Is Stress Always Bad?
Stress is an essential part of our life. No one can live without stress. Stress can be beneficial as well as harmful. Stress as a positive influence adds excitement and hope while as a negative influence it can result in destructive feelings, anger, and depression. Although the general orientation to stress is to consider unfavorable outcomes, yet one must have observed that stress experiences may also facilitate the development of effective and varied coping behavior, increased personal resources, and lead to a sense of competence in development. Stress at a moderate level is not only inevitable but may be useful for physical and mental well-being.
Beneficial Stress
It may be mentioned here that stress is not necessarily bad in itself; it has a positive value. It offers an opportunity for potential gain. Stress in a positive context induces employees to rise to the occasion and perform at their best.
Beneficial stress is called as "Eustress." It can motivate to attain goals, perform better and complete tasks. Eustress arises from situations that are inspiring, exciting, or enjoyable such as getting a gift, passing with good grades, getting a trophy, etc. An event that causes constant worry to one can be a very useful challenge to another. When we are under stress, our awareness, our senses, and our mind are sharpened. We know many people who work best under stress because they do not permit stress to create anxiety in them.
Harmful Stress
Harmful or negative stress is called "Distress." Generally speaking, people refer to distress when they talk about stress. Distress can lead to physical or psychological overload (breakdown) if it continues for long. Distress can arise in various situations like accidents, financial loss, loss of parents, failure in examinations, etc. It can lead to health problems. Let us take an example.
Both eustress and distress can be acute (one time only) or chronic (repeated over time). A sudden noise of a fire alarm can produce acute distress while living in a noisy industrial locality can lead to chronic distress which can be accompanied by physical and emotional problems. Stress at work and job stress is a chronic disease caused by conditions in the workplace that negatively affect an employee's performance and his health. Work-related stress in the life of organized workers consequently affects the health of the organization.
Performance & Low Stress
Stress arises when we have to work beyond our capacity. It helps us perform better and achieve our goals. If one is not under enough stress, one may find that the performance suffers because one is bored and unmotivated. There exists a relationship between stress and the quality of performance. If the level of stress is low, individuals may find that their performance is low because they are bored, lack concentration and motivation.
Performance & High Stress
However, if one is under too much stress, they may find that their performance is adversely affected. It is excessive stress that leads to maladjusted behavior among them. If the stress is too high, their performance can suffer from all the symptoms of short-term stress reactions. If not managed properly, it can lead to poor performance, bad health, and conditions like depression and suicides. You must have realized this in many situations in your life that stress, after a limit, causes irritability, tiredness, and exhaustion.
Optimum Stress Levels
It is essential to understand the importance of optimum stress levels and individuals must recognize that they are responsible for their own stress; they should learn to monitor their stress levels, and adjust them according to the need of the hour. By managing stress effectively one can significantly improve the quality of one’s own lives. Stress for them will be pleasurable when it is seen as a challenge that calls for their new-found energy and their skill.
It is very much like the stress on a sitar string. Not enough produces a dull, harsh sound. Too much makes a shrill, annoying noise, or causes the string to snap. However, just the right degree can create magnificent tones. The zone of best performance is when there is a moderate level of stress. If the individual is at an optimum level, one will be sufficiently aroused to perform well without being over-stressed and unhappy.
Negative Implications for the Organization
Negative implications of stress for the organization may be identified as under:
- Poor performance resulting in a fall in the quality and quantity of work
- Absenteeism at work
- The negative fallout of business.
- Increase in social tensions
- Resistance to social change
- Withdrawal from normal social networks
- Deterioration in morale
- Hurdles in effective communications
- Irrational judgments about others
- Sense of distrust and alienation.
- Poor decision making and its implementation
- Accidents in workplaces
- Loss of potential human resources
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