...Work stress and job performance Jungwee Park W ork stress is defined as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when job requirements do not match the worker’s capabilities, resources, and needs (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health 1999). It is recognized world-wide as a major challenge to individual mental and physical health, and organizational health (ILO 1986). Stressed workers are also more likely to be unhealthy, poorly motivated, less productive and less safe at work. And their organizations are less likely to succeed in a competitive market. By some estimates work-related stress costs the national economy a staggering amount in sick pay, lost productivity, health care and litigation costs (Palmer et al. 2004). Work stress can come from a variety of sources and affect people in different ways. Although the link between psycho-social aspects of the job and the health and well-being of workers has been well documented (Dollard and Metzer 1999), limited work has been done on the effects of distinct stressors on job performance. As well, various protective factors can prevent or reduce the effects of work stress, and little research has been done toward understanding these mitigating individual and organizational factors. One important source of work stress is job strain. According to the demand/control model (Karasek 1979), job strain is determined by the interactions between psychological demands and decision latitude (see Work stress)...
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...important role in human life. People eat not only to satisfy physical needs, but also for pleasure. Eating at the restaurant is a great relief for a person after a busy, stressful week. Also, food provides important nutrients for the human body. A balanced food diet makes a great contribution to human’s health, but overeating can lead to devastating consequences. Why do people overeat? There are psychological, physiological and social causes and effects of excessive food consumption. Overeating and its consequences have become a twenty first century disaster in the United States and across the globe. One of the major causes of overeating is the psychological state of a person. Nowadays many factors influence human emotions. One of them is stress. Exposure to the constant stress of everyday life significantly disturbs people’s psychological health. It can cause light or deep depression, mood disorders, anxiety disorders as well as eating disorders. There are different ways of coping with stress, and often people turn to food as a relief from their problems. Harvard research suggests: “Stress, the hormones it unleashes, and the effects of high-fat, sugary “comfort foods” push people toward overeating. Researchers have linked weight gain to stress, and according to an American Psychological Association survey, about one fourth of Americans rate their stress level as 8 or more on a 10-point scale” ("Stress And Overeating: Stress Hormones Increase Appetites And A...
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...Impact of Stress on Health [Angela White] [Volunteer State Community College] Impact of Stress on Health Introduction It is a known fact to everyone that there is a strong connection between stress and physical and mental health of a person. This fact has also been supported and acknowledge by the results and finding for the survey Stress in America as respondents and participant of the research have showed high levels of stress leading towards their dependence upon unhealthy means and behaviors to combat the effects. Stress has also been suggested to affect the physical health of the individuals. Thus both physical and mental health has been suggested to get affected by stress. The situation has been found to be more serious and adverse in case of adults who are 50 and above or those who are obese or suffering with depression. The main purpose of this reports is to describe the meaning and different types of stress and how it affect the defensive mechanism and overall health of the people. Discussion Stress has been described as feeling of being over worked or loaded, tense, worried or tight. It is a physiological response of an organism to the stimulus (Goldstein & Mcewen, 2002; Mcewen, 2002). Everybody experiences this state at sometime in their lives. At times it makes people work hard, under pressure in order to meet the deadlines or perform well. But increased frequency of such stressful situations may lead toward the ability of an individual to...
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...upon stress, the bio-psychosocial approach on how stress can affect health, well-being and the maintenance of homeostasis. There are many definitions of stress but the majority of definitions put emphasis on the relationship between the individual and the environment. This is called the bio-psychosocial approach. When treating patients the Practitioner should take a more holistic approach when determining the type of treatment that is required, this would include taking into account the patients lifestyle, environment and social support. The World Health Organisation states that ‘Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’. (WHO 1948). Stress can be defined as any type of change that causes physical, emotional or psychological strain. However, there are many types of stress and not all types of stress are harmful or negative. One theory is that stress is the result of a persons appraisal process. The assessment of whether personal resources are sufficient to meet the demands of the environment. Stress has been identified as being the individuals ability to adapt to the environment (Lazarus and Folkman 1984; Lazarus and Launer 1978; Pervin 1989). There are two types of stress response which Lazarus (1966) made a distinction between, these are psychological and physiological stress. Lazarus stated that physiological stress is a response to a physical damage already incurred whereas psychological stress...
