Stress Management

(Project Report)

Made by:
Adil Hussain Khan 9997
Owais Nathani 10218
Danish Mujtaba 10115

Course:
Organizational Behaviour

Submitted To:
Sir Humayu Zafar Chaudry

Date:
09th December 2010

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 Preface

The study of Organizational Behavior is one of the important

criteria in the corporate sector. Organizational Behavior is a key of success
for an organization. By this report we will be able to know to reduce the
stress level of the employees working in an organization. By this way the
productivity of the employee increases.

Now a day the corporate sector is booming in a high speed that

the people have to work for prolonged hours to maintain the standard of
living and achieve their basic needs. So is the condition in the hospitals,
colleges, BPO’s and lots of other places. In spit of having the modern
technologies and facilities, people are feeling themselves to be work loaded
and stressed. Stress arises because of many reasons which are discussed in
the following project. The project report also contain techniques how to
reduce the stress and overcome such problems.

Stress arises because of unfulfilled wants, lack of job satisfaction

etc. before starting the topic of stress; let’s first understand what actually
stress is.

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

To make this report we got the help from our parents who have
given full support to carry out this work. They are the one who motivated
and helped us for the completion of this project report.

Further, we would like to thank to our teacher Sir. Humayu Zafar

Chaudry who has given full support and co operated with us to complete
this report. Then we would like to thank our class mates who have
supported us. I am also thankful to Dr. Munawer Hussain (Lecturer DAW
Medical College) who provided us the relevant information for our report.

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 Executive Summery

This project gives us a detailed idea of what is stress and also the definition
of stress is been defined. For more detailed study the types of the stress is also defined.
By looking at the starting of the project you will find:

o Introduction and Definition of stress

o Stress in biological terms
o What is stress?
o Coping with stress at work place.
o Stress management
o Workplace stress
o Reducing of stress.

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 INDEX

No Content Page no
Concept of stress 6

1 Introduction to stress 6
2 Stress in Biological terms 11
3 What is stress 12
4 Coping with stress at workplace 16
5 Stress Management 18
6 Workplace stress 21
7 Reduce your stress 25

Conclusion 30
Bibliography 32

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 1. CONCEPT OF STRESS

(1) INTRODUCTION TO STRESS

A lot of research has been conducted into stress over the last hundred years.
Some of the theories behind it are now settled and accepted; others are still being
researched and debated. During this time, there seems to have been something
approaching open warfare between competing theories and definitions: Views have
been passionately held and aggressively defended.

What complicates this is that intuitively we all feel that we know what stress
is, as it is something we have all experienced. A definition should therefore be
obvious…except that it is not.

Definition:

Hans Selye was one of the founding fathers of stress research. His view in
1956 was that “stress is not necessarily something bad – it all depends on how you take
it. The stress of exhilarating, creative successful work is beneficial, while that of failure,
humiliation or infection is detrimental.” Selye believed that the biochemical effects of
stress would be experienced irrespective of whether the situation was positive or
negative.

Since then, a great deal of further research has been conducted, and ideas
have moved on. Stress is now viewed as a "bad thing", with a range of harmful
biochemical and long-term effects. These effects have rarely been observed in positive
situations.

The most commonly accepted definition of stress (mainly attributed to

Richard S Lazarus) is that stress is a condition or feeling experienced when a person

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perceives that “demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is
able to mobilize.” In short, it's what we feel when we think we've lost control of events.

This is the main definition used by this section of Mind Tools, although we
also recognize that there is an intertwined instinctive stress response to unexpected
events. The stress response inside us is therefore part instinct and part to do with the
way we think.

The types of stress are as follows

Mechanical

 Stress (physics), the average amount of force exerted per unit area.
 Yield stress, the stress at which a material begins to deform plastically.
 Compressive stress, the stress applied to materials resulting in their compaction.

Biological

 Stress (biological), physiological or psychological stress; some types include:

o Chronic stress, persistent stress which can lead to illness and mental
disorder
o Eustress, positive stress that can lead to improved long-term functioning
o Workplace stress, stress caused by employment

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 Stress (physics), the average amount of force exerted per unit area.

