Stress meaning

STRESS - MEANING

Stress is a biological term which refers to the consequences of the failure of a human or animal to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats to the organism, whether actual or imagined.^[1] It includes a state of alarm and adrenaline production, short-term resistance as a coping mechanism, and exhaustion. Common stress symptoms include irritability, muscular tension, inability to concentrate and a variety of physical reactions, such as headaches and elevated heart rate.

The force, or combination of forces, which produces a strain; force exerted in any direction or manner between contiguous bodies, or parts of bodies, and taking specific names according to its direction, or mode of action, as thrust or pressure, pull or tension, shear or tangential stress.

Stress in Psychological Term:

(psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense; "he suffered from fatigue and emotional tension"; "stress is a vasoconstrictor"

CAUSES OF STRESS

The situations and pressures that cause stress are known as stressors. We usually think of stressors as being negative, such as an exhausting work schedule or a rocky relationship.

However, anything that puts high demands on you or forces you to adjust can be stressful. This includes positive events such as getting married, buying a house, going to college, or receiving a promotion.

What causes stress depends, at least in part, on your perception of it. Something that's stressful to you may not faze someone else; they may even enjoy it.

For example, your morning commute may make you anxious and tense because you worry that traffic will make you late. Others, however, may find the trip relaxing because they allow more than enough time and enjoy listening to music while they drive.

Top Ten Stressful Life Events

1. Spouse’s death
2. Divorce
3. Marriage separation
4. Jail term
5. Death of a close relative
6. Injury or illness
7. Marriage
8. Fired from job
9. Marriage reconciliation
10. Retirement

Common external causes of stress

Not all stress is caused by external factors. Stress can also be self-generated:

Major life changes Work Relationship difficulties

Financial problems Being too busy Children and family

Common internal causes of stress

Not all stress is caused by external factors. Stress can also be self-generated:

Inability to accept uncertainty Pessimism Negative self-talk

Unrealistic expectations Perfectionism Lack of assertiveness

Stress Warning Signs and Symptoms

Cognitive Symptoms	Emotional Symptoms
Memory problems Inability to concentrate Poor judgment Seeing only the negative Anxious or racing thoughts Constant worrying	Moodiness Irritability or short temper Agitation, inability to relax Feeling overwhelmed Sense of loneliness and isolation Depression or general unhappiness
Physical Symptoms	Behavioral Symptoms
Aches and pains Diarrhea or constipation Nausea, dizziness Chest pain, rapid heartbeat Loss of sex drive Frequent colds	Eating more or less Sleeping too much or too little Isolating yourself from others Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing)

Dealing with stress and its symptoms

Learn how to manage stress

Strengthen your relationships

Learn how to relax

Invest in your emotional health

WORK RELATED STRESS

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 a threat to physical health. Work related stress in the life of organized workers, consequently, affects the health of organizations

Job stress is a chronic disease caused by conditions in the workplace that negatively affect an individual`s 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 employee`s 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 person`s health degenerates.

SYMPTOMS OF JOB STRESS:

The signs of job stress vary from person to person, depending on the particular situation, how long the individual has been subjected to the stressors, and the intensity of the stress itself.

Typical symptoms of job stress can be:

• Insomnia

•Loss of mental concentration,

•Anxiety, stress

• Absenteeism

• Depression,

• Substance abuse,

•Extreme anger and frustration,

• Family conflict

• Physical illnesses such as heart disease, migraine, headaches, stomach problems, and back problems.

Causes of Workplace Stress

Job stress may be caused by a complex set of reasons. Some of the most visible causes of workplace stress are:

Job Insecurity

High Demand for Performance

Technology

Workplace Culture

Personal or Family Problems

Job Stress and Women

Individual Stress

Linked to Adolescent

The five factors used to determine the individual stressor index for the adolescents were:

Academic problems

Consumption of drugs and alcohol

Depression or poor mental health levels

Acting out or aggressive behaviors

Lack of future orientation

How to Reduce Stress

The reasons for stress are with us each and every day of our lives, so our stress relieving solutions should be too. So, here are some recommended suggestions to help us relieve stress that should be done periodically even if you do not think it is necessary.

• First, each day take some time for yourself. I know this may seem impossible with a busy schedule, but the problem is a continuously busy schedule. Learn how to do less if your schedule is packed each and every day. If you collapse exhausted in bed each and every day, then this suggestion is for you.