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...The Association of Physical Activity and Stress in College Students Shaye Sedotal University of New Orleans Abstract The purpose of this study is to measure the relationship between physical activity and stress levels among college students. The sample comprised of 27% males (N=18) and 73% (N=48) females with a mean age of 23.6 years and an age range of 19 to 54. 51% (N=34) of the participants were Caucasian, 22% (N=15) were African American, 9% (N=6) Hispanic, and 7% (N=10) were of other ethnic backgrounds. 0% (N=0) were freshman, 8% (N=5) were sophomores, 36% (N=24) were juniors, and 56% (N=37) were seniors. Participants completed questionnaires about stress and physical activity. Results indicated that the relationship between physical activity and stress levels among college students were significantly correlated. The benefits of regular physical activity have been shown to positively affect wellness by reducing stress in college students. This research contained limitations such as small, non-random sample size and limited amount of questions pertaining to the study in the survey. The Association of Physical Activity and Stress in College Students The transition into young adult hood, which is often marked by beginning college, can be a particularly stressful time. Having to balance classes, test, projects, extra curricular activities, and work can increase stress levels in any student. Stress that is caused by college is...
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...perspectives@statcan.ca. Work stress and job performance Jungwee Park W ork stress is defined as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when job requirements do not match the worker’s capabilities, resources, and needs (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health 1999). It is recognized world-wide as a major challenge to individual mental and physical health, and organizational health (ILO 1986). Stressed workers are also more likely to be unhealthy, poorly motivated, less productive and less safe at work. And their organizations are less likely to succeed in a competitive market. By some estimates work-related stress costs the national economy a stag-gering amount in sick pay, lost productivity, health care and litigation costs (Palmer et al. 2004). Work stress can come from a variety of sources and affect people in different ways. Although the link between psycho-social aspects of the job and the health and well-being of workers has been well documented (Dollard and Metzer 1999), limited work has been done on the effects of distinct stressors on job per-formance. As well, various protective factors can pre-vent or reduce the effects of work stress, and little research has been done toward understanding these mitigating individual and organizational factors. One important source of work stress is job strain. According to the demand/control model (Karasek 1979), job strain is determined by the interactions between psychological demands and decision...
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...Organization : Bharath University, Chennai, India Phone* : +91 98401 38210 Paper Title* : Occupational Stress at Work Author Profile – Sangeetha Rajagurusamy Educational Qualification: M.Sc., M.Phil Experience: 12+ years – Teaching and Research in Hospitality and allied industries Current Responsibility: HOD, Hospitality and Tourism Dept, Bharath University ABSTRACT: This paper attempts to probe the contributors and management of stress among women in different levels of occupation. The seventeenth centaury has been called the age of enlightment, eighteenth, the age of reason, the nineteenth the age of progress and the twentieth, the age of stress and anxiety. According to a survey conducted it was found that, four out of ten employees state that their jobs are "very" or "extremely" stressful. Those in high-stress jobs are three times more likely than others to suffer from stress-related medical conditions and are twice as likely to quit. The study states that women, in particular, report more stress related to the conflict between work and family. INTRODUCTION: Occupational stress is stress involving work. Stress is defined in terms of its physical and physiological effects on a person, and can be a mental, physical or emotional strain. It can also be a tension or a situation or factor that can cause stress. Occupational stress can occur when there is a discrepancy between the demands of the environment/workplace and an individual’s ability...