Stress is a measure of the average amount of force exerted per unit area. It is a
measure of the intensity of the total internal forces acting within a body across
imaginary internal surfaces, as a reaction to external applied forces and body forces.
It was introduced into the theory of elasticity by Cauchy around 1822. Stress is a
concept that is based on the concept of continuum. In general, stress is expressed as

Where

Is the average stress, also called engineering or nominal stress, and

Is the force acting over the area .

Chronic Stress

Chronic stress is stress that lasts a long time or occurs frequently. Chronic stress is
potentially damaging.

Symptoms of chronic stress can be:

 upset stomach
 headache
 backache
 insomnia
 anxiety
 depression
 anger

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In the most severe cases it can lead to panic attacks or a panic disorder.

There are a variety of methods to control chronic stress, including exercise, healthy diet,
stress management, relaxation techniques, adequate rest, and relaxing hobbies.

Ensuring a healthy diet containing magnesium may help control or eliminate stress, in
those individuals with lower levels of magnesium or those who have a magnesium
deficiency. Chronic stress can also lead to a magnesium deficiency, which can be a factor
in continued chronic stress, and a whole host of other negative medical conditions
caused by a magnesium deficiency.

It has been discovered that there is a huge upsurge in the number of people who suffer
from this condition. A very large number of these new cases suffer from insomnia.

In a review of the scientific literature on the relationship between stress and disease,
the authors found that stress plays a role in triggering or worsening depression and
cardiovascular disease and in speeding the progression of HIV/AIDS.

Compressive stress:

Compressive stress is the stress applied to materials resulting in their

compaction (decrease of volume). When a material is subjected to compressive stress,
then this material is under compression. Usually, compressive stress applied to bars,
columns, etc. leads to shortening.

Loading a structural element or a specimen will increase the compressive stress until the
reach of compressive strength. According to the properties of the material, failure will
occur as yield for materials with ductile behavior (most metals, some soils and plastics)
or as rupture for brittle behavior (geometries, cast iron, glass, etc).

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In long, slender structural elements -- such as columns or truss bars -- an increase of
compressive force F leads to structural failure due to buckling at lower stress than the
compressive strength.

Compressive stress has stress units (force per unit area), usually with negative values to
indicate the compaction. However in geotechnical engineering, compressive stress is
represented with positive values.

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(2) Stress in Biological terms:

Stress is a biological term which refers to the consequences of the failure of a human or
animal body to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats to the organism,
whether actual or imagined. It includes a state of alarm and adrenaline production,
short-term resistance as a coping mechanism, and exhaustion. It refers to the inability of
a human or animal body to respond. Common stress symptoms include irritability,
muscular tension, inability to concentrate and a variety of physical reactions, such as
headaches and accelerated heart rate.

The term "stress" was first used by the endocrinologist Hans Selye in the 1930s to
identify physiological responses in laboratory animals. He later broadened and
popularized the concept to include the perceptions and responses of humans trying to
adapt to the challenges of everyday life. In Selye's terminology, "stress" refers to the
reaction of the organism, and "stressor" to the perceived threat. Stress in certain
circumstances may be experienced positively. Eustress, for example, can be an adaptive
response prompting the activation of internal resources to meet challenges and achieve
goals.

The term is commonly used by laypersons in a metaphorical rather than literal or

biological sense, as a catch-all for any perceived difficulties in life. It also became a
euphemism, a way of referring to problems and eliciting sympathy without being
explicitly confessional, just "stressed out". It covers a huge range of phenomena from
mild irritation to the kind of severe problems that might result in a real breakdown of
health. In popular usage almost any event or situation between these extremes could be
described as stressful.

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(3) what is Stress?

Stress refers to the strain from the conflict between our external environment and us,
leading to emotional and physical pressure. In our fast paced world, it is impossible to
live without stress, whether you are a student or a working adult. There is both positive
and negative stress, depending on each individual’s unique perception of the tension
between the two forces. Not all stress is bad. For example, positive stress, also known as
eustress, can help an individual to function at optimal effectiveness and efficiency.

Hence, it is evident that some form of positive stress can add more color and vibrancy to
our lives. The presence of a deadline, for example, can push us to make the most of our
time and produce greater efficiency. It is important to keep this in mind, as stress
management refers to using stress to our advantage, and not on eradicating the
presence of stress in our lives.

