MBAS 512- Stress Management- Chapter 1.pptx

Stress Management

1. MBAS – 512 STRESS MANAGEMENT P.K Dutta Clayton Cooper & Palmer Jane Ogden (Heath psychology) K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 1 12/27/2023

2. Module 1, Meaning and nature of stress : Difference between Eustress and distress; Frustration, conflict and pressure; Meaning of stressors; common stressors at work place: Stressors unique to age and gender. Module 2 , Cognitive appraisal of stress : General adaptation to stress; Consequences of stress; Physiological and psychological changes associated with the stress response. Stress and Memory; Stress and Other Cognitive Variables; Stressful environmental conditions on performance. Module 3 , Behavioural aspects of Stress : Adaptive and Maladaptive Behaviour; Individual and Cultural Differences: Sources of Stress- Across the Lifespan; College and Occupational Stress. Module 4 , Stress and Work performance : Role of communication in managing stress and work performance: Emotional regulation and coping; Emotional intelligence and conflict management: Emotional Basis and Stress; Stress and Conflict in Relationships. 2 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023

3. Module 5 , Stress Intervention : Performance and Stress Intervention- The relationship between stress and performance; Stress intervention – interpersonal, Management Standards and Management Competencies. Module 6 , Strategies of Stress Management : Prevention of stress Challenging Stressful Thinking; Problem Solving; Emotional and cognitive coping styles: Strategies of Synthesis and Prevention: Resilience and Stress; Optimal functioning; Making changes last; Small changes and large rewards. Module 7 , Preparing for the Future : Care of the Self: Nutrition and Other Lifestyle Issues: Stress reduction practices: Time management; Exercise; Relaxation techniques; yoga; meditation. 3 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023

4. ACTIVITY ONE - List different stressors you commonly encounter in the workplace, considering aspects like workload, relationships with colleagues, deadlines, etc. - Categorize these stressors into eustress (positive stress) and distress (negative stress). - Strategies to manage the identified stressors. Emphasize both individual coping mechanisms and organizational support strategies. 12/27/2023 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 4

5. Stress Stress can be defined as any type of change that causes physical, emotional, or psychological strain . Stress is your body's response to anything that requires attention or action .  Sometimes, the best way to manage your stress involves changing your situation . At other times, the best strategy involves changing the way you respond to the situation . Developing a clear understanding of how stress impacts your physical and mental health is important. It's also important to recognize how your mental and physical health affects your stress level . 5 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023

6. Stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension . It can come from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous. When situations seem threatening to us, our bodies react quickly to supply protection by preparing to take action. This physiological reaction is known as the "fight or flight" response . 6 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023 Stress is something that everyone experiences, so learning how to cope with its effects is something that everyone needs to master for their own physical and psychological well-being.

7. Cannon’s fight-or-flight model One of the earliest models of stress was developed by Cannon (1932). This was called the fight-or flight model of stress , which suggested that external threats elicited the fight-or-flight response involving an increased activity rate and increased arousal. He suggested that these physiological changes enabled the individual to either escape from the source of stress or fight. Within Cannon’s model, stress was defined as a response to external stressors , which was predominantly seen as physiological. Cannon considered stress to be an adaptive response as it enabled the individual to manage a stressful event. However, he also recognized that prolonged stress could result in medical problems. 7 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023

8. Nature of Stress Stress is often explained in terms of characteristics of the environment that are disruptive to the individual . Stressors are events that cause our body to give the stress response. Such events include noise, crowding, a bad relationship, or the daily commuting to school or office. The reaction to external stressors is called ‘strain’ . Different stressors may produce somewhat different patterns of stress reaction, and different individuals may have different characteristic modes of response. Each one of us will see the situation through our own eyes and it is our perception of the demands , and our ability to meet them , which will determine whether we are feeling ‘stressed’ or not . The perception of stress is dependent upon the individual’s cognitive appraisal of events and the resources available to deal with them . 8 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023

9. It is important to remember that not all stress is inherently bad or destructive. ‘ Eustress ’ is the term used to describe the level of stress that is good for you and is one of a person’s best assets for achieving peak performance and managing minor crisis. Eustress motivates people to work hard, improve their performance, and reach their goals, even in the face of challenges. It is what energizes us and motivates us to make a change. It gives us a positive outlook and makes us capable of overcoming obstacles and sickness. Distress describes the negative kind of stress that most people associate with feeling “stressed out”. Distress tends to cause people to feel overwhelmed, anxious, and to experience physical and psychological symptoms like headaches, tension, insomnia, inattentiveness or irritability.  9 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023

