Stress Management

What is Stress? Stress – the unconscious preparation to fight or flee that a person experiences when faced with any demand Stressor – the person or event that triggers the stress response Distress – the adverse psychological, physical, behavioral, and organizational consequences that may arise as a result of stressful events Strain – distress

The Stress Response Blood redirected from the skin and internal organs to brain and large muscles Increased alertness: improved vision, hearing, and other sensory responses Release of glucose and fatty acids for sustenance Depression of immune system, digestion, and similar restorative processes Release of chemical messengers, primarily adrenaline, into the bloodstream Sympathetic nervous system and the endocrine (hormone) system activated

Sources of Stress at Work

Stress Sources at Work

Stress Benefits and Costs

Distress Individual problems Behavioral Medical Psychological Organizational costs Direct Indirect Symptomatic disease Symptomatic disease Tertiary prevention symptom directed Preventative Stress Maintenance Stress responses Individual Organizational Stress responses Individual Organizational Asymptomatic disease Asymptomatic disease Secondary prevention response directed Organizational stressors Task demands Role demands Physical demands Interpersonal demands Organizational stressors Task demands Role demands Physical demands Interpersonal demands Health risk factors Primary prevention stressor directed Organizational ContextPreventive Medicine Context

Social Support at Work and Home Individual Organizational Supervisor Colleagues Subordinates Clients Family Spouse Children Parents In-laws Church Minister/Rabbi Friends Support groups Clubs Business associations Social clubs Athletic groups Professional Physicians Psychologists Counselors Lawyers

Individual Preventive Stress Management

What Can Managers Do? Learn how to create healthy stress without distress Help employees adjust to new technologies Be sensitive to early signs of distress Be aware of gender, personality, and behavioral differences Use principles and methods of preventive stress management