On the other hand, negative stress can result in mental and physical strain. The
individual will experience symptoms such as tensions, headaches, irritability and in
extreme cases, heart palpitations. Hence, whilst some stress may be seen as a
motivating force, it is important to manage stress levels so that it does not have an
adverse impact on your health and relationships.

Part of managing your stress levels include learning about how stress can affect you
emotionally and physically, as well as how to identify if you are performing at your
optimal stress level (OSL) or if you are experiencing negative stress. This knowledge will
help you to identify when you need to take a break, or perhaps seek professional help. It
is also your first step towards developing techniques to managing your stress levels.

Modern day stresses can take the form of monetary needs, or emotional frictions.
Competition at work and an increased workload can also cause greater levels of stress.
How do you identify if you are suffering from excessive stress? Psychological symptoms
commonly experienced include insomnia, headaches and an inability to focus. Physical

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symptoms take the form of heart palpitations, breathlessness, excessive sweating and
stomachaches.

What causes stress? There are many different causes of stress, and that which causes
stress is also known as a stressor. Common lifestyle stressors include performance,
threat, and bereavement stressors, to name a few. Performance stressors are triggered
when an individual is placed in a situation where he feels a need to excel. This could be
during performance appraisals, lunch with the boss, or giving a speech. Threat stressors
are usually when the current situation poses a dangerous threat, such as an economic
downturn, or from an accident. Lastly, bereavement stressors occur when there is a
sense of loss such as the death of a loved one, or a prized possession.

Thus, there are various stressors, and even more varied methods and techniques of
dealing with stress and turning it to our advantages. In order to do so, we must learn to
tell when we have crossed the line from positive to negative stress.

Good stress v/s Bad stress:

Stress has often been misunderstood to be negative, with few people acknowledging
the importance and usefulness of positive stress. In our everyday lives, stress is
everywhere and definitely unavoidable; hence our emphasis should be on
differentiating between what is good stress, and what is bad. This will help us to learn to
cope with negative stress, and harness the power of positive stress to help us achieve
more.

There are 4 main categories of stress, namely eustress, distress, hyper stress and hypo
stress. Negative stress can cause many physical and psychological problems, whilst
positive stress can be very helpful for us. Here’s how we differentiate between them.

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Eustress:
this is a positive form of stress, which prepares your mind and body for the imminent
challenges that it has perceived. Eustress is a natural physical reaction by your body
which increases blood flow to your muscles, resulting in a higher heart rate. Athletes
before a competition or perhaps a manager before a major presentation would do well
with eustress, allowing them to derive the inspiration and strength that is needed.

Distress
We are familiar with this word, and know that it is a negative form of stress. This occurs
when the mind and body is unable to cope with changes, and usually occurs when there
are deviations from the norm. They can be categorized into acute stress and chronic
stress. Acute stress is intense, but does not last for long. On the other hand, chronic
stress persists over a long period of time. Trigger events for distress can be a change in
job scope or routine that the person is unable to handle or cope with.

Hyper stress
This is another form of negative stress that occurs when the individual is unable to cope
with the workload. Examples include highly stressful jobs, which require longer working
hours than the individual can handle. If you suspect that you are suffering from hyper
stress, you are likely to have sudden emotional breakdowns over insignificant issues, the
proverbial straws that broke the camel’s back. It is important for you to recognize that
your body needs a break, or you may end up with severe and chronic physical and
psychological reactions.

Hypo stress
Lastly, hypo stress occurs when a person has nothing to do with his time and feels

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constantly bored and unmotivated. This is due to an insufficient amount of stress; hence
some stress is inevitable and helpful to us. Companies should avoid having workers who
experience hypo stress as this will cause productivity and mindfulness to fall. If the job
scope is boring and repetitive, it would be a good idea to implement some form of job
rotation so that there is always something new to learn.

The types of stress are named as eustress and distress. Distress is the most
commonly-referred to type of stress, having negative implications, whereas eustress is a
positive form of stress, usually related to desirable events in person's life. Both can be
equally taxing on the body, and are cumulative in nature, depending on a person's way
of adapting to a change that has caused it.

