Stress Management concepts and Benefits

02/09/2020 1 By indiafreenotes

Stress management is a wide spectrum of techniques and psychotherapies aimed at controlling a person’s level of stress, especially chronic stress, usually for the purpose of and for the motive of improving everyday functioning. In this context, the term ‘stress’ refers only to a stress with significant negative consequences, or distress in the terminology advocated by Hans Selye, rather than what he calls eustress, a stress whose consequences are helpful or otherwise

Stress produces numerous physical and mental symptoms which vary according to each individual’s situational factors. These can include physical health decline as well as depression. The process of stress management is named as one of the keys to a happy and successful life in modern society. Although life provides numerous demands that can prove difficult to handle, stress management provides a number of ways to manage anxiety and maintain overall well-being.

Despite stress often being thought of as a subjective experience, levels of stress are readily measurable, using various physiological tests, similar to those used in polygraphs.

Many practical stress management techniques are available, some are used by health professionals and others, for self-help, which may help an individual reduce their levels of stress, provide positive feelings of control over one’s life and promote general well-being. Other stress reducing techniques involve adding a daily exercise routine, spending quality time with family and pets, meditation, finding a hobby, writing your thoughts, feelings, and moods down and also speaking with a trusted one about what is bothering you.

It is very important to keep in mind that not all techniques are going to work the same for everyone, that is why trying different stress managing techniques is crucial in order to find what techniques work best for you.

An example of this would be, two people on a roller coaster one can be screaming grabbing on to the bar while the other could be laughing while their hands are up in the air (Nisson). This is a perfect example of how stress effects everyone differently that is why they might need a different treatment. These techniques do not require doctor’s approval but seeing if a doctors technique works better for you is also very important.

Evaluating the effectiveness of various stress management techniques can be difficult, as limited research currently exists. Consequently, the amount and quality of evidence for the various techniques varies widely. Some are accepted as effective treatments for use in psychotherapy, while others with less evidence favoring them are considered alternative therapies. Many professional organizations exist to promote and provide training in conventional or alternative therapies.

There are several models of stress management, each with distinctive explanations of mechanisms for controlling stress. Much more research is necessary to provide a better understanding of which mechanisms actually operate and are effective in practice.

Models

The generalized models are:

  • The emergency response/fight-or-flight response by Walter Cannon
  • General Adaptation Syndrome by Hans Selye
  • Stress Model of Henry and Stephens
  • Transactional (or cognitive) Stress Model / stress model of Lazarus after Lazarus
  • Theory of resource conservation by Stevan Hobfoll

Transactional model

Transactional Model of Stress and Coping of Richard Lazarus

Richard Lazarus and Susan Folkman suggested in 1981 that stress can be thought of as resulting from an “imbalance between demands and resources” or as occurring when “pressure exceeds one’s perceived ability to cope”. Stress management was developed and premised on the idea that stress is not a direct response to a stressor but rather one’s resources and ability to cope mediate the stress response and are amenable to change, thus allowing stress to be controllable.

Among the many stressors mentioned by employees, these are the most common:

  • Conflicts in company
  • The way employees are treated by their bosses/supervisors or company
  • Lack of job security
  • Company policies
  • Co-workers who don’t do their fair share
  • Unclear expectations
  • Poor communication
  • Not enough control over assignments
  • Inadequate pay or benefits
  • Urgent deadlines
  • Too much work
  • Long hours
  • Uncomfortable physical conditions
  • Relationship conflicts
  • Co-workers making careless mistakes
  • Dealing with rude customers
  • Lack of co-operation
  • How the company treats co-workers

In order to develop an effective stress management program, it is first necessary to identify the factors that are central to a person controlling his/her stress and to identify the intervention methods which effectively target these factors. Lazarus and Folkman’s interpretation of stress focuses on the transaction between people and their external environment (known as the Transactional Model). The model contends that stress may not be a stressors if the person does not perceive the stressors as a threat but rather as positive or even challenging. Also, if the person possesses or can use adequate coping skills, then stress may not actually be a result or develop because of the stressors. The model proposes that people can be taught to manage their stress and cope with their stressors. They may learn to change their perspective of the stressors and provide them with the ability and confidence to improve their lives and handle all of the types of stressors.

