Group 7M

Members-
Savvy Rai
Khushi Roy
Aanchal Malhotra
Rohan Singhal
Parth Gupta
Nachiketa Datt
Stress is the body's reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response.
The body reacts to these changes with physical, mental, and emotional response. It is a
normal part of life, you can experience it from your environment, your body, and your
thoughts.

THE NON-SPECIFIC RESPONSE OF THE BODY TO ANY DEMAND MADE UPON IT

 Stages of stress
1. ALARM REACTION – Under this stage, an initial shock phase of lowered
resistance is followed by counter-shock during which an individual’s
defence mechanisms are activated.
2. RESISTANCE – It is the stage of maximum adaptation when the
individual restores the equilibrium.
3. EXHAUSTION – If the stressor continues or defence mechanism falters,
individual moves to this stage.

Alarm Resistance Exhaustion

 Nature of stress
 It is the body’s reaction to a perceived threat which requires either
FIGHT or FLIGHT in a stressful situation.
 Stress does not necessarily be treated like a negative effect it can
be positive also if it is used to one’s benefit. It is an opportunity
when it offers potential gain. This type of stress is called Eustress.
 Although if it is not handled well and keeps on adding up it may
effect the health of the individual and may lead to poor
performance. This type of stress is called Distress.
 Work stressors
The factors which have the potential to cause stress are known as stressors.
These factors may be grouped under two headings-
 Organizational stressors- These are various factors in the workplace that
can cause stress.
 Individual stressors- Stressors at thee individual level may arise in the
context of personal life or organizational life.
 Organizational Stressors
Task Demands- Threats to job security can increase stress dramatically. The uncertainty of job
security, career progress

Role Demands-Role ambiguity, role conflict and responsibility towards people and things can
be sources of stress in the organizational role.

Interpersonal relationships at work-Poor relations, low supportiveness and lack of adequate

social support

Organizational Structure and Climate- A threat to one’s identity, freedom and autonomy.

Organizational Leadership- Leadership styles may also cause stress. A leader with no concern
or compassion may cause the employee to feel stressed.

Group pressures- The pressure to conform to the group norms may cause stress in the
individual, especially if acceptance by the group is important to the individual.
 Individual Stressors
Career Development- Incongruity of status and lack of job security are the two major stressors under
this

Type A and B personality Profiles- There are two identified types of personality profiles; Type A and
Type B. Type A has a chronic sense of urgency and competitive nature while Type B is the exact opposite
with no urgency of time and the ability to relax without guilt. The stress experienced by an individual will
also be dependant on their personality type.

Life Change- Any meaningful change in life could lead to stress; this could be direct and indirect.

Life Trauma- A life trauma is a disruption in an individual’s life that alters one’s emotions, behaviours
and perceptions. It has a more narrower and short term focus than life change.
 Symptoms of stress
Common effects of stress

Stress symptoms affect the health, even though you might On your body On your mood On your behavior
not realize it. One might think illness is to blame for an Headache Anxiety Overeating or
irritating headache, or frequent insomnia or your undereating
decreased productivity at work. But stress may actually be
the cause. Muscle tension or Restlessness Angry outbursts
pain
Stress symptoms can affect your body, your thoughts and
feelings, and your behavior. Being able to recognize Chest pain Lack of motivation Drug or alcohol
common stress symptoms can help manage them. Stress or focus misuse
that's left unchecked can contribute to many health Fatigue Feeling Tobacco use
problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, overwhelmed
obesity and diabetes. Change in sex Irritability or Social withdrawal
drive anger
Stomach upset Sadness or Exercising less
depression often
 Symptoms of stress
1. Psychological Symptoms- Irritability and anger can become common traits in people who are
stressed. Higher levels of anger were associated with both mental stress and the possibility of a
stress-related heart attack. Another investigated the stress-response pathways in the brain and
their effect on long-term memory. Researchers found that certain hormones following a stressful
or traumatic event can have the ability to impair memory.

2. Behavioral Symptoms- Changes in productivity, sleeping disorders and rapid speech are
attributed to stress. There has long been a link between stress and addictive behaviors.
One expanded on the idea that stress-related changes in the brain may play a role in the
development of addiction. According to the researchers, chronic stress can change the physical
nature of the brain to promote habit- and addiction-forming behaviors.