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(4) Coping with Stress at Work place

With the rapid advancement of technology, the stresses faced at work have also
increased. Many people dread going to work, hence the term “Monday Blues”. What is
the reason for this? There is partly the fear from being retrenched in bad times, leading
to greater job insecurity on the part of those who remain. Undoubtedly, occupational
stress is one of the most commonly cited stressors faced by people all over the world.

Stress refers to the pressure and reactions to our environment which results in
psychological and physical reactions. Whilst some stress is good for motivation and
increasing efficiency, too much stress can result in negative impacts such as reduced
effectiveness and efficiency. More and more people are feeling isolated and
disrespected at work, and this has led to greater occupational stress. Many companies
have taken to consulting experts and professionals on ways to increase connectedness
and motivation of their employees.

Some companies organize parties and make their employees feel valued at work. These
are measures to motivate employees and help them to feel secure at their jobs,
translating into greater productivity. However, not all companies have such measures in
place, and some have not gotten it quite right. Hence, it is up to you to make sure that
you can cope with stress at your workplace, and use it to help you work better. Here are
3 simple steps to help you with coping with stress in the workplace.

Step 1: Raising Awareness

Help yourself to identify when you are facing rising levels of stress, tipping the scales
from positive to negative. This is important, as being able to identify signs of being
stressed can help you to take steps to ensure that your overall quality of life does not
drop. If left unacknowledged, the problem will only snowball, leading to disastrous
consequences to your health and overall wellbeing.

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You can identify if you are feeling stressed by checking if you have any physical or
psychological reactions, such as excessive sweating or heart palpitations, or the onset of
headaches, irritability or the need to escape. If you experience any of these reactions,
identify if you are feeling any overwhelming negative emotions, and if you are
constantly worried.

Step 2: Identify the Cause

You need to be able to analyze the situation and identify what is causing the rise in
stress. These stressors can be external and internal. External stressors refer to things
beyond your control, such as the environment or your colleagues at work. Internal
stressors refer to your own thinking and attitude. Often, we only start reacting to stress
when a combination of stressors working together exceeds our ability to cope.

Keep a diary or a list of events that have caused you to feel strong negative emotions, or
that are likely stressors. This will help you to identify the causes of your stress. Whilst it
is not always possible to eradicate them, we can change the way that we cope with it.

Step 3: Coping with Stress

In order to deal with the situation that is causing you stress, you need to calm your mind
and body so as to stave off the reactions and cope with it in a positive way. This can be
through different methods, such as taking time off. If a situation is triggering your stress
and you are unable to calm down, remove yourself from it. Go outside and take a walk
to calm down. Alternatively, you can try implementing relaxation techniques such as
deep breathing. If it is an internal stressor, stop your thought process until you are able
to deal with it logically.

The key to making these 3 steps work for you is to practice them. These are not
instantaneous solutions, and you need to condition your mind and practice them so that
you can implement it when you are feeling stressed.

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(5) Stress Management

Stress management is the need of the hour. However hard we try to go

beyond a stress situation, life seems to find new ways of stressing us out and plaguing
us with anxiety attacks. Moreover, be it our anxiety, mind-body exhaustion or our erring
attitudes, we tend to overlook causes of stress and the conditions triggered by those. In
such unsettling moments we often forget that stressors, if not escapable, are fairly
manageable and treatable.

Stress, either quick or constant, can induce risky body-mind disorders. Immediate
disorders such as dizzy spells, anxiety attacks, tension, sleeplessness, nervousness and
muscle cramps can all result in chronic health problems. They may also affect our
immune, cardiovascular and nervous systems and lead individuals to habitual
addictions, which are inter-linked with stress.

Like "stress reactions", "relaxation responses" and stress management

techniques are some of the body's important built-in response systems. As a relaxation
response the body tries to get back balance in its homeostasis. Some hormones released
during the 'fight or flight' situation prompt the body to replace the lost carbohydrates
and fats, and restore the energy level. The knotted nerves, tightened muscles and an
exhausted mind crave for looseness. Unfortunately, today, we don't get relaxing and
soothing situations without asking. To be relaxed we have to strive to create such
situations.

