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Business Management Stress and You
Business Management Stress and You
| Stress and You |
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| Written by Dr Jeff Bailey |
| Tuesday, 23 September 2008 07:48 |
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Let us begin with the obvious question - are you stressed? Is it normal to be stressed? What do you think? Do your family and friends constantly use a lot of idiom to suggest you relax, for example, Cool it, Hang loose, Don't sweat the small stuff, Loosen up and so on? Do you have the tools and skills to manage and relieve your stress? If your stress levels are being commented on, friends and families might see you as a tense and stressed individual. Of course, this might be your personality or personal style. You might think that other people are far too relaxed, even sloppy in their attitudes. Whereas you are well-organized, responsible, efficient, and let's face it - uptight! There are many tests that purport to measure personality. The Myer-Briggs, the most commonly used test in industry, has the dimensions sensing, feeling, judging, introversion etc. The most relevant characterization of stress and anxiety came from an American cardiologist, Milton Friedman who determined there were two personality types - Type A (uptight, driven) and Type B (calm, relaxed). The issue for Friedman was whether the Type A person was likely to be one of his prime candidates for cardiac surgery. No one wants to be THAT stressed. We are stressed when a range of activities (stressors) in our daily lives present us with challenges, alternatives, decisions, complex or unpleasant events or interactions. From a technical point of view, a stressor is something that speeds up our reaction or response levels. Our body has been conditioned to fight or flee. Our physiological response is to pump adrenaline or cortisol into our system to prepare us for the challenges. People respond differently to those factors that cause them stress. Some people are unable to handle financial difficulties while other people seem to be able to cope quite well with money worries. For some people the biggest stress occurs within their relationships. For others it is personal or family illness that makes them feel tired, worried and exhausted. Everyone experiences stress. Some psychologists believe that stress can be good for you but only in small doses. There is a positive stress which is called eustress. Distress creates significant emotional and physical discomfort. If stress last for a long time, the negative effects can be dangerous. When stress is positive (this is called eustress) we are motivated and/or compelled to act. When we respond to a horror movie, when we are excited into action by new productivity or sales targets at work, when we think about a particularly exciting date, when we compete in a track or field event, and even when we get ready for a picnic we are experiencing positive stress. Our body is getting pumped up and is responding psychologically, emotionally and physically to this new event so that we can perform at a high level. All of this is good; positive stress builds up our energy levels and our readiness to perform at a higher level and to respond to the stimulus event. There are many words that we use when stress has become a danger to us. People tell me that they are burnt out or stressed out. They feel that they are less effective. Some people show physical symptoms of stress, for example, they might get rashes on their arms or neck. Some people show clinical symptoms like anxiety and irritability. Unfortunately very few people have been lucky enough to be taught practical and effective stress management strategies. In order to be able to reduce the stress in our lives, we need information and strategies. Both must have an evidence base so that we are reading accurate information and using well proven and effective strategies for stress management and reduction. About the Author: Psychologist, Dr Jeff, provides stress therapy. Why tolerate stress? Learn how to overcome stress. Click here for the free What is Stress by Dr Jeff. Don't let stress ruin your life for another minute. Get moving - learn how to relieve stress. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service Kindly provided by MoneyHunter.org You are welcome to use this article on your own website, if you include the link just before this text. |
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