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...and Meditation in Relation to Stress Katherine I. Sharp Nova Southeastern University Relaxation Strategies Stress is a condition in response to a physical threat or psychological distress that triggers the body’s adaptive stress response which involves the physiological arousal of various body systems that may suffer from negative consequences depending on the duration and course of the stress reaction. The result of such a response to stress is physiological support for the body’s fight-or-flight response that includes an increase in heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, and serum cholesterol (Greenberg, 2013). As a part of the adaptive response to stress, various body systems such as the autonomic, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and immune systems may be affected (McEwen, Stellar, 1993). Research has shown that chronic stress is related to an increased risk of the development of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, coronary heart disease, tension headaches, migraine headaches, backache, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and ulcers. “Given the negative impact of stress at intrapersonal and somatic level, it is important for healthcare professionals to master a repertoire of stress management techniques” (Varvogli, 2011, p. 75). Yoga Yoga is an old Indian practice that fosters mental and physical awareness creating a mind-body connection that allows one to engage in conscious breathing coupled with physical postures. Yoga is a meditative...
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...The term stress has been synonymous to with the current Y generation residing on this planet. The noun stress was first introduced in the 20th century whereby the term stress had none of its contemporary connotations before the 1920’s. it is the form of the Middle English destresse (Keil R.M.K,2004;Coping and Stress) derived via Old French from the Latin stringere “ to have to draw tight”. The word had been long used in the field of Physics to annotate the internal distribution of a force exerted on a material body which results in strain. In the 1920s and '30s, biological and psychological circles occasionally used the term to refer to a mental strain or to a harmful environmental agent that could cause illness used it in 1926 to refer to...
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...literature and studies from other researches relevant to the present study. Related Literature Many researches have been conducted to know what stress is all about and its effects to human if it exceeds beyond our control. Selye as cited by Berry (1997) defined stress in physiological terms as a non-specific or generalized bodily response. This response results when any demand is made on the body, whether it is an environment condition that we must survive or a demand that we make ourselves in order to accomplish a personal goal. Selye distinguished between two forms of stress. Distress is the response to negative events and eustress (euphoria) is the response to positive events. Stress is good and will motivate people to succeed, but too much stress can affect one’s performance (http://www.chow.com). Greener as cited by de Jesus (2010:p.22) opined that most people can cope with and even need a certain amount of stress to perform to the peak of their ability but when demands for dealing with it outstrip resources, strength or time, it becomes dangerous. Feldman (2005) said that stress is a normal part of life and not a necessary a bad part of life. However, it is also clear that too much stress can take a toll on both physical and psychological health. According to Stuthers (2000), stress is what people feel when they are worried or uncomfortable about something. This worry in the mind can make the body feel bad. They may feel angry...
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... Submitted by: Kapil and Mukesh Executive summary Stress is something which impairs the stability and balance of bodily functions. Stress leads to mental unrest, frustration and a feeling of helplessness. Stress is of two types positive and negative. For some person a mild level of stress act as a tool of motivation and increases physical and mental vigour and for someone it is the source of depression and anxiety. Positive and negative stress depends upon the personality of a person and level of stress. Stress mainly originates from job and organization (working conditions of an organization, work pressure, management relations and protocol of an organization). Social sector (caste, religion, language family and friends). Personal factors(abilities of an individual, career concerns, attitudes, values and temperament).Stress have positive and negative impact depending on the creativity and personality of a person and level of stress. A mild level of stress makes a person more challenging, competitive and more enthusiastic towards his work and feel him proud after successful handling a situation, a moderate level of stress leads to increase in productivity and performance. However a high level of stress leads to feeling of puzzlement, uncertainty and fear of failure, doubts about owns abilities and perception and cause medical problems like headache, heart problems, ulcers and even death of employees. Effects of stress not related to individual, it also had consequences on...
