STRESS MANAGEMENT MEANING OF STRESS: Stress is our natural way of responding to the demands of our ever-changing world.

Although we all experience change and demands regularly, the way that we interpret these internal and external changes directly affects the degree to which we feel stress. As a result, not all individuals interpret the same events as stressful; what may seem stressful to you may not be the same for your best friend, and vice versa. Stress can be a result of both positive and negative experiences, and it is a necessary part of our daily lives. From an evolutionary standpoint stress was necessary for survival (i.e., imagine hunting large prey on which ones entire tribe is dependent) and some stress continues to be a helpful part of our modern lives since it motivates us to accomplish tasks or make needed changes. We all feel the pressure of our environment during times of transition (i.e., at the time of high school graduation) and in preparation for significant life events (i.e., in anticipation of a job interview). Although response to stress is often adaptive (i.e., feeling stress before an exam may be a critical motivator in studying for it), too much stress or an inability to cope with it can cause negative emotional and physical symptoms, including, but not limited to, anxiety, irritability, and increased heart rate. Researchers define stress as a physical, mental, or emotional response to events that causes bodily or mental tension. Simply put, stress is any outside force or event that has an effect on our body or mind.

Types of stress. Depending on the stressors and the types of changes or events we are dealing with, stress can manifest itself physically, emotionally and/or mentally.

Physical this occurs when the body as a whole starts to suffer as a result of a stressful situation. Symptoms can manifest in a variety of ways and vary in their seriousness. The most common physical symptom is headaches because stress causes people to unconsciously tense their neck, forehead and shoulder muscles. However long-term stress can lead to digestive problems including ulcers, insomnia, fatigue, high blood pressure, nervousness and excessive sweating, heart disease, strokes and even hair loss. Emotional these responses are due to stress affecting the mind and include anxiety, anger, depression, irritability, frustration, over-reaction to everyday problems, memory loss and a lack of concentration for any task. Anxiety is normally shown as a response to loss, failure, danger or a fear of the unknown. Anger is a common response to frustration or social stress and can become a danger to other individuals if not kept in check. Depression is frequently seen as an emotional response to upsetting situations such as the death of a loved one, illness and failure. Psychological long-term stress can cause psychological problems in some individuals. Symptoms include withdrawal from society, phobias, compulsive behaviors, eating disorders and night terrors.

DEFINITION: Stress is a scientific concept which has suffered from the mixed blessing of being too well known and too little understood. Stress versus Distress: Although some stress is a natural and inevitable part of our lives, feeling burdened or unable to cope can be problematic and can seriously affect your mental and physical well-being.3 constantly being exposed to stressful situations can be over-stimulating and if we are constantly feeling stressed, we may begin to feel unable to manage the problems at hand. In order to avoid situations in which we feel overloaded, we must first identify

what stresses us, what our threshold for stress is, and how we can most effectively manage stressful situations. MEASUREMENT OF STRESS While in the west a number of instruments have been developed to measure stress, in the context of India two measures have been developed by Indian researchers and have been extensively used in research on stress in India. They are briefly discussed below: Organizational role stress. Occupational stress index. Organizational role stress: Developed by pareek(1983)this instrument is based on one of the key concepts to understand the integration of the individual with an organisation,that is, the role assigned to him/her within the overall structure of the organisation.it is through this role that the individual interacts and gets integrated with the system. An organization can be defined as system of roles, where role has been defined by the expectations various significant persons, including himself/herself, have from that position. From the point of view of an individual, two role systems are importent:role space and role set. ROLE SPACE: each individual occupies and plays several roles simentanesouly.a person be a son, after, an executive, a member of club and so on, at the same time all these roles constitute role space. role space can be defined as the dynamic interrelationship between the self and the various roles an individual occupies. ROLE SET: The individual role in the organization is defined by the expectations of other significant roles , and those of the individuals himself /herself .thus the role set is the pattern of relationship between the role being considered and the other roles. Occupational stress index: Another instrument to measure stress is the occupational stress index which was constructed and standardized by srivastava and Singh(1981).this instrument consist of 46

