...How Stress Management Affects the Work and Relationship of Less-Fortunate Families The word “stress” is derived from the Latin strictus and the Old French etrace. In the past, the word has been used to designate both a stimulus (a force or pressure that causes distress) and a response to that stimulus (adversity, affliction). Currently, it is used to describe a situation wherein a person suffers an adversity that still persists even after mustering up all the necessary resrouces, threatening their well-being (Auerbach, 1998). Despite this, the so called “eustress” (or “good” or “pleasant” stress), a word coined by Hans Selye during the 1950’s is described as the state wherein a person incorporates the feelings of stress in his work, using the stress as a driving force to ultimately complete a task that is initially daunting. Stressors are the sources or causes of stress. These include physical, emotional, intellectual, social, economic and spiritual factors (Girdano, et al., 1997). Stress Management is the ability to reduce stress arousal or to cope competently with stressors. The paper aims to identify the different stessors within the household and explain, in depth, how these factors affect the family dynamics. By the end of the research, the proponents aim to provide several coping methods appropriate for the types of stress families are experiencing. We have identified verious stressors of parents and children among less-fortunate families. Stressors of parents include...
Words: 1199 - Pages: 5
...When was the last time your stress level topped the charts? What triggered it? For some it was a financial hardship; for others, a fight with your significant other. And then there are those who experience high levels of stress each and every time they take to the road. While we can’t always control the factors that bring on stress, we can certainly control the ways in which we react. The key to managing stress is understanding that stress is entirely a function of how we interpret events. We, as individuals, have the power to determine to what extent we will experience stress, or whether we will experience it at all. The next time you feel like pulling your hair out, take a time-out and try one of these simple, yet effective ways to reduce stress and renew your energy on a daily basis: 1. Start the day out right. Most of us get so caught up in our fast-paced lives that we forget to take time out for ourselves. Combat natural stresses inherent in this lifestyle by creating a ritual that makes you focus on what you want instead of what you fear—a ritual referred to as your Hour of Power. Keep your shoes by your bed and hit the ground moving to turn on your body and mind each morning. Start with some deep breathing, followed by a brisk walk to release the stress your body has built up. As you move, consciously cultivate the emotions in prayer that will give you an extraordinary life: gratitude, excitement about your future, or even compassion for those who may not be supporting...
Words: 544 - Pages: 3
...Homework brings feelings of dread, anxiety, and stress to many students. Successful students often sacrifice their health and well-being for the sake of their academic future. Students can end up sleep deprived if overloaded with homework and can even resort to self-harm and illegal activities to cope with the stress. To avoid having students burn themselves out, teachers should assign no more than fifteen minutes of homework to high school students a day and only assign homework with obvious value. Parents often hear the begrudging complaints from their children about having to sit down for hours of homework after school. These students aren’t focused and engaged in learning; they’re mindlessly completing a given task. In reality, this is not helping the student at all, and only creating an unhealthy attitude toward school. The article “Success with Less Stress” discusses a study...
Words: 1032 - Pages: 5
...Reducing Stress in Young Adults with Burn Injuries Student ID #: 1358437 University of Alberta Reducing Stress in Young Adults with Burn Injuries Burn injuries affecting young adults (20-39 years old) can negatively affect their physical, emotional and psychological health, specifically creating stress. To achieve optimal health and equilibrium in the body, the body utilizes different mechanisms to ensure that it compensates and restores its function (Day et al., 2010). However, external or internal factors caused by stress can affect this equilibrium. According to Day et al (2010., p. 94) stress is “a state produced by a change in the environment that is perceived as challenging, threatening or damaging to a person’s dynamic balance or equilibrium”. When the body responds to stress it is trying to protect itself and stress can even help young adults in being more productive, energetic and focused (Potter & Perry., 2010). However, if an individual is not able to cope with the stress then the changes in their state can physiologically, biologically and emotionally affect...
Words: 1160 - Pages: 5
...statistics that prove that long office hours hold countless interruptions ever so often. Houston Chronicle, February 26, 2006 Issue, published that “people switch activities, such as making a call, speaking with someone in their cubicle or working on a document, every three minutes on average” (Key Organization Systems, 2007). Heavy workload, lack of autonomy, low interpersonal support, under-utilization of skills, lack of control over work, wage scales and repetitive work environment have been cited as major contributors to workplace stress (Citation). Coincidentally, a 2006 Harvard Business Review Case ranked work-related stress as the second biggest occupational health problem in the world (Key Organization Systems, 2007). Taking another step forward, we are curious as to how musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), the leading global occupational health problem that begets physical stress, is linked to work-related psychological stress. Canada’s Industrial Accident Prevention Association (IAPA) has churned out statistics that MSDs caused over 40,000 workplace injuries in Ontario annually. In a bid to enhance ergonomic awareness and minimize MSDs in the workplace, IAPA exposed five common myths regarding MSDs in a 2009 article (refer to A2.0) (Industrial Accident Prevention Association, 2009). With the intent of maintaining all relevance to present research being conducted, we desire to apply employee mindfulness—a topic of...