I personally try to take an hour before going to bed to decompress. I either watch a relaxing television show (not one of those attention getting drama shows), solve a crossword puzzle, or play computer games.

• Second, at the end of the day in bed or when you are brushing your teeth, consciously think how you felt throughout the day and why. Think what you will do differently next time, and not what you should have done differently.
• Third, at least once a week, meet up with your friends and laugh a bit. I find that relaxing with friends over a long lunch reduces stress considerably. And laughing is a quick and easy way to relax and reduce stress immediately. I think we all need to laugh more in our daily lives.
• Fourth, when you find yourself stressed out, stop and take a few slow deep breaths. This will help you relax and put things into perspective. You should notice that you will then be able to think about whatever caused you so much stress with less stress.
• Fifth and most hardest, is take periodic and regular time off from your most stressful activity. If it is your work, take off work early and go walking or to go to a park for an hour or so. We never realize how much we are really stressed out, until we break out of our regular schedule and do something relaxing. Even if you love your work or family, slightly varying your routine with something relaxing will greatly reduce stress.
• Sixth, sleep. It is estimated that a typical adult needs an average of 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. However, a lot of us function with a lot less hours of sleep, yet this is one of the fundamental foundations of stress. Getting not enough sleep, makes people much more stressed out even for the most trivial activities. So, take a nap and sleep more.
• Seventh, exercise. Exercise has proven to help both the body and mind relax, yet few of us exercise. I am definitely guilty of this because I do not make enough time to exercise, so who am I to say how exercise helps handling stress? Try it and let me know.
• Finally, your diet can affect stress. A healthy diet allows the body and mind to cope with stress better. Additionally, decreasing stimulants, such as caffeine and sugar, has been proven reduce stress too. So when we are stressed out, avoid junk food and eat healthy foods. The foods that we were taught are “comfort foods” are actually quite the opposite.

Burn out

Burnout is a psychological term for the experience of long-term exhaustion and diminished interest. Research indicates general practitioners have the highest proportion of burnout cases (according to a recent Dutch study in Psychological Reports, no less than 40% of these experienced high levels of burnout). Burnout is not a recognized disorder in the DSM

Burnout - An Introduction

Burnout happens when people who have previously been highly committed to a job lose all interest and motivation. Sadly, this can spell the end of a successful career.

It mainly strikes highly-committed, passionate, hard working and successful people – and it therefore holds a special fear for those who care passionately about their careers and about the work they do.

“A state of fatigue or frustration brought about by devotion to a cause, way of life, or relationship that failed to produce the expected reward.” – Herbert J Freudenberger

PHASES

Psychologists Herbert Freudenberger and Gail North have theorized that the burnout process can be divided into 12 phases, which are not necessarily followed sequentially:

A compulsion to prove oneself

Working harder

Neglecting one's own needs

Displacement of conflicts (the person does not realize the root cause of the distress)

Revision of values (friends or hobbies are completely dismissed)

Denial of emerging problems (cynicism and aggression become apparent)

Withdrawal (reducing social contacts to a minimum, becoming walled off; alcohol or other substance abuse may occur)

Behavioral changes become obvious to others

Inner emptiness

Depression

Burnout syndrome

COPING WITH BURNOUT

There are a variety of ways that both individuals and organizations can deal with burnout. In his book, Newton (1995) argues that many of the remedies related to burnout are motivated not from an employee's perspective, but from the organization's perspective. Despite that, if there are benefits to coping strategies, then it would follow that both organizations and individuals should attempt to adopt some burnout coping strategies. Below are some of the more common strategies with dealing with burnout.

Organizational aspects

Employee assistance programs (EAP)

Stress management training

Stress interventions

Individual aspects

Problem-based coping

On an individual basis, employees can cope with the problems related to burnout and stress by focusing on the causes of their stress. This type of coping has successfully been linked to reductions in individual stress.

Appraisal-based coping

Appraisal-based coping strategies deal with individual interpretations of what is and is not a stress inducing activity. There have been mixed findings related to the effectiveness of appraisal-based coping strategies.

Social support

Social support has been seen as one of the largest predictors toward a reduction in burnout and stress for workers. Creating an organizationally-supportive environment as well as ensuring that employees have supportive work environments do mediate the negative aspects of burnout and stress.