items covering all the relevant components of job life which might cause stress in one way or another . the twelve occupational stresses ,as measured by this scale are: Role overload Role ambiguity Role conflict Group and political pressures Responsibility for persons Under participation Powerlessness Poor peer relations Intrinsic improvement Low status Strenuous working conditions Unprofitability EFFECTS OF STRESS Generally, stress is considered to be negative, thereby meaning that it as negative consequences. However, Stress has neutral connotation: it is only he degree of stress which produce positive or negative consequences. From his point if view stress can be classified as eustress or distress. Eustress. It denotes the presence of optimum level of stress in an individual which contributes positively to his performance. This may lead employees to new and better way of doing their jobs. In certain jobs such as sales, creativity (journalism). Distress. It denotes the presence of high level of stress in an individual which effects job performance adversely and certain many types of physical, psychology and behavioral problems.

CONCEPT OF STRESS MANAGEMENT: The term stress and management are related to each other management in compasses a wide variety of activities to achieve a goal. The concept of stress is taken from natural science it is a force which acts on body to produce strain an psychology stress is some interaction between him/her with environment. An individual is exposed to various stressful conditions all the time Stress is a subject, which need to be managed The concept of "stress" be emphasized in its dynamic, rather than static contract. The environment of the individual is continuously changing and he has therefore to under go a continuous process of adjustment so as to remove stress. Stress in an adaptive response to a situation that challenging or retaining to the person. INTRODUCTION: The origin of his concept of stress predates antiquity. Derived from the Latin word stringere, stress was popularly used in the seventeenth century to mean hardship, strain,adverslity, or afflicton.it was used in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to denote force, pressure ,strain, or strong efforts with reference to an object or person. Modern world is a world of stress, right from the time of birth till death an individual is invariblyexposed to various stressful situations Stress is a phenomenon that we are all familiar with. Reports, articles and news stories bombard us with news about the increased stress in our daily life and warn us of the dangers of long-term stress. Although most of us experience some kind of stress on a daily basis (even if its only from something like burning the dinner), few may actually know Stress is our physical, mental, and emotional response to the various demands, changes, and events in our life. In some cases, stress motivates and encourages us to complete a task we find difficult so that we can take pride in ourselves and what we achieve. In an ideal world, we would have just enough stress to keep us working to our full potential, but not enough to cause overwhelm or excessive anxiety. Too much or too little stress is where we run into problems.

Stress symptoms begin to manifest themselves when we perceive or feel that life demands are exceeding our ability to deal with them. When stress begins to take its toll, we may experience both physical and psychological effects. Stress management is a collection of skills, tools, and techniques that help you reduce, manage, and even counteract the negative side-effects of stress. There are four main strategies for stress management:

Change the stressors or environment causing your stress Change your direct response to these stressors Change your attitude and perceptions that affect your responses Take active steps to recover from stress It is important to realize that the stress you experience is your unique response

to a situation or event. For example, a change such as moving may not be stressful for you, but it could be stressful for your spouse, friend or coworker. Its actually not the stressor itself thats harmful, but rather how we respond to these stressors. Stress affects everyone differently. Some people are naturally good at stress management. Others, however, need a little help. The important thing to remember is that every one needs to find positive ways to cope with stressors and the effects of stress. Completing a project in time, preparing a complicated report, taking a final exam, and giving a formal speech are some situations where an individual may find himself under Stress. Any behavioral experts agree that stress is an individuals response to a physiological, psychological or emotional stimulus. Stress is a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that demands exceed the personal or social resources the individual is able to mobilize the word Stress is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as a state of affair involving demand on physical or mental energy. Stress is the reaction of the body and mind to change. Things that cause stress are called Stressors. They can be internal or external. Internal Stressors are the feelings that cause stress. External stressors are things outside a person that cause stress.

Most of the organizations are aware that employee stress is an increasing problem in organizations. Stress is the wear and tear of our bodies as we adjust to our continually changing environment: it has physical and emotion effects on us and can create positive or negative feelings As a negative influence, it can result in feelings of distrust, rejection, anger, and depressions, which in turn can lead to health problems such as headaches, upset stomach, rashes, insomnia, ulcers high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. With a depth of loved one, the birth of a child, job promotion, or a new relationship, we experience stress as we readjust our lives. In so adjusting to different circumstances, stress will help us depending on how we react to it. There are several signs and symptoms that you may notice when you are experiencing stress. These signs and symptoms fall into your categories: feelings, thoughts, behavior and physiology. What happens when a person or employee is under stress? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. The person feels fatigued. The person is anxious. The person is dissatisfied with his or her job. The persons job commitment has dropped off. The person feels moody. The person feels guilty. The person is having difficulty concentrating: he or she tends to forget the The person undergoes physiological changes such as increased blood

things. pressure and hears beat. IMPORTANCE OF STRESS: Modern organizations are full of stress. It is not possible to an individual to reach his target unless he or she controls stress. Stress management is so useful to every employee and the organizations for avoiding the stress. Not only the individual, it is the responsibility of the organization to help them in getting out of stress. There is no escape from stress I modern life. Stress management provides some techniques and strategies to help an individual in difficult situations in order to feel better. So the use of stress

management increasing rapidly present competitive world. The main use of stress management is, to improve the behavioral skills of employee. Stress management Plays a very important role in present scenario. In the present job market there are many factors that are causing stress to an individual. Some of such factors are Job insecurity High demand for performance Technology Workplace culture Personal and family problems Due to these factors, the employees are not able to perform their job according to the standards of the company. When such problems arises,the company cannot succeed in its operations. Hence stress management should be studied and the factors causing stress are to be identified to the core so that the employees would perform their tasks in a perfect manner. Origin and Terminology: The term stress was first employed in a biological context by the endocrinologist Hans Selye in the 1930s. He later broadened and popularized the concept to include inappropriate physiological response to any demand. In his usage stress refers to a condition and stressor to the stimulus causing it. It covers a wide range of phenomena, from mild irritation to drastic dysfunction that may cause severe health breakdown. Signs of stress may be cognitive, emotional, physical or behavioral. Signs include poor judgment, a general negative outlook, excessive worrying, moodiness, irritability, agitation, inability to relax, feeling lonely, isolated or depressed, aches and pains, diarrhea or constipation, nausea, dizziness, chest pain, rapid heartbeat, eating too much or not enough, sleeping too much or not enough, social withdrawal, procrastination or neglect of responsibilities, increased alcohol, nicotine or drug consumption, and nervous habits such as pacing about or nail-biting

Description:
Stress in humans results from interactions between persons and their environment that are perceived as straining or exceeding their adaptive capacities and threatening their well-being. The element of perception indicates that human stress responses reflect differences in personality, as well as differences in physical strength or general health. Risk factors for stress-related illnesses are a mix of personal, interpersonal, and social variables. These factors include lack or loss of control over one's physical environment, and lack or loss of social support networks. People who are dependent on others (e.g., children or the elderly) or who are socially disadvantaged (because of race, gender, educational level, or similar factors) are at greater risk of developing stressrelated illnesses. Other risk factors include feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, extreme fear or anger, and cynicism or distrust of others.

STRESS MANAGEMENT AT PRESENT SCENARIO

INTRODUCTION: Stress, stressors, eustress, distress, good stress, bad stress - it can be confusing and downright stressful to understand what stress is all about. As Hans Selye, the noted stress researcher, once said, Stress is a scientific concept which has suffered from the mixed blessing of being too well known and too little understood. Coming up with an accepted definition of stress is not easy. Nurses and physicians, psychologists, biologists, engineers, and students may each have a different meaning in mind when they talk about stress. One useful definition of stress is stress is a demand made upon the adaptive capacities of the mind and body. This definition helps us understand three important aspects of stress: Stress depends on your personal view of the stressor and can be both a positive and a negative factor in your life. It is your reaction to the events in life, rather than the actual events, that determine whether the outcome is positive or negative.

 Your capacities determine the results. Stress is a demand made upon the body's capacities. When your capacities for handling stress are strong and healthy, the outcome is positive. When you lack the ability to handle the demands, the outcome is negative.