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11. Ways to Prevent Distress & Promote Eustress - Focus on the Aspects of the Situation That are Within Your Control - Find Meaning in Difficult and Stressful Situations - Identify Actionable Steps that can Improve the Situation or Prevent a bad Outcome - Address Root Causes of Stress Within Your Life - Practice Self-Compassion - Use Relaxation Techniques to Help You Regulate Stress in the Moment. 11 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023

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13. Stressors There are all kind of factors that can cause stress . They range from physical illness to financial problems, to change of work, to strain relations, to loss of dear one, to social situations. All these stressors can be listed under - Emotional stressors - Family stressors - Social stressors - Change stressors - Chemical stressors - Work stressors - Decision stressors - Commuting stressors - Phobia stressors - Physical stressors - Disease stressors - Pain stressors - Environmental stressors 13 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023

14. Stressors unique to Age and Gender While stress certainly isn't easy to manage at any age, it can become more difficult to cope as you get older for a number of reasons. First, your body can't physically handle stress the same way it did when you were younger. Your stress may also be caused by different factors, which could be more complicated than the issues you faced in your younger years. Men and women report different reactions to stress , both physically and mentally . They attempt to manage stress in very different ways and also perceive their ability to do so and the things that stand in their way. 14 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023

15. Stressor Unique to Age Age Major Stressor Birth to 3 years Helpless to meet needs, body control, environmental obstacles 3–6 years Manage frustration, first conflicts, guilt, self-restraint 6–12 years Feeling inferior, school and sports performance, emotional control, delay gratification 13–18 years Social pressures, drugs, emotional volatility, hormonal changes 19–23 years Loneliness, sexuality, career confusion, financial independence 24-38 years Moving away from home, forming own family, parenting 39–50 years Promotions and advancement at work, family conflicts, economic pressure 51–65 years Loss of parents, empty nest, declining health and functioning 66 to death Dealing with losses, adjusting to changes in health, being marginalized 12/27/2023 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 15

16. Feminine Gender Role and Stressors There are generally five categories of common stressor specifically associated with the female gender 1. Fear of relationships devoid of emotional intimacy 2. Concerns about being physically unattractive 3 . Fear of becoming victimized 4. Apprehension about being involved in interpersonal conflicts that require assertiveness 5. Feeling like a failure in nurturing tasks. If women are asked what they want in a man and they will describe such qualities as sensitive, caring, kind, emotionally expressive, communicative—and successful. To be successful, generally, it requires men being competitive, aggressive, domineering, and emotionally restrictive. From early childhood males have been instilled with socially approved notions of masculinity that include toughness, independence, and task orientation. 16 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023

17. Physiological An individual’s experiences of stress depend on the physiological strength of that person . Thus, individuals with poor physical health and weak constitution would be more vulnerable than would be those who enjoy good health and strong constitution. Psychological Psychological characteristics like mental health , and self concept are relevant to the experience of stress. Cultural The Cultural context in which we live determines the meaning of any event and defines the nature of response that is expected under various conditions. 17 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023 Personality characteristics

18. Appraisal of Stress The perception of stress is dependent upon the individuals cognitive appraisal of events and the resources available to deal with them . An individual’s response to a stressful situation largely depends upon the perceived events and how they are interpreted or appraised. - Primary appraisal Primary appraisal refers to the perception of a new or changing environment as positive, neutral or negative in its consequences. Negative events are appraised for their possible harm , threat or challenge . OR A  primary appraisal  involves judgment about the degree of potential harm or threat to well-being that a stressor might entail. 18 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023

19. - Secondary Appraisal When one perceives an event as stressful, they are likely to make a secondary appraisal, which is the assessment of one’s coping abilities and resources and whether they will be sufficient to meet the harm, threat or challenge of the event . These resources may be mental, physical, personal or social . If one has a positive attitude, health, skills and social support to deal with the crises s/he will feel less stressed. These appraisals are very subjective and will depend on many factors. One factor is the past experience of dealing with such a stressful condition. Another factor is whether the stressful event is perceived as controllable, i.e. whether one has mastery or control over a situation. 19 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023

