Stress Management

Some organizations provide training to employees on stress management and Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Nearly half of the companies in USA are providing training to employees on ways to handle stress. These programs teach employees the causes and consequences of stress, the way to handle them and some relaxation exercises. These programs are able to alleviate some symptoms of stress, like sleep disturbances and anxiety.Some companies also provide counseling sessions to some employees who also have some personal problems.However, these benefits are short lived in nature as they do not strike the problem at the root, if the genesis of the problem lies somewhere in the work practices being followed by the organization.

• Stress management:

Employers should provide a stress-free work environment, recognize where stress is becoming a problem for staff, and take action to reduce stress.Stress in the workplace reduces productivity, increases management pressures, and makes people ill in many ways, evidence of which is still increasing. Workplace stress affects the performance of the brain, including functions of work performance: memory, concentration, and learning. In UK over 13 million working days are lost every year because of stress. Stress is believed to trigger 70% of visits to doctors, and 85% of serious illnesses. Stress at work also provides a serious risk of litigation for all employers and organizations, carrying significant liabilities for damages, bad  publicity and loss of reputation. Dealing with stress-related claims also consumes vast amounts of management time. So, there are clearly strong economic and financial reasons for organizations to manage and reduce stress at work, aside from the obvious humanitarian and ethical considerations. If you are suffering from stress yourself the stress management   guidelines here are just as relevant. See the workplace stress research crucifies below. Stress and stress management are directly related to personal Well-being and specifically to workplace well-being. See the separate article on workplace well being for a detailed explanation of well-being and its relevance to modern work and management.

• Quick stress reduction techniques:

If you are stressed, do one or all of these things, in whatever order that takes your fancy. These ideas can also be adapted for team development exercises. The key to  De-stressing in the moment is getting away from or removing you from the stress-or. Developing new habits which regularly remove you and distract you from stressors and stressful situations and pressures is essentially how to manage stress on a more permanent basis. In this modern world it is difficult if not impossible to change stressful situations. What we can do however is change and reduce our exposure to those stressful situations. These stress reduction ideas and techniques are based on that simple principle.These tips won't change the situation causing the stress, but they will, more importantly, enable you to change your reaction and relationship to the stressful situations. And in keeping with the tone of this stress tips section, and since color is regarded by many as a factor in affecting mood, the calming shade of green is used for the headings...

• Stress Causes:

Stress is caused by various factors- not all of which are work- related of course, (which incidentally doesn't reduce the employer's obligation to protect against the causes of stress at work). Causes of stress - known as stressors- are in two categories: external stressors and internal stressors.

• External Stressors:

Physical conditions such as heat or cold, stressful psychological environments such as working conditions and abusive relationship, eg, bullying.

• Internal Stressors:

Physical ailments such as infection or inflammation, or psychological problems such as worrying about something. From the above,it is easy to see that work can be a source of both external and internal stressors. Stressors are also described as either short-term (acute)or long- term (chronic):

• Stress effects on health and performance: 

Stress is proven beyond doubt to make people ill, and evidence is increasing as to number of ailments and diseases caused by stress. Stress is now known to contribute to heart disease, it causes hypertension and high blood pressure, and impairs the immune system. Stress is also linked to strokes, IBS ( irritable bowel syndrome), ulcers, diabetes, muscle and joint pain miscarriage during pregnancy, allergies, alopecia and even premature tooth loss.

• Signs Of Stress:

• Sleep difficulties
• loss of appetite 
• Poor concentration or poor memory retention
• Performance dip
• uncharacteristic errors or missed deadlines 
• anger or tantrums
• violent or anti-social behavior
• emotional outbursts
• alcohol or drug abuse
• nervous habits

Methods of Personal stress management and stress relief
If  you are suffering from work related stress and it's beginning to affect, or already affecting your health,  Stop to think:  why are you taking this risk with your body and mind ? Lives short enough as it is: illness is all around us: why make matters worse? Commit to change before one day change is forced upon you. If you recognize signs of stress in a staff member, especially if you are that person's manager, don't  ignore it do something about it. It is your duty to do so. If you do not feel capable of dealing with the situation, do not ignore it; you must refer it to someone who can deal with it. You must also look for signs of non-work related stressors or factors that increase susceptibility to stress, because these will make a person more vulnerable to work-related stressors. Successful stress management frequently relies on reducing stress susceptibility and removing the stresssors, and often factors will be both contributing to susceptibility and a direct cause.