STRESS AT WORK
INTRODUCTION:

Stress at work is a relatively new phenomenon of modern lifestyles. The nature of work has gone through drastic changes over the last century and it is still changing at whirlwind speed. They have touched almost all professions, starting from an artist to a surgeon, or a commercial pilot to a sales executive. With change comes stress, inevitably. Professional stress or job stress poses threat to physical affects, health. Work related stress in the health of organizations. Job stress is a chronic disease caused by conditions in the workplace that negatively affect an individuals performance and/or overall well-being of his body and mind. One or more of a host of physical and mental illnesses manifests job stress. In some cases, job stress can be disabling. In chronic cases a psychiatric consultation is usually required to validate the reason and degree of work related stress. Working on a project on stress at work, Andy Ellis, Ruskin College, Oxford, UK, has shown in a chart how stress can adversely affect an employees performance. In the early stages job stress can `rev up` the body and enhance performance in the workplace, thus the term `I perform better under pressure`. However, if this condition is allowed to go unchecked and the body is revved up further, the performance ultimately declines and the persons health degenerates. the life oforganizedworkers, consequently,

CAUSES OF STRESS
A lot of things can cause stress. Persons may feel stress when they go on a job interview, take a test, or run a race. These kinds of short-term stress are normal. Long-term (chronic) stress is caused by stressful situations or events that last over a long period of time, like problems at work or conflicts in your family. Over time, chronic stress can lead to severe health problems. Personal problems that can cause stress include: Persons health, especially if a person have a chronic illness such as disease, diabetes, or arthritis. Emotional problems, such as anger Person can't express, depression, grief, guilt, or low self-esteem. Persons relationships, such as having problems with their relationships or feeling a lack of friendships or support in your life. Major life changes, such as dealing with the death of a parent or spouse, losing their job, getting married, or moving to a new city. Stress in Persons family, such as having a child, teen, or other family member who is under stress, or being a caregiver to a family member who is elderly or who has health problems. Conflicts with Persons beliefs and values. People may value family life, but they may not be able to spend as much time with their family as they want. Social and job issues that can cause stress include: Persons surroundings. Living in an area where overcrowding, crime, pollution, or noise is a problem can create chronic stress. Persons job. Being unhappy with their work or finding their job too demanding can lead to chronic stress. Learn how to manage job stress. Persons social situation. Being poor, feeling lonely, or facing discrimination based on race. The causes of stress can include any event or occurrence that a person considers a threat to his or her coping strategies or resources. Researchers generally agree that a certain degree of stress is a normal part of a living organism's response to the

inevitable changes in its physical or social environment, and that positive as well as negative events can generate stress. Stress-related disease, however, results from excessive and prolonged demands on an organism's coping resources. It is now believed that 8090% of all disease is stressrelated. Recent research indicates that some vulnerability to stress is genetic. Scientists at the University of Wisconsin and King's College, London, discovered that people who inherited a short, or stress-sensitive, version of the serotonin transporter gene were almost three times as likely to experience depression following a stressful event as people with the long version of the gene. Further research is likely to identify other genes that affect susceptibility to stress. The symptoms of stress can be either physical and/or psychological. Stress-related physical illnesses, such as irritable bowel syndrome, heart attacks, and chronic headaches, result from long-term over stimulation of a part of the nervous system that regulates the heart rate, blood pressure, and digestive system. Stress-related emotional illness results from inadequate or inappropriate responses to major changes in one's life situation, such as marriage, completing one's education, the death of a loved one, divorce, becoming a parent, losing a job, or retirement. Psychiatrists sometimes use the term adjustment disorder to describe this type of illness. In the workplace, stress-related illness often takes the form of burnouta loss of interest in or ability to perform one's job due to long-term high stress levels. One cause of stress that has affected large sectors of the general population around the world since 2001 is terrorism. The events of September 11, 2001, the sniper shootings in Virginia and Maryland, the Bali nightclub bombing in 2002, and the suicide bombings in the Middle East in 2003 have all been shown to cause short-term symptoms of stress in people who read about them or watch television news reports as well as those who witnessed the actual events.

Stress related to terrorist attacks also appears to affect people in countries far from the location of the attack as well as those in the immediate vicinity. It is too soon to tell how stress related to episodes of terrorism will affect human health over long periods of time, but researchers Job stress