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21. Signs and Symptoms of Stress The way we respond to stress varies depending upon our personality, early upbringing and life experiences. Everyone has their own pattern of stress response. So the warning signs may vary, as may their intensity. Symptoms of stress can be physical, emotional and behavioral . Any of the symptoms can indicate a degree of stress which, if left unresolved, might have serious implications. 21 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023

22. Types of Stress Three types of stress, viz. physical and environmental, psychological and social. It is important to understand that all these types of stress are interrelated. Physical and Environmental Physical stresses are demands that change the state of our body. We feel strained when we overexert ourselves physically, lack a nutritious diet, suffer and injury, or fail to get enough sleep. Environmental stresses are aspects of our surroundings that are often unavoidable such as air pollution, crowding, noise, heat of the summer, winter cold etc. Another group of environmental stresses are catastrophic events or disasters such as fire, earthquake, floods etc. 22 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023

23. Psychological These are stresses that we generate over selves in our minds and are unique to the person experiencing them. These are internal sources of stress. Some of the important sources of psychological stress are frustration , conflicts , internal and social pressures etc. - Frustration results from the blocking of needs and motives by something or someone that hinders us from achieving a desired goal. There could be a number of causes of frustration such as social discrimination , interpersonal hurt , low grades in school etc. - Conflicts may occur between two or more incompatible needs or motives, e.g. whether to study dance or psychology. You may want to continue studies or take up a job. There may be a conflict of values when you are pressurized to take any action that may be against the values held by you. 23 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023

24. - Internal pressures stem from beliefs based upon expectations from inside us to ourselves such as, ‘ I must do everything perfectly’ . Such expectations can only lead to disappointment. Many of us drive ourselves ruthlessly towards achieving unrealistically high standards in achieving our goals. - Social pressures may be brought about from people who make excessive demands on us. This can cause even greater pressure when we have to work with them. Also, there are people with whom we face interpersonal difficulties , ‘ a personality clash ’ of sorts. 24 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023

25. Social These are induced externally and result from our interaction with other people. Social events like death or illness in the family, strained relationships, trouble with neighbors are some examples of social stresses. These social stresses vary widely from person to person. Attending parties may be stressful for a person who likes to spend quiet evenings at home while an outgoing person may find staying at home in the evenings stressful. Dimensions of Stressors The stresses which people experience also vary in terms of - Intensity (low intensity vs. high intensity) - Duration (short-term vs. long-term) - Complexity ( less complex vs. more complex) - Predictability (unexpected vs. predictable). 25 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023

26. Types of stress Acute stress Acute stress happens to everyone. It’s the body’s immediate reaction to a new and challenging situation . It’s the kind of stress you might feel when you narrowly escape a car accident. These incidents of acute stress don’t normally do you any harm. Episodic acute stress Episodic acute stress is when you have frequent episodes of acute stress. Chronic stress When you have high-stress levels for an extended period of time , you have chronic stress. Long-term stress like this can have a negative impact on your health. It may contribute to: Anxiety, Cardiovascular disease, Depression, High blood pressure, A weakened immune system. Eustress Distress 26 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023

27. Sources of Stress A wide range of events and conditions can generate stress. Each individual have their own personality traits. Some people are sensitive, emotional, competitive in nature other may be relaxed, carefree, patient and less serious . Individuals belonging to first type of personality are more susceptible to stress while that of second type fell less (no) stress. Life Events Changes, both big and small, sudden and gradual affect our life from the moment we are born. We learn to cope with small, everyday changes but major life events can be stressful, because they disturb our routine and cause disorder. 27 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023

28. Hassles These are the personal stresses we endure as individuals, due to the happenings in our daily life, such as noisy surroundings, commuting, quarrelsome neighbors, electricity and water shortage, traffic etc. Traumatic Events These include being involved in a variety of extreme events such as a fire, train or road accident, robbery, earthquake, tsunami, etc. 28 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023

29. 29 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023 Work Stress Chronic work overload Unfair treatment Impossible expectations of your boss Unsupportive or hostile coworkers Inadequate training Lack of recognition or rewards Your values conflict with boss or coworkers Unpleasant work environment Lack of clear direction about priorities

