problems such as high blood pressure,heart disease, headaches, back pain, and stomach illnesses. Stress in the workplace can cause serious negative effects onemployees. Thetype of exercise which has proven to be the most helpful in reducing stressis aerobics. In those cases, drug treatments, counseling, orpsychotherapy may prove to be helpful where other techniques have failed.In particular, counseling and psychotherapy provide people withopportunities to talk about their problems and to thereby release some ofthe tensions they feel relating to those problems. Through the use of such techniques, theworker may overcome the problems related to stress and thereby become moremotivated and productive on the job. Thus, in the more extreme cases of stress, a person mayexperience phobias or obsessions which "totally disrupt a normal way oflife" (p. Some changes which may result inworkplace stress include the loss of one's job, relocation, or changeswithin the business itself. This idea is noted by Peter G. Self-hypnosisinvolves the use of repeated phrases. J., & Rozen, S. In addition, exercise has the effect of helpingto relax the muscles of the body. Nutrition and weight control. Dinosaur brains: Dealingwith all those impossible people at work. 141). This type of repetition, like thecontrolled breathing in meditation, has been found to be very relaxing andthereby stress-reducing. Because of these physical reactions, stress may lead tohigh blood pressure or heart disease. B. Therefore, it is evident that there are many ways in which stress canactually have a positive impact on the workplace. Positive aspects of stress. 21). This fact istrue in the workplace just as it is in all aspects of a person's life. Physical problems related to stress. Stress management and coping aids. There have been various other major changes intoday's workplace which have contributed to an increase in stress. 11). People generally accomplish great things becausethey perceive the need to solve a particular problem. Forexample, stress can be reduced through the maintenance of a proper exerciseprogram. In fact, thoseresearchers came up with a "Life Change Scale," which rates the changesthat might occur in a person's life according to the amount of stresscaused by each (Gill, 1983, p. According to Stroebel, the Quieting Reflex, or QR, "isa simple, six-second technique that prevents the fight-or-flight responsefrom being activated except when it is appropriate and thus can prevent orreverse illnesses brought on by continual inappropriate activation of theemergency response" (Stroebel, 1982, p. According to Bernstein and Rozen (1989), "overtime, it's possible to learn to lower your response to stress. 35). For example, a person can learn to"think of setbacks as challenges instead of disasters" (Bernstein & Rozen,1989, p. Thus, the behavior which is associated with the Type A personalitycontributes to an increased likelihood of stress. B. One such relaxation technique, f or example,involves the systematic tightening and relaxing of one's muscles (CompleteManual, 1984, p. As noted by the Canadian medical consultant Peter G. (1982). There are also various physical problems which are relatedto stress in the workplace. Infact, according to a report published by Executive Health Examiners (1983),"change has been called the most ubiquitous stressor in the work setting"(p. Gill, J. However, there mayalso be more extreme cases in which stressful individuals will needprofessional help. In addition, changes intraditional values, changes in economic conditions, and changes in theearth's environment all have the potential for creating stress on the jobfor various individuals who are sensitive to such changes (p. A. New York: John Wiley and Sons,1989. E. Outline Thesis: Learning to cope effectively with stress in the workplaceenables individuals to use their stress in ways which are beneficial ratherthan detrimental.I. Thus, anemployee who is overly stressed on the job may turn to drugs or alcohol inorder to escape from their problems. People who areunable to cope effectively with stress on the job may become overly anxiousor depressed. Researchers have discovered that one of the primary causes for stressis unexpected change in one's environment. B. Whenever a threatening event occurs in aperson's environment, that person's body automatically reacts by eitherpreparing to fight the problem or run away from it. There are a variety of coping techniques whichcan help an employee deal with stress in a healthy and positive way. This physical or mental reaction results in a negative form ofstress which is detrimental to maintaining productivity within theworkplace. Stress in the workplace can also be alleviated through the use oftechniques for relaxation and meditation. 