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Recognizing a stressor:
It is important to recognize whether you are under stress or out of it. Many times, even
if we are under the influence of a stressful condition and our body reacts to it internally
as well as externally, we fail to realize that we are reacting under stress. This also
happens when the causes of stress are there long enough for us to get habituated to
them. The body constantly tries to tell us through symptoms such as rapid palpitation,
dizzy spells, tight muscles or various body aches that something is wrong. It is important
to remain attentive to such symptoms and to learn to cope with the situations.

We cope better with stressful situation, when we encounter them voluntarily. In cases
of relocation, promotion or layoff, adventurous sports or having a baby, we tend to
respond positively under stress. But, when we are compelled into such situations
against our will or knowledge, more often than not, we wilt at the face of unknown and
imagined threats. For instance, stress may mount when one is coerced into undertaking
some work against one's will.

Laughter:

Adopting a humorous view towards life's situations can take the edge off everyday
stressors. Not being too serious or in a constant alert mode helps maintain the
equanimity of mind and promote clear thinking. Being able to laugh stress away is the
smartest way to ward off its effects.

A sense of humor also allows us to perceive and appreciate the incongruities of life and
provides moments of delight. The emotions we experience directly affect our immune
system. The positive emotions can create neurochemical changes that buffer the
immunosuppressive effects of stress.

During stress, the adrenal gland releases corticosteroids, which are converted to cortical

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in the blood stream. These have an immunosuppressive effect. Dr. Lee Berk and fellow
researcher Dr. Stanley Tan at Loma Linda University School of Medicine have produced
carefully controlled studies showing that the experience of laughter lowers serum
cortical levels, increases the amount and activity of T lymphocytes—the natural killer
cells. Laughter also increases the number of T cells that have suppresser receptors.

What Laughter Can Do Against Stress And Its Effects?

• Laughter lowers blood pressure and reduces hypertension.

• It provides good cardiac conditioning especially for those who are unable to perform
physical exercise.

• Reduces stress hormones (studies shows, laughter induces reduction of at least four of
neuroendocrine hormones—epinephrine, cortical, dopac, and growth hormone,
associated with stress response).

• Laughter cleanses the lungs and body tissues of accumulated stale air as it empties
more air than it takes in. It is beneficial for patients suffering from emphysema and
other respiratory ailments.

• It increases muscle flexion, relaxation and fluent blood circulation in body.

• Boosts immune function by raising levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease-fighting

proteins called Gamma-interferon and disease-destroying antibodies called B-cells.

• Laughter triggers the release of endorphins—body's natural painkillers.

• Produces a general sense of well-being.

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(6) Workplace Stress

Workplace stress is the harmful physical and emotional response that occurs when
there is a poor match between job demands and the capabilities, resources, or needs of
the worker. Stress-related disorders encompass a broad array of conditions, including
psychological disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder) and
other types of emotional strain (e.g., dissatisfaction, fatigue, tension, etc.), maladaptive
behaviors (e.g., aggression, substance abuse), and cognitive impairment (e.g.,
concentration and memory problems). In turn, these conditions may lead to poor work
performance or even injury. Job stress is also associated with various biological
reactions that may lead ultimately to compromised health, such as cardiovascular
disease.

Stress is a prevalent and costly problem in today's workplace. About one-third of

workers report high levels of stress. One-quarter of employees view their jobs as the
number one stressor in their lives. Three-quarters of employees believe the worker has
more on-the-job stress than a generation ago. Evidence also suggests that stress is the
major cause of turnover in organizations.

Health and Healthcare Utilization

Problems at work are more strongly associated with health complaints than are any
other life stressor-more so than even financial problems or family problems. Many
studies suggest that psychologically demanding jobs that allow employees little control
over the work process increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. On the basis of
research by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and many other
organizations, it is widely believed that job stress increases the risk for development of
back and upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders. High levels of stress are associated
with substantial increases in health service utilization. Workers who report experiencing

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stress at work also show excessive health care utilization. In a 1998 study of 46,000
workers, health care costs were nearly 50% greater for workers reporting high levels of
stress in comparison to “low risk” workers. The increment rose to nearly 150%, an
increase of more than $1,700 per person annually, for workers reporting high levels of
both stress and depression. Additionally, periods of disability due to job stress tend to
be much longer than disability periods for other occupational injuries and illnesses.