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...Changes: When understanding the relationship between stress and disease as they pertain to the body’s weakness and state the body is in, we must understand that the body is builds up a defense to keep out as much as it can of the bad diseases. The body uses its natural defenses to help keep out the bad infections. Stress can weaken the immune system which can bring on an increase of diseases such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes, and other serious diseases. Certain diseases attack the white blood cells which also make the immune system weak and hard for a person’s body to kick the disease or virus. Stress can cause not only emotional but physical damage as well. When a person’s body is under stress it can weaken the immune system and cause their body to become less capable to fighting off a disease. Organ Functions/Body Chemistry: Over time, stress can be seen as a weakening of the body. After a while the walls of our body start to break down and crumble, although there may be medication that will help slow down the process it never fully repairs the walls of the body. Stress can bring on a decrease in being able to fight of disease; increasing blood pressure, heart problems, anxiety, and the most common side effect are migraines. Certain diseases such as cancer, attack different parts of the body and its organ function. Most of the time it limits the ability of what the organ was supposed to be doing. This can cause stress on other organs and cause them to wear down and create...
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...AGRICULTURE HOME > VOLUME 64 > NUMBER 4 > VIEWING HTML W/LINKS Peer-Reviewed Research Article Effects of stress on health and aging: Two paradoxes Authors Carolyn Aldwin, Oregon State University Loriena A. Yancura, University of Hawai'i Publication Information California Agriculture 64(4):183-188. DOI: 10.3733/ca.v064n04p183. October-December 2010. Author Affiliations C.M. Aldwin is Professor, Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, Oregon State University, Manoa. L.A. Yancura is Associate Professor, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Hawai'i, Manoa. Abstract Although older adults are thought to experience more stress and to be more vulnerable to its adverse effects, they often report less stress than younger adults and sometimes show more resilience. Paradoxically, while stress sometimes has long-term positive effects on well-being, studies differ as to whether this increases or decreases with age. We conclude that older individuals have learned to appraise and cope differently with stress. This protects them in spite of their increased physiological vulnerability and may also increase the possibility of stress-related growth and optimal aging. Full Text [View Enlargement] As people age their health trajectories tend to diverge, with some developing multiple chronic conditions and others maintaining good health; stress may play a role in this aspect of aging. Over the past century, remarkable changes have occurred...
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...Stress is something that you feel when you have taken on more than you can handle, or are use to handling. It is the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure placed on them from extraordinary demands, constraints, or opportunities (Robbins/DeCenzo page 227). The body responds to stress as if you are in danger producing hormones that speed up both your heart rate and breathing giving you a burst of energy ("Stress management- topic," 2009). There are different types of stress, some can be useful by helping with reaction time and others very harmful to the body. It is when stress happens too often and last for an extended amount of time that the body reacts negatively from the stress. Stress has been linked to cause illness and can have damaging affects on our relationships with others. There are ways to manage stress and keep it under control, not allowing it to have a negative impact on us. Work-related stress is a normal form of stress when taking on too much at one time. It can also be associated with fear of being laid off, overtime, pressures to perform at a certain level and pressure to work at optimum levels (Segal, 2012). It is the excessive stress that interferes with productivity and a person’s physical and emotional health. It is important that you have the ability to recognize stress and deal with it accordingly so it does not have the possibility to render you powerless when approached with difficult situations. The fact is everyone will endure stress...
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...suffers from stress. No one is immune to it. A certain person suffers stress on some level. Sometimes levels are higher and sometimes they are considerably lower. We don’t have to let stress stop us from achieving what we want in life. Stress is common to workers, parents and citizens. Stress in the workplace is a growing concern in the present condition of the economy, where employees increasingly face conditions of overwork, job insecurity, low levels of job satisfaction, and lack of autonomy. Workplace stress has been shown to have a causing death effect on the health and well-being among employees, as well as a negative impact on workplace productivity and profits. These are solutions that individuals and organizations can take to alleviate the negative impact of stress, or it can be surpassed. But, employees must need to learn first to recognize the symptoms that indicates they are feeling stressed out and employees need to be aware at the effects that stress had on their employees’ health as well as on company profits. The pressures of modern lives, coupled with the demands of a job can lead to emotional imbalances that are collectively labeled stress. Not all stress is unpleasant. To be alive means to respond to achievement and the excitement of the challenge. In fact, evidence indicates that people need amount of stimulation, and that monotony can bring on some of the same problems as over work. Both good and bad events can cause stress in an adult’s...
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