Free Essays on Stress Management

Stress can affect anybody working anywhere. It is an individual reaction and can reveal itself both physically and psychologically, and although it is not an illness, it capable of causing ill health. Statistics show that (work-related) stress affects approximately one in five employees and costs companies in the region of  £370 million every year. So what is stress? There are a few ways in which to define it: 1. A simple (or more personal) definition â€Å"it is what I think and feel when I believe I cannot cope† 2. The Health and Safety Executive define it as â€Å"the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures, or other types of demands placed on them† 3. A more technical definition â€Å"it is a negative imbalance between pressures, demands and challenges and the individual’s personality, behaviors and coping skills†. Stress is not something to be taken lightly. Not only does it cost companies large amounts of money, it has undesirable effects on employees. It is one of the most significant causes behind sickness from work. A lack of attention to employee well-being has potential legal and cost implications and increasing awareness of stress is vital. Stress also has a knock on effect; one employee becomes stressed, then employers become harassed worrying if they can cover the loss of work (if the employee takes sick leave), catch up on work loss and afford the costs of stress. In addition to the costs, the law demands that employers must deal with work-related stress, and there is a number of legislation which apply: The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 The Working Times regulation 1998 The Public Order Act 1986 The Employment Rights Act 1996 The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 There are a number of recognised factors which might lead to work-related stress. The main cause of stress seems to be the job itself, which can involve a work overload... Free Essays on Stress Management Free Essays on Stress Management Stress can affect anybody working anywhere. It is an individual reaction and can reveal itself both physically and psychologically, and although it is not an illness, it capable of causing ill health. Statistics show that (work-related) stress affects approximately one in five employees and costs companies in the region of  £370 million every year. So what is stress? There are a few ways in which to define it: 1. A simple (or more personal) definition â€Å"it is what I think and feel when I believe I cannot cope† 2. The Health and Safety Executive define it as â€Å"the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures, or other types of demands placed on them† 3. A more technical definition â€Å"it is a negative imbalance between pressures, demands and challenges and the individual’s personality, behaviors and coping skills†. Stress is not something to be taken lightly. Not only does it cost companies large amounts of money, it has undesirable effects on employees. It is one of the most significant causes behind sickness from work. A lack of attention to employee well-being has potential legal and cost implications and increasing awareness of stress is vital. Stress also has a knock on effect; one employee becomes stressed, then employers become harassed worrying if they can cover the loss of work (if the employee takes sick leave), catch up on work loss and afford the costs of stress. In addition to the costs, the law demands that employers must deal with work-related stress, and there is a number of legislation which apply: The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 The Working Times regulation 1998 The Public Order Act 1986 The Employment Rights Act 1996 The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 There are a number of recognised factors which might lead to work-related stress. The main cause of stress seems to be the job itself, which can involve a work overload... Free Essays on Stress Management Stress is a part of life that everyone deals with at one time or another. Everyone has different levels of stress and different coping mechanisms. According to Trevor Powell in the book Free Yourself from Harmful Stress. Stress is a positive force that enables you to survive. A certain level of stress is beneficial and stimulates you to perform well. Too much stress can impair performance. Stress has three basic components; these are sources, life skills, and signs or symptoms. Sources are everyday demands or major changes in your life. Life skills are the resources you have for coping with the events. And signs or symptoms are the physical and emotional symptoms that indicate that the demands outweigh your ability to cope. (Free Yourself from Harmful Stress-10, 11,15, and 16) Trevor Powell also goes on to talk about the causes of stress. Sources of stress can be caused by a number of things such as, losing a job, divorce, financial problems, family problems, etc. It is wildly recognized that if you suffer several life event changes you will find it difficult to cope and you will suffer more symptoms of stress. (Free Yourself from Harmful Stress-10, 11,15, and 16) Some of the symptoms of stress include panic attacks, obsessive behaviors, depression, low self-esteem, phobias, sleep problems, migraines, and chronic fatigue. There are several questions to ask yourself to find out if you have stress. Some of these questions are. Do you get sudden feelings of fear and panic? Do you feel tense, nervous, or wound up? Do you have difficulty sleeping? Do you feel irritable, edgy, and bad tempered? Do you feel physically run down? These are just a few of several questions. If you find that you do have a stress problem there are several things you can do to manage your stress. (Free Yourself from Harmful Stress-10, 11,15, and16) Lets look back at the symptoms of stress and how to cope with them. Anxiety is one of the major symptoms of stress.... Free Essays on Stress Management Stress Management As Perceived By Third Year And Fourth Year Flying Students Of Air Link International Aviation School Stress is simply a fact of nature forces from the outside world affecting the individual. Hence, all living creatures are in a constant interchange with their surroundings (the ecosystem), both physically and behaviorally. This interplay of forces, or energy, is of course present in the relationships between all matter in the universe, whether they are living (animate) or not living (inanimate). However, there are critical differences in how different living creatures relate to their environment. These differences have far reaching consequences for survival. Because of the overabundance of stress in our modern lives, we usually think of stress as a negative experience. But from a biological point of view, stress can be neutral, negative, or positive. (Tri-University Winter Medical Symposium St. Petersburg, Florida March 11, 1995) Stress has driven evolutionary change (the development and natural selection of species over time). Thus, the species that adapted best to the causes of stress (stressors) have survived and evolved into the plant and animal kingdoms we now observe. Man, because of the evolution of the human brain, especially the part called the neo-cortex, is the most adaptive creature on the planet. This adaptability is largely due to the changes and stressors that we have faced and mastered. Therefore, we, unlike other animals, can live in any climate or ecosystem, at various altitudes, and avoid the danger of predators. Moreover, most recently, we have learned to live in the air, under the sea, and even in space, where no living creatures that we know of have ever survived. (Medical Author: Peter J. Panzarino, Jr. M.D. F.A.P.A) If we think about the causes of stress, the nature of the stress response, and the negative effects of some types of stress (prolonged, unexpected, unmanageable), several hea...