Causes of Workplace Stress

Job stress results from the interaction of the worker and the conditions of work. Views
differ on the importance of worker characteristics versus working conditions as the
primary cause of job stress. The differing viewpoints suggest different ways to prevent
stress at work. According to one school of thought, differences in individual
characteristics such as personality and coping skills are most important in predicting
whether certain job conditions will result in stress-in other words, what is stressful for
one person may not be a problem for someone else. This viewpoint leads to prevention
strategies that focus on workers and ways to help them cope with demanding job
conditions. Although the importance of individual differences cannot be ignored,
scientific evidence suggests that certain working conditions are stressful to most people.
Such evidence argues for a greater emphasis on working conditions as the key source of
job stress, and for job redesign as a primary prevention strategy. Personal interview
surveys of working conditions, including conditions recognized as risk factors for job
stress, were conducted in Member States of the European Union in 1990, 1995, and
2000. Results showed a trend across these periods suggestive of increasing work
intensity. In 1990, the percentage of workers reporting that they worked at high speeds
at least one-fourth of their working time was 48%, increasing to 54% in 1995 and to 56%
in 2000. Similarly, 50% of workers reported they work against tight deadlines at least
one-fourth of their working time in 1990, increasing to 56% in 1995 and 60 % in 2000.
However, no change was noted in the period 1995–2000 (data not collected in 1990) in
the percentage of workers reporting sufficient time to complete tasks. A substantial

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percentage of Americans work very long hours. By one estimate, more than 26% of men
and more than 11% of women worked 50 hours per week or more in 2000. These figures
represent a considerable increase over the previous three decades, especially for
women. According to the Department of Labor, there has been an upward trend in
hours worked among employed women, an increase in extended work weeks (>40
hours) by men, and a considerable increase in combined working hours among working
couples, particularly couples with young children.

Signs of Workplace Stress

Mood and sleep disturbances, upset stomach and headache, and disturbed relationships
with family; friends and girlfriends or boyfriends are examples of stress-related
problems. The effects of job stress on chronic diseases are more difficult to see because
chronic diseases take a long time to develop and can be influenced by many factors
other than stress. Nonetheless, evidence is rapidly accumulating to suggest that stress
plays an important role in several types of chronic health problems-especially
cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and psychological disorders.

Prevention

A combination of organizational change and stress management is often the most useful
approach for preventing stress at work.

How to Change the Organization to Prevent Job Stress

 Ensure that the workload is in line with workers' capabilities and resources.
 Design jobs to provide meaning, stimulation, and opportunities for workers to
use their skills.
 Clearly define workers' roles and responsibilities.
 Give workers opportunities to participate in decisions and actions affecting their
jobs.

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  Improve communications-reduce uncertainty about career development and
future employment prospects.
 Provide opportunities for social interaction among workers.
 Establish work schedules that are compatible with demands and responsibilities
outside the job.
 Discrimination inside the workplace. (e.g. nationality and language )

St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company conducted several studies on the effects of
stress prevention programs in hospital settings. Program activities included (1)
employee and management education on job stress, (2) changes in hospital policies and
procedures to reduce organizational sources of stress, and (3) establishment of
employee assistance programs. In one study, the frequency of medication errors
declined by 50% after prevention activities was implemented in a 700-bed hospital. In a
second study, there was a 70% reduction in malpractice claims in 22 hospitals that
implemented stress prevention activities. In contrast, there was no reduction in claims
in a matched group of 22 hospitals that did not implement stress prevention activities.

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(7) Reduce your stress
1. Job analysis: - We have all experienced that appalling sense of having far too much
work to do and too little time to do it in. We can choose to ignore this, and work
unreasonably long hours to stay on top of our workload. The risks here are that we
become exhausted, that we have so much to do that we do a poor quality job and that
we neglect other areas of our life. Each of these can lead to intense stress.
The alternative is to work more intelligently, by focusing on the things that are
important for job success and reducing the time we spend on low priority tasks. Job
Analysis is the first step in doing this.

