Sevilla, C. G., Punsalan, T. G., Rovira, L.G., & Vendivel, F.G., Jr. (1998).

General

Psychology: With Values Development Lessons. (4th ed.). Manila, Philippines: Rex Book Store,

Inc.

Muchinsky, P.M. (1987). Psychology Applied to Work: An Introduction to Industrial and

Organizational Psychology. Chicago: The Dorsey Press Co.

Wallace, H.R. (2001). Personal Development for Life and Work. Concinnati, Ohio:

South-Western.

Bernstein, D. A., Roy, Edward J. R., Srull, T. K., & Wickens, C. D. Psychology.

Lerner, R. M., Kendall, P. C., Miller, D. T., Hultsch, D. F., Jensesn, R. A. Psychology.

New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.

 [10]

Sources of Stress

The five major sources of stress are:

1. Biological deprivation. Extreme hunger can cause deep physical and emotional

disturbances.

2. Danger (real or imagined). “Combat exhaustion” is a term used to describe a

breakdown in behaviour resulting from danger experiences which rapidly produce

stress.

3. Threats to self-esteem.

4. Overload

5. Crises and stresses that accompany normal social and personal development.

COPING

Coping is an active effort to eliminate or to get rid of stress. We try to deal directly with the

anxiety-producing situations by first, appraising the situation and second, by doing something to

avoid it or change its course.

Coping may take any of the following forms:

1. Direct action

2. Avoidance

3. Prediction

4. Use of defense mechanisms

 STRESS

When life is peaceful and quiet for too long, people become bored and they seek excitement.

But stress that is too intense or prolonged can have destructive physiological and

psychological effects. Stress may include any situation that calls for more than what is

normal or usual for a person. The more a particular demand approaches the limits of a

person’s capacities and talents, the greater the stress will be. Likewise, stress is produced

when this demand blocks some motive or threatens a desired goal.

Two kinds of stress: positive stress called eustress, and negative stress called distress.

Predictability What the

of the event means
stressful to you
event

HOW MUCH
STRESS
YOU FEEL

Control over Feelings of

duration of competency
stress
Availability
of social
supports

Factors Determining the Severity of Stressful Situations

[3]

STRESS MANAGEMENