Overview of Stress Management

Stress is a product of the busyness of modern life. It has assumed grave dimensions ever since the emergence of industrialism. In fact, stress is a natural, ongoing, dynamic, and interactive process that takes place as people adjust to their environment. Stress can be brought about by positive or negative life events. Distress can cause disease and eustress or positive stress can promote wellbeing and increased productivity. Learn to recognize and be responsible for your stress, and learn the ways to manage stress.

Stress is Unavoidable

Tim Newton (1995) refers to stress as "an epidemic plaguing modernity". Stress has become so prevalent in the capitalist world that is almost unavoidable. Stress is an additive phenomenon. It builds up over time. Stress is quintessentially a problem that must be borne by management and those in senior positions, whether captains of industry or leaders of government.

It is important to monitor stress levels. In this section, we will provide you with tools to understand the ways in which employees are said to feel and cope with stress, analyze some of the coping strategies and finally learn how to become stress-free through a range of stress management techniques.

What is Stress

All of us experience stress at one or the other time. However, the type of response to it differs from person to person and also depends upon the situation and circumstances. In fact, it is a sum total of the number and nature of the stressor, the personality of the individual, and various other interrelated factors.

Stress can be defined as "Any physical or psychological event that is perceived as a threat to physical or emotional wellbeing (Oliver, 1999).

The "threat" mentioned here can be any factor or stimulus which is actual or perceived. Our body system responds to counteract the threat and this disturbs the normal equilibrium of the body. Our body tries to bring back the normal state of equilibrium once the threat is over. Scientists have found an increased level of a hormone called cortisol during stressed or agitated states and it is called "stress hormone."

Body's Reaction to Stress - Fight or Flight Response

Whenever a stressor is present, our body reacts to prevent the threat imposed on it. The stress hormone "cortisol" is secreted and it prepares us to challenge or escape the threat. When the body is challenged by a stressor, the body prepares itself for immediate action or response. This action is either Fight or Flight response. The physical changes in the body are the same both in the fight as well as a flight response.

Fight Response to Stress

Fight response is to attack and fight to defend one, is initiated by anger or aggression in defense of personal space or property. It usually results in confrontation or active combat or fight.

Flight Response to Stress

Flight response is to withdraw, run or hide to escape the threat, is triggered by fear, and results in fleeing and hiding.

General Adaptation Syndrome

The common effects on the body when stressor persists have been grouped by Hans Seyle as General Adaptation Syndrome. This has three stages:

1. Alarm reaction

The body quickly mobilizes the resources to deal with whatever is threatening. There is an increase in respiration, heart rate, and blood pressure. Pupils are dilated and there is sweating of the body.

2. Resistance

The body remains activated with its defense mechanisms fully at work to maintain the normal state of equilibrium. This stage persists till the stressor is removed, reduced or the next stage of exhaustion begins.

3. Exhaustion

Here the body cannot fulfill demands placed upon it. The fatigue or tiredness sets in. The responses which may have been helpful during the short term can now become damaging and cause substantial wear and tear in the body. If this stage continues, our immune system, which is responsible for fighting the diseases, is disrupted and the body is affected by diseases.

The individuality of Response to Stress

The response to stress is unique to each individual. The following factors influence the response of children and adolescents to stress:

1. Type of personality

There are different types of personality traits like shy or socially active, leader or follower, etc. most commonly, the personality types are classified into Type A(ambitious, competitive, aggressive, tense) and Type B ( easy-going, relaxed, rarely angered). Type A personality is associated with more stress and related diseases.

2. Experience

Past experience modifies the response to stressors

3. Genetics

We all have a different set of genes that control our body functions, actions, behavior, and similarly, our ability to respond to stress.

4. Culture and environment

The values, customs, and the environment we grow in, make us immune or vulnerable to stress. The cultural differences enable us to identify a stressor as meaningful or insignificant.

5. Personal Development

As we mature, we grab more information. However, certain physical and or mental inadequacies viz., eye/ear defects, etc. can affect this process. This can be modified by using hearing aids, Eyeglasses, or use of computers.

6. Mental and emotional state

Our ability to interpret a stressor is greatly influenced by our emotions and the state of our mind. A stressor is likely to cause more harm to a depressed person rather than a happy one.

As we have seen, the attitude, bringing up, experience, and situation and state of mind, all contribute to one's response to stress.

Signs and Symptoms of stress

Stress affects the individual in totality and the signals can be easily identified by others (the signs) or self (the symptoms). It should be remembered that not everyone experiences all of them and they may vary according to the mental state of the individual, nature, severity, and duration of stressor, and situations /circumstances.