Health realization/innate health model

The health realization/innate health model of stress is also founded on the idea that stress does not necessarily follow the presence of a potential stressor. Instead of focusing on the individual’s appraisal of so-called stressors in relation to his or her own coping skills (as the transactional model does), the health realization model focuses on the nature of thought, stating that it is ultimately a person’s thought processes that determine the response to potentially stressful external circumstances. In this model, stress results from appraising oneself and one’s circumstances through a mental filter of insecurity and negativity, whereas a feeling of well-being results from approaching the world with a “quiet mind”.

This model proposes that helping stressed individuals understand the nature of thought especially providing them with the ability to recognize when they are in the grip of insecure thinking, disengage from it, and access natural positive feelings will reduce their stress.

11 Awesome Benefits of Importance of Stress Management in the Workplace

  1. Enables you to motivate employees better

Stress affects the morale of employees and hence their performance in the workplace. It not only affects the individual but the business also. Stress demotivates your employees which causes an increase in absenteeism and employee turnover. By using good stress management skills you can boost your employee morale which motivates and keeps them focused on their jobs and performance.

  1. Improves productivity in a stressful situation

When the employee morale is high and remains intact with the workplace relationship. It improves employee productivity. By using good stress management skills, there will be very little chance of customer complaints or poor decision making even in the most stressful situations.

  1. Enables you to lead people in tough times

When employees feel stress they look to you for guidance and direction. Some of the employees may seek help from you by discussing their issues one to one. By using good stress management skills and identifying the stressful issues correctly, you will be able to lead in tough times.

  1. Reduces chances of workplace conflicts

Conflict at the workplace is very common and occurs due to differences in opinions, personalities and increased levels of stress. It breaks the relationships and weakens the overall culture. However, effective stress management skills prevent such distractions, builds teamwork and make everyone’s life easier.

  1. Decreases chances of unethical issues

Unethical issues often rear its ugly head during the time of high stress. There have been times when people have used this practice for shortcut purposes. During that time people start to blame games and point fingers to others. However, good stress management skills provide ethics and stress seminars to reduce the chances of unethical practices.

  1. Increases the chances of meeting deadlines

When stress increases employees become distracted depending upon the source of a stressor. As a result of which they don’t perform up to the expected level and miss deadlines. However, good stress management skills help them to identify the stressors before they become an issue and ensure that business should run smoothly.

  1. Improves communication process

When stress levels are high, there is a negative effect on communication. Employees won’t discuss jobs between individuals. Instead, they look for managers to discuss company issues or problems. However, effective stress management skill helps to identify a problem and resolve it, which strengthens the communication process.

  1. Helps to run the projects smoothly

Stress and management go together. While managing a project you never know when the vendor will delay or not supplies the input. These issues make it hard to reach a required deadline. Sometimes the employee of the project is given responsibility and requested to deal with stress and meeting the deadline.

  1. Enables you to develop team

When employees feel stress they couldn’t concentrate on their work. Also, there is no unity in the team. They feel irritated when some of the team members comments on them. A situation arises where an employee discusses his issues with you and seek help to resolve it. By handling stress as a tool and using effective stress management resources, you can build and unite the team.

  1. Enables you to provide space to employees

When employees are engaged in work and continuously busy, they don’t get time to take rest and relax which in turn creates stress. Use effective stress management skills and provide space to your employees so they can take a rest or a break. Allowing employees to take a breather at work helps them to regain their energy and reduce the effects of stress.

  1. Helps in the performance appraisal of employees

Every employee has a different threshold of stress. Stress factors can be directly related to job performance. It also helps to judge how well employees work within the team. It is measurable also. Effective stress management skills help you to evaluate and do the performance appraisal of them.