Words: 2343 - Pages: 10
...Stress is simply a reaction to stimulus that disturbs our physical and mental equilibrium. In psychology stress is a feeling of strain and pressure. Small amounts of stress maybe desired, beneficial, and even healthy. Positive stress improves athletic performance. It also plays a factor in motivation, adaptation, and reaction to the environment. Excessive amounts of stress, however, may lead to bodily harm. Stress will increase the rest of strokes, heart attacks, ulcers, dwarfism, and mental illnesses such depression. People can counter the effects of stress by changing their lifestyle such as diet, excise, meditation, and social support. Stress is the combination of psychological, physiological, and behavioral reactions that people have in response to events that threaten or challenge them. Stress can be good or bad. Sometimes, stress is helpful, providing people with the extra energy or alertness they need. Stress could give a runner the edge he or she needs to persevere in a marathon, for example. This good kind of stress is called eustress. Unfortunately, stress is often not helpful and can even be harmful when not managed effectively. Stress could make a salesperson buckle under the pressure while trying to make a sales pitch at an important business meeting, for example. Moreover, stress can increase the risk of developing health problems, such as cardiovascular disease and anxiety disorders. This bad kind of stress is called distress, the kind of stress that people usually...
Words: 2029 - Pages: 9
...Occupational Stress and How to Deal with It Heather L. DuSoleil English 333 December 12, 2012 Executive Summary Occupational Stress is a substantial problem to workers and employees all over the world. Occupational stress is considered an “epidemic” and it is costing employers over $200 billion dollars a year. With that being said, there is a lot that bosses and managers should be educating not only themselves about, but also their employees about. This proposal is to give people the tools that they need to help them solve the problem of occupational stress. Keywords: Stress, Occupational Stress, Epidemic, Tips, Acute Distress, Acute Episodic Distress, Chronic Distress, Eustress, and Distress. Statement of Need Teaching employees how to deal with occupational stress will help reduce costs to employers, reduce work accidents, and make employees and workplaces a lot healthier and safer. When people are not stressed their environment is a much less hostile place. That makes customers more at ease and co-workers get along much better. Employers spend more than $200 billion dollars a year on absenteeism, accidents, sickness, and burnt out employees. That number can be greatly reduced by making sure that employees have many ways of dispelling occupational stress both at work and in their personal lives. By implementing a plan to reduce occupational stress and the effects it has on employees the business world will...
Words: 2034 - Pages: 9
...paper was prepared by me specifically for this course. Student’s Signature: Instructor’s Grade on Assignment: Instructor’s Comments: Running Head: Work Stress and Conflict Work Place Elements of Conflict and Stress Submitted by: Managing Conflict and Change HRM 3100 December 01, 2008 Table of Contents Introduction () 4 Globalization () 7 Work-Life Balance ( 10 Coping with Downsizing and Restructuring 13 Work Conditions () 16 Summary () 20 References 22 Introduction Conflict and stress are an intricate part of everyone’s life. The level and domination of these two highly recognizable emotions vary throughout maturity and become greatly enhanced and more complex when one joins the workforce. Work-related stress is the response people may have when presented with work demands and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge and abilities. Work stress is recognized world-wide as a major challenge to workers’ health and the health of their organizations. Workers who are stressed are more likely to be unhealthy, poorly motivated, less productive, and less safe at work (Leka, Friffiths, & Cox, 2008). This paper is focused on the elements in today’s work environment that contribute to increased levels of conflict and stress. The level of...
Words: 5842 - Pages: 24
...An Assignment on ‘Job Stress’ Course Name: Human Resource Management Course Code: EM:514 Semester: Fall 2014 Submitted to: Prof. M.A. Akkas Department of Management Studies, University of Dhaka. Submitted by: Anupam Hossain Purnam ID# 3-13-24-043 Batch: 24th Date of Submission: 8 December, 2014 Concept: Job stress is stress involving work. According to the current World Health Organization's (WHO) definition, occupational or work-related stress "is the response people may have when presented with work demands and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge and abilities and which challenge their ability to cope The concept of job stress is often confused with challenge, but these concepts are not the same. Challenge energizes us psychologically and physically, and it motivates us to learn new skills and master our jobs. When a challenge is met, we feel relaxed and satisfied. Thus, challenge is an important ingredient for healthy and productive work. The importance of challenge in our work lives is probably what people are referring to when they say "a little bit of stress is good for you". Introduction: Job stress comes in different forms and affects your mind and body in different ways. Small things can make you feel stressed, such as a copy machine that never seems to work when you need it...