3 ). A. However, this will not occur asfrequently if the employees are able to learn ways to cope with theirnatural fight-or-flight responses in the face of stressful situations. (1989). A. In addition, it may cause varioustypes of headaches to occur, including muscle-tension headaches andmigraine headaches (Stroebel, 1982, p. 144). A person using abiofeedback machine can learn to make his or her body correspond to thelevels on the machine which indicate a calm, stress-free state of being.Thus, it too has the potential f or training people to control their ownfeelings of stress on the job. (1989). In fact, some researchers feel thatsubstance abuse in the workplace is primarily due to factors of job-relatedstress. San Jose: Counseling and Consulting Services Publications. Infact, as this paper has shown, there are many ways in which stress can beused positively in the workplace. 228). Negative aspects of stress. Substance abuse related to stress.III. 235). Bernstein, stress on the job,like exercise, can actually be "beneficial psychologically and physically"(Bernstein & Rozen, 1989, p. Stress for success: How to make stress on thejob work for you. The authors of the Executive Health Examiners report also pointout that stress can result either from actual change within theenvironment, or from the mere expectation of change ( p. B. In this regard, it has been claimed that stress may even"account for a lot that gets accomplished in the world" (Executive HealthExaminers, 1983, p. R. 11). The best way for people to learn howto cope with stress on the job is through the use of stress managementtechniques and coping aids. A simpleshift in one's attitude can be helpful in reducing stress. In particular, stress is a known factor incausing many forms of physical illness and disease. on the other hand, a person who isbored at work may turn to drugs or alcohol in order to seek additionalstimulation. Coping with executive stress. 66). There are many stressors, or causes of stress, which can be found inthe workplace itself. QR: The quieting reflex. It may lead to mental andemotional problems such as anxiety, depression, and hypochondria. Weight control is important in the reduction ofstress because it reduces the chances of heart disease from occurring incases of extreme stress. F. A balanced diet isimportant for learning to cope with stress because it provides the energywhich people need in order to function properly in their day-to-day lives(Gill, 1983, p. As in the case of physicalexercise, relaxation techniques help reduce stress by relieving people oftheir feelings of tension. 46). Arnot, "any change that upsets our accustomed patternof life can cause stress" (Complete Manual, 1984, p. The reason for thisoccurring is the fact that the fight-or-flight response in stress "createspotentially harmful changes, such as increased heart and breathing rates,overworked adrenal glands, tense muscles, and so forth" (Bernstein & Rozen,1989, p. Mental illnesses related to stress. 1 ). 188). The things in the environment whichcause stressful reactions are known as stressors. L. Stroebel I s "QuietingReflex" technique. Theexistence of stress in the workplace may have a negative impact on themental and physical health of employees. 24 ). Other beneficial influences of stress.IV. For example, there are a variety of mental and emotionalillnesses which can be brought about by excessive stress. In addition, there are morepotential stressors in the work environment now than ever before. The nature of aproblem is to cause stress; however, such stress in turn serves as thestimulus for solving the problem. In this regard, there are variousmethods today which people may use for coping with stress and therebyturning it into a beneficial aspect of work rather than a detriment. As noted by Charles F.Stroebel (1982), professor at the University of Connecticut School ofMedicine, there are times in which this fight-or-flight reaction isappropriate (p. The complete manual of fitness and well-being. C. Introduction A. Yet another modern method for relaxing andreleasing stress can be seen in Dr. Charles F. Fortunately, Type Apeople, like all people, can learn to cope more effectively with stress inthe workplace and thereby attain higher levels of both productivity and jobsatisfaction. Rather,stress occurs because of the way in which a person reacts to thosestressors. Of course, there arecases in which stress may get out of hand and cause physical or mentalillnesses. Forexample, the introduction of computers and other technologies has causedstress in many workers who have had difficulty in adapting to them(Executive Health Examiners, 1983, p. In this way, it also aids in releasing built-up tensions withinthe body and the mind. The work itself canbe a cause of stress if it is too hard or if it requires too many demandsfrom the employee. Relaxation and meditation. B. 2 1). On the other hand, the individual may also be the causeof stress if that individual lacks self-esteem or has difficulties inrelations with others on the job (p. Specifically, stress is the result of what is known as the"fight-or-flight" response. New York: Doubleday. In terms of stress reduction, proper nutritionand weight control are related to exercise, because being strong andhealthy in general makes a person better able to cope with stressful eventswhen they do occur. As a result of thechanges which have taken place in modern times, stress in the workplace ismore commonplace now than ever before.
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