3. Physiological Symptoms- Stress is attributable to changes in metabolism, increasing heart

rates and breathing rates, increased blood pressure, headaches and inducing heart attacks.
However, the direct link between stress and physiological symptoms is not clear.
 Levels of stress
1. Low stress – This happens when there is not enough motivation to
complete the work. Everyone just drags themselves to pass the time,
leading to low performance an dull health.
2. Optimum stress – This is the correct amount of stress one should be
under, as it helps to motivate and keeps the determination, leading to
high performance and energetic environment.
3. High stress - This exhausts the state of mind of the person leading to
mental illness, poor performance, nervousness and anxiety
 Levels of stress
Basis Low Stress Optimum Stress High Stress
1.Reaction Boredom/Apathy High Energy Exhaustion
2.Behaviour Low Motivation High Motivation Anxiety And
Careless mistakes Heightened Nervousness
Psychological Perception Indecisiveness
Withdrawal, Physical High Bad Judgment
Withdrawal, Inactivity Involvement
3.Performance Low Performance High Performance Poor Performance
4.Health Effects Dull Health Good Health Insomnia, Psychosomatic
Illness
Stress relationship with performance
There is a significant relationship between
stress and performance, known by the
inverted-U figure. A proper balance should
be maintained in stress (optimum stress) in
order to achieve best possible results. Not
too little or too much pressure is adequate.
In optimum stress there is high energy,
motivation and determination.
The moderation of the Inverted-U relationship can be done by two
contingencies.
1. The type of job
2. The personality of the individual.

As long as a proper balance is maintained the work shall

continue smoothly.
 Consequences of stress

Stress is the Spice of life. Complete freedom from stress only

in death. Stress becomes distress when we begin to sense a
loss of our feelings of security and adequacy. It may produce
physical behavior, psychological and physiological
consequences
 Consequences For The Individual
 Physical Consequences
The physical or medical consequences of stress affects a person’s physical
wellbeing. Heart disease and stroke, among other illnesses, have been linked to
stress. Other common medical problems resulting for too much stress include
headache, backaches, ulcers can related stomach and intestinal disorders, and skin
conditions such as acne and hives.
 Behavioral Consequences
The behavioral consequences of stress may harm the person under stress or
others. One such other behavior is smoking. Research has clearly documented that
people who tend to smoke more when they experience stress. Other such
behavioral consequences are alcohol and drug abuse, violence, appetite disorders
and accident proneness.
 Consequences For The Individual
 Psychological Consequences
The psychological consequences of stress relate to a person’s mental health
and well being. When people experience too much stress at work, they may
become depressed or find themselves sleeping too much or not enough
 Consequences For The Organisation
The consequences of stress on individuals may have both direct and indirect
impact on the organisation. Specifically, the organisation is affected in terms
of the following parameters:
 Too much stress might led to decline in performance of the individuals.
Thus, overall productivity and quality will suffer leading to reduced
margins of profit.
 The individuals under stress may withdraw from the scene. There may be
increased rates of absenteeism and labour turnover. An employee may
withdraw psychologically ceasing to care about the organisation.
 Consequences For The Organisation
 Another direct organizational consequences of employee stress relates to
the attitudes. Job satisfaction, morale and organizational commitment can
all suffer, along with motivation to perform at high levels.
 Decision making might be delayed or even poor decisions might be taken if
the decision makers re under excessive stress.
 If the stress is common among employees, it will hamper communication
and human relations in the organisation.
 Prevention of stress
Preventative stress management is a corporate philosophy that
concerned with eliminating stress and improving employee health.
 Stress is inevitable from human life, there is no way out but to cope
with stress or fight with it.
 There are 2 strategies that can help the employees to cope with the
stress-
 At the organisational level
 At employee level
 Levels of prevention
 The first stage of preventative stress management is called
primary prevention and deals with the overall reduction or
elimination of the stressor causing the individual stress.
 Secondary prevention is the next stage of eliminating
stress. This steep helps molds the individual or companies
reaction to the stressor.
 The last stage of prevention is the tertiary prevention
which focuses on healing the individual or organisation from
the symptoms caused by the stress.
 At the organisational level
 Organisational role clarity- People experience stress when they are not
clear about what they are expected to do in an organisation. Such a situation
can be overcome by defining each role more clearly. Role analysis helps to
clarify what is expected hence reducing stress.
 Job redesign- properly designed jobs ad work schedules can help ease
stress.
 Stress reduction/management programmes- stress reduction
programmes aim to identify relevant organisational stressors and then to
reduce their effects by redesigning.
 Supporting organisation climate- many stressors emerge because of faulty
policies and practices. This can be controlled by creating supportive
organisational climate.
 Counselling- it is the discussion of the problem by the counsellor with an
employee and it helps in stress reduction.
 At the individual level
 Relaxation- coping with stress requires relaxation. One way to relax is to
take regular vacations. People can also relax while on the job by sitting
quietly with closed eyes for 5-10 minutes.
 Role management- individual avoid role overload,role ambiguity,role
conflict. A worker should accept extra work only if he feels he will be able
to do that.
 Meditation- it involves quiet,concentrated inner thought in order to rest
the body physically and emotionally. It helps a person from relieving
stress.
 Support group- it is a group of family and friends with whom a person
can share his feelings.
Stress management is a wide spectrum of techniques 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 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.
.
Meditation
Meditation is commonly used for relaxation and stress reduction.
Meditation is considered a type of mind-body complementary medicine. Meditation can produce
a deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind. During meditation, you focus your attention and
eliminate the stream of jumbled thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress.
This process may result in enhanced physical and emotional well-being.