Words: 4215 - Pages: 17
...in order to accomplish our dreams. But by having many responsibilities can causes us a lot a stress. Here are three reason what cause stress, one is work, second responsibilities at home, third dealing with traffic every day. First all, by working hard every day and not getting it enough rest can causes stress. For example there are companies that will ask to work overtime or if someone don’t show up for work manager will ask to stay to one of the employees that can cause stress too. Another reason are layoff from work here in United States I see many people working for several years, later the company said you are going to be lay off, sorry we have to let you go. There are some companies that cover up to three mouths but after the three mouth time look for a new job that can be sometimes stressful because after working for several year in the same company sometimes you don’t know where to start. Also some jobs offer to work the forty hours but if sales are not good the manager start to give less hours to the employees that another reason where manager and employees can stress out. Second, in today’s society there are many responsibilities’ at...
Words: 547 - Pages: 3
...Self-Management Behavioral Contract BSHS/311 June 11, 2012 Self-Management Behavioral Contract Most people find frustration because of the lack of time they acquire to accomplish their goals. Time management is about discipline and execution. Time is a resource that no one can buy, sell, share with others, take from others, receive more of, or have less of. Every day has the same amount of time, 24 hours. What a person does with time makes a difference. The people who make the most of their time may apply different techniques and systems, but they have one thing in common. They have a vision of how they spend their time, a vision that includes a clear sense of priorities. They know what they want to do with their time. The subject of this paper is to describe the goal of managing time better, assess target behaviors to increase or decrease, and to provide a monitoring system to track progress. Time Management One most useful stress reduction skills a person can learn is effective time management. A person may begin by making a list of work, school, family, and leisure activities that a person performs in a day. A person should analyze the list to sort the activities according to priority. This will place the high priority activities at the top for a person to accomplish his or her goals. To allocate and use time well, a person may decide to eliminate some activities from the daily schedule, such as watching television, chatting online, or talking on the phone. After...
Words: 1446 - Pages: 6
... Sample Reports A FORMAL REPORT THE EFFECTS OF STRESS ON BUSINESS EMPLOYEES AND PROGRAMS OFFERED BY EMPLOYERS TO MANAGE EMPLOYEE STRESS Prepared for Dr. Robert J. Olney Southwest Texas State University Prepared by Charles Dishinger Nancy Howard Bill Kiagler Sherry Seabrooke Donna Tucker November 29, 20-- S-29 Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Sample Reports ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES……………………………………………………………………… ………. LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………………… ……… ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………… ………………... SECTION I INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY………………………………………………….. Introduction…………………………………………………… ……………... Statement of the Problem…………………………………………………….. Significance of the Study…………………………………………………….. Scope of the Study…………………………………………………………… Review of Related Literature………………………………………………… Methods of the Study………………………………………………………… Source of Data…………………………………………………… …. l iii iv v 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 7 8 9 10 11 S-30 Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Sample Reports iii LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Programs Offered by Employers to Manage Stress ........…………………………………… Page 8 S-31 Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Sample Reports iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Age Distribution of Respondents .......................……………………………………………. 2. Negative Effects of Stress on Work Performance ........……………………………………… Page 6 7 ...
Words: 3487 - Pages: 14
...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...
Words: 5913 - Pages: 24
...Summary Stress is a term we all are aware of, and it is experienced by people in their different workplaces. Stress in the workplace is detrimental to human health and organization when it comes to productivity, performance standards and job satisfaction. Organizations whose workers are stressed are likely to be successful in a competitive market. Workers who are stressed are more likely to be unhealthy, poorly motivated, less productive and less safe at work. Stress can be destructive in a way that, after reaching a certain point, the performance of the employees begins to reduce also which prevents fulfillment of work and various assignments. The following are the causes of stress in the workplace; Exhaustion (weakens the employees mentally and physically), moral injury (destructive of self-esteem of employees or lack of confidence in their abilities, discrimination), illness of the employees (feeling of irritation, uncertainty, guilt or mistrust), violence (damage to the property of the employees or organization), long hours, lack of rewards or incentives by the managers and managers lackadaisical attitude to employees. Stress can be brought to a minimal level; to prevent stress, we have to identify, know the causes and prevent it. The reduction or elimination of stress are the employee’s participation in the management, improvement of communication skills of managers, adequate training should be given to employees in other to prevent negligence of training which...
Words: 3384 - Pages: 14
...Stress management What is stress mangement Stress management refers to the wide spectrum of techniques and psychotherapies aimed at controlling a person's levels of stress, especially chronic stress, usually for the purpose 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 positive. Stress produces numerous symptoms which vary according to persons, situations, and severity. 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.[1] 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 measureable using various physiological tests, similar to those used in polygraphs. Many practical stress management techniques are available, some for use by health practitioners and others for self-help, which may help an individual to reduce stress, provide positive feelings of being in control of one's life and promote general well-being. The effectiveness of the different stress management techniques can be difficult to...
Words: 3366 - Pages: 14
