Recognizing stress

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 364.

Stress

a) read the following information

Crowded, noisy or otherwise uncomfortable working conditions can often be a source of stress. Stress is the tension and pressure that results when individual views situations as presenting a demand that threatens to exceed his or her capabilities or resources.[7] Stressors, sources of pressure and tension, can cause stress. Usually role overload is a major cause of stress at work. There are two kinds of overload. Quantitative overloading occurs when a person has more work than he/she can do. Qualitative overloading occurs when the employee lacks the abilities needed to complete the job well. Underloading occurs when a person who does not have enough to do faces boredom and monotony.

Stress can lead to burnout, i.e. to state of emotional, mental, physical exhaustion that results from continued exposure to high stress.

The ability to handle stress is a function of the following characteristics: personal style and personality (how a person perceives, interprets, responds to some stressful situations), social support (the extent to which families, friends provide emotional support), constitutional predisposition (how healthy a person can be in terms of inborn physical construction), health practices (the extent to which a person can stay in good physical condition through exercise).

One of the best ways to avoid stress is to perceive problems optimistically. Relaxation training, mediation, biofeedback (control high blood pressure) can be popular among people fighting against stress.[8]

b) answer the questions:

1. What is stress?

2. What causes stress?

3. What are stressors?

4. What types of load are there?

5. What can characterize stress management?

6. How do you usually avoid stress, if you have any?

7. Do you like working under pressure? Why or why not?

8. What deadlines do you have to meet in your daily life?

9. Are you a workaholic? Why do people become workaholics?

10. How do you relax?

11. Which do you think is the most stressful job?

c) Rank the situations from 1 to 10 (least stressful). Explain your choice.

1) making a speech

2) speaking English

3) entering a college

4) meeting your boyfriend / girlfriend for the first time

5) being stuck in a traffic jam

6) flying

7) shopping

8) arguing your teacher / boss

9) having an interview

10) falling an love

One of the problems with stress is that we become less capable of rational thought about our situation. There are some signs of stress. They may be: difficult sleeping, worrying about things, having headaches, asthma or eczema, drinking more than is good for you, irritability, forgetting things, general feelings of tenseness.[9]

a) do the exercises:

1. List all the pressures or other factors in your life, which are contributing to your feelings of stress. Remember to consider things to do with your life in general, with your work. Divide them into those things which can changed and those, which can't.

2. Work out an action plan, with deadlines, for reducing your stress levels. It would show planning and control skills and may show effective time-management and interpersonal skills, as well as an understanding of, and ability to practise, one important aspect of stress management.