Spend time with family and friends

Social support from friends and family can help you get through stressful times.
Being part of a friend network gives you a sense of belonging and self-worth, which can help you
in tough times.
effect is called "tend and befriend," and is the opposite of the fight-or-flight response.
A study found that men and women with the fewest social connections were more likely to suffer
from depression and anxiety.

Job redesign
Job may be a source of stress to many individuals. Properly designed jobs and work schedules
can help ease stress in the individuals and the organization.
Exercise
Exercise is one of the most important things you can do to combat stress.
It might seem contradictory, but putting physical stress on your body through exercise can relieve mental stress.
The benefits are strongest when you exercise regularly. People who exercise regularly are less likely to experience anxiety
than those who don't exercise.
There are a few reasons behind this:
•Stress hormones: Exercise lowers your body's stress hormones — such as cortisol — in the long run.
It also helps release endorphins, which are chemicals that improve your mood and act as natural painkillers.
•Sleep: Exercise can also improve your sleep quality , which can be negatively affected by stress and anxiety.
•Confidence: When you exercise regularly, you may feel more competent and confident in your body,
which in turn promotes mental wellbeing.
Relaxation
Relaxation techniques include a number of practices such as progressive
relaxation, guided imagery, biofeedback, self-hypnosis, and deep breathing exercises.
The goal is similar in all: to produce the body's natural relaxation response,
characterized by slower breathing, lower blood pressure, and a feeling of
increased well-being.
Meditation and practices that include meditation with movement, such
as yoga and tai chi, can also promote relaxation.

Counselling
Counselling takes place when a counsellor sees a client in a private and confidential
setting to explore a difficulty the client is having, distress they may be experiencing
or perhaps their dissatisfaction with life, or loss of a sense of direction and purpose.
Acceptance and respect for the client are essentials for a counsellor and as the
relationship develops, so too does trust between the counsellor and client, enabling
the client to look at many aspects of their life, their relationships and themselves
which they may not have considered or been able to face before.
5 golden principles of stress free life

Positive
Proper Proper Proper thinking A proper
exercise relaxation breathing and diet
meditation
 Case Study
Stress case study – NHS Hospital Trust
The situation
An NHS Trust ran an employee well-being programme - this identified a potential
issue with work-related stress. They decided to take a more proactive,
preventative approach to managing stress-related ill health.
Assessing the risks
The Trust gathered data on:
rates of sickness absence
how much sickness was due to stress and anxiety
staff turnover
employee relations
grievance and disciplinary issues
Developing solutions
 A steering group was set up, led by the Director of Workforce Organization
Development. The group was made up of staff, trade union representatives and a
consultant clinical psychologist.
 The Trust held informal ‘coffee table sessions’ where staff could share their
ideas. An independent psychologist acted as the facilitator and created a non-
judgmental environment, which helped people to contribute. The steering group
developed some ideas into solutions, consulted on them and implemented
them.
 A ‘hot spot’ approach was taken, identifying departments which needed action
most. Measures used were:
1)sickness absence records
2)analysis of how much sickness was due to stress or anxiety
3)staff turnover figures
4)employee relations data
 More in-depth, qualitative surveys provided additional data for the risk
assessment. This informed the plan for intervention.
 Unions were involved at every stage. Their contribution was invaluable
and gave the project added credibility. Staff felt they had a voice and could
participate in discussions about the process, as well as in the process itself.
 The solutions developed for these hot spots were assessed for their
potential to be rolled out to other areas of the Trust. A record of the
lessons learned was kept.
 Results
 By raising awareness of work-related stress and encouraging early
reporting and therefore intervention, sickness absence was reduced, with
savings in salary costs
 There were also signs of cultural change, including:
 Clearer communication between managers and staff
 Greater ownership of change
 Increased recognition of the need to encourage peer support
 Improved communication within the organisation
 Improvements in constructive and positive feedback throughout the
organisation
Thank You!