30. 12/27/2023 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 30 Common External Factors of Stress ( Are stress that comes from the outside to us ) Major life changes Relationship difficulties Financial problems Trauma Children and family Noise Toxins/Pollution Common Internal Causes of Stress ( Comes from inside us ) Feelings of anger, fear and chronic worry Anticipation Negative self-talk Unrealistic expectations/Perfectionism Rigid thinking, lack of flexibility All-or-nothing attitude

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32. Effects Of Stress On Psychological Functioning And Health There are four major effects of stress associated with the stressed state, viz. emotional, physiological , cognitive, and behavioral . Emotional Effects Those who suffer from stress are far more likely to experience mood swings , and show erratic behavior that may alienate them from family and in some cases this can start a vicious circle of decreasing confidence , leading to more serious emotional problems. 32 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023

33. Physiological Effects When the human body is placed under physical or psychological stress, it increases the production of certain hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol . These hormones produce marked changes in heart rate , blood pressure levels and physical activity. Cognitive Effects If pressures due to stress continue, one may suffer from mental overload. This suffering from high level of stress can rapidly cause individuals to lose their ability to make sound decisions . Faulty decisions made at home, in career, or at workplace may lead to arguments, failure, financial loss or even loss of job. Cognitive effects of stress are poor concentration , and reduced short-term memory capacity. 33 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023

34. Behavioral Effects Stress affects our behavior in the form of eating less nutritional food , increasing intake of stimulants such as caffeine, excessive consumption of cigarettes, alcohol and other drugs. Some of the typical behavioral effects of stress seen are disrupted sleep patterns , increased absenteeism , and reduced work performance. 34 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023

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37. Suggestions to reduce Stress Find a support system. Find someone to talk to about your feelings and experiences . Change your attitude. Find other ways to think about stressful situations. "Life is 10% what happens to us, and 90% how we react to it." Be realistic. Set practical goals for dealing with situations and solving problems. Develop realistic expectations of yourself and others . Get organized and take charge. Being unorganized or engaging in poor planning often leads to frustration or crisis situations, which most always leads to feeling stressed. Plan your time, make a schedule, establish your priorities. 37 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023

38. Take breaks, give yourself "me time." Learn that taking time to yourself for rejuvenation and relaxation is just as important as giving time to other activities. Learn to say "no." Learn to pick and choose which things you will say "yes" to and which things you will not. Protect yourself by not allowing yourself to take on every request or opportunity that comes your way. Get regular exercise Get a hobby, do something different Slow down Know your limits and cut down on the number of things you try to do each day, particularly if you do not have enough time for them or for yourself. Laugh, use humor Learn to relax Develop a regular relaxation routine. Try yoga, meditation, or some simple quiet time. 38 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023

39. Coping with Stress Coping is a dynamic situation-specific reaction to stress. It is a set of concrete responses to stressful situations or events that are intended to resolve the problem and reduce stress. Task-oriented Strategy This involves obtaining information about the stressful situation and about alternative courses of action and their probable outcome ; it also involves deciding priorities and acting so as to deal directly with the stressful situation. Emotion-oriented Strategy This can involve efforts to maintain hope and to control one’s emotions. Avoidance-oriented Strategy This involves denying or minimising the seriousness of the situation ; it also involves conscious suppression of stressful thoughts and their replacement by self- protective thoughts. 39 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023

40. Stress Management Techniques Relaxation Techniques Meditation, Deep Breathing, Aromatherapy, Massage therapy Exercise- Walking, Yoga, Stretching, Swimming, Running Nutrition- Eat a balanced diet, Stay hydrated with plenty of water. Avoid processed foods, Reduce caffeine consumption, Avoid alcohol, Take appropriate nutritional supplements. Sufficient Rest- Get plenty of sleep, Take a few short breaks throughout the day, Allow your mind to rest periodically. 40 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023

41. Goal setting - Break major projects/tasks down into achievable goals, Set milestones for goal achievement, Track progress toward goal accomplishment, Reward yourself for progress. Proactive Communication- Express your feelings to those who are involved in the stressful circumstances in your life. Seek Counseling or Therapy Deal with Circumstances 41 K Deepak Rao, Associate Professor, A.J. Institute of Management 12/27/2023