The first of the action-oriented skills that we look at is Job Analysis. Job Analysis is a key
technique for managing job overload – an important source of stress.
To do an excellent job, you need to fully understand what is expected of you. While this
may seem obvious, in the hurly-burly of a new, fast-moving, high-pressure role, it is
oftentimes something that is easy to overlook.
By understanding the priorities in your job, and what constitutes success within it, you
can focus on these activities and minimize work on other tasks as much as possible. This
helps you get the greatest return from the work you do, and keep your workload under
control.
Job Analysis is a useful technique for getting a firm grip on what really is important in
your job so that you are able to perform excellently. It helps you to cut through clutter
and distraction to get to the heart of what you need to do.

2. Rational & positive thinking: -

You are thinking negatively when you fear the future, put yourself down, criticize
yourself for errors, doubt your abilities, or expect failure. Negative thinking damages
confidence, harms performance and paralyzes mental skills.

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Unfortunately, negative thoughts tend to flit into our consciousness, do their damage
and flit back out again, with their significance having barely been noticed. Since we
barely realize that they were there, we do not challenge them properly, which means
that they can be completely incorrect and wrong.
Thought Awareness is the process by which you observe your thoughts and become
aware of what is going through your head.
One approach to it is to observe your "stream of consciousness" as you think about the
thing you're trying to achieve which is stressful. Do not suppress any thoughts. Instead,
just let them run their course while you watch them, and write them down on our free
worksheet as they occur. Then let them go.

Another more general approach to Thought Awareness comes with logging stress in
your Stress Diary. When you analyze your diary at the end of the period, you should be
able to see the most common and the most damaging thoughts. Tackle these as a
priority using the techniques below.
Here are some typical negative thoughts you might experience when preparing to give a
major presentation:

 Fear about the quality of your performance or of problems that may interfere
with it;

 Worry about how the audience (especially important people in it like your boss)
or the press may react to you;

 Dwelling on the negative consequences of a poor performance; or

 Self-criticism over a less-than-perfect rehearsal.

Thought awareness is the first step in the process of managing negative thoughts, as you
cannot manage thoughts that you are unaware of.

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Rational Thinking

The next step in dealing with negative thinking is to challenge the negative thoughts
that you identified using the Thought Awareness technique. Look at every thought you
wrote down and challenge it rationally. Ask yourself whether the thought is reasonable.
What evidence is there for and against the thought? Would your colleagues and
mentors agree or disagree with it?
Looking at the examples, the following challenges could be made to the negative
thoughts we identified earlier:

 Feelings of inadequacy: Have you trained yourself as well as you reasonably

should have? Do you have the experience and resources you need to make the
presentation? Have you planned, prepared and rehearsed enough? If you have
done all of these, you've done as much as you can to give a good performance.

 Worries about performance during rehearsal: If some of your practice was less
than perfect, then remind yourself that the purpose of the practice is to identify
areas for improvement, so that these can be sorted out before the performance.

 Problems with issues outside your control: Have you identified the risks of these
things happening, and have you taken steps to reduce the likelihood of them
happening or their impact if they do? What will you do if they occur? And what
do you need others to do for you?

 Worry about other people's reactions: If you have prepared well, and you do
the best you can, then you should be satisfied. If you perform as well as you
reasonably can, then fair people are likely to respond well. If people are not fair,
the best thing to do is ignore their comments and rise above them.

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Tip:
Don't make the mistake of generalizing a single incident. OK, you made a mistake at
work, but that doesn't mean you're bad at your job.

Similarly, make sure you take the long view about incidents that you're finding stressful.
Just because you're finding these new responsibilities stressful now, doesn't mean that
they will ALWAYS be so for you in the future.

Tip:
If you find it difficult to look at your negative thoughts objectively, imagine that you are
your best friend or a respected coach or mentor. Look at the list of negative thoughts
and imagine the negative thoughts were written by someone you were giving objective
advice to. Then, think how you would challenge these thoughts.

When you challenge negative thoughts rationally, you should be able to see quickly
whether the thoughts are wrong or whether they have some substance to them. Where
there is some substance, take appropriate action. However, make sure that your
negative thoughts are genuinely important to achieving your goals, and don't just reflect
a lack of experience, which everyone has to go through at some stage.

Positive Thinking & Opportunity Seeking

By now, you should already be feeling more positive. The final step is to prepare
rational, positive thoughts and affirmations to counter any remaining negativity. It can
also be useful to look at the situation and see if there are any useful opportunities that
are offered by it.
By basing your affirmations on the clear, rational assessments of facts that you made
using Rational Thinking, you can use them to undo the damage that negative thinking
may have done to your self-confidence.

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Tip:
Your affirmations will be strongest if they are specific, are expressed in the present
tense and have strong emotional content.

Continuing the examples above, positive affirmations might be:

 Problems during practice: "I have learned from my rehearsals. This has put me in
a position where I can deliver a great performance. I am going to perform well
and enjoy the event."

 Worries about performance: "I have prepared well and rehearsed thoroughly. I
am well positioned to give an excellent performance."

 Problems issues outside your control: "I have thought through everything that
might reasonably happen and have planned how I can handle all likely
contingencies. I am very well placed to react flexibly to events."

 Worry about other people's reaction: "Fair people will react well to a good
performance. I will rise above any unfair criticism in a mature and professional
way."

If appropriate, write these affirmations down on your worksheet so that you can use
them when you need them.
As well as allowing you to structure useful affirmations, part of Positive Thinking is to
look at opportunities that the situation might offer to you. In the examples above,
successfully overcoming the situations causing the original negative thinking will open
up opportunities. You will acquire new skills, you will be seen as someone who can
handle difficult challenges, and you may open up new career opportunities.
Make sure that identifying these opportunities and focusing on them is part of your
positive thinking.

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 Conclusion

Stress is a dynamic condition in witch an individual is confronted with an

opportunity, demand or resource related to what the individual desires and for which
the outcome is perceived to be both uncertain and important. This is a complicated
definition.

Stress is not necessarily bad in and of itself. Although stress is typically

discussed in a negative context, it also has a positive value. It’s an opportunity when it
offers potential gain. Consider for example, the superior performance that an athlete or
stage performer gives in “clutch” situations. Such individuals often use stress positively
to rise to the occasion and perform at or near their maximum. Similarly, many
professionals see the pressures of heavy workloads and deadlines as positive challenges
that enhance the quality of their work and the satisfaction the get from their job.

But it is different in the case of bank employees. The bank employees are the
people who also have to achieve the certain target and so for the non achievement of
target the employees remain stressed and tensed. The employees who have the simple
table work also have to face the problem of stress. Due to recession the banking sector
is also facing the problem of employee cut-offs and so the work load of the existing
employees increases and the feel stressed.

The types of stress are named as eustress and distress. Distress is the most
commonly-referred to type of stress, having negative implications, whereas eustress is a
positive form of stress, usually related to desirable events in person's life. Both can be
equally taxing on the body, and are cumulative in nature, depending on a person's way
of adapting to a change that has caused it. Stress management is the need of the hour.
However hard we try to go beyond a stress situation, life seems to find new ways of

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stressing us out and plaguing us with anxiety attacks. Moreover, be it our anxiety, mind-
body exhaustion or our erring attitudes, we tend to overlook causes of stress and the
conditions triggered by those. In such unsettling moments we often forget that
stressors, if not escapable, are fairly manageable and treatable.

Stress, either quick or constant, can induce risky body-mind disorders.

Immediate disorders such as dizzy spells, anxiety attacks, tension, sleeplessness,
nervousness and muscle cramps can all result in chronic health problems. They may also
affect our immune, cardiovascular and nervous systems and lead individuals to habitual
addictions, which are inter-linked with stress.

Like "stress reactions", "relaxation responses" and stress management techniques are
some of the body's important built-in response systems. As a relaxation response the
body tries to get back balance in its homeostasis. Some hormones released during the
'fight or flight' situation prompt the body to replace the lost carbohydrates and fats, and
restore the energy level. The knotted nerves, tightened muscles and an exhausted mind
crave for looseness. Unfortunately, today, we don't get relaxing and soothing situations
without asking. To be relaxed we have to strive to create such situations.

This research is to carry out the study that how much stressed the employees
of the banks are and how do their stress affect their work life, social life, output etc. so a
sample of 14 to 15 employees are selected from all the three banks for the research of
stress among them.

3. BIBILIOGRAPHY

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o www.mindtool.com

o Organizational Behavior “Stephen P. Robbins”

o Burn Out tool – Questionnaire

o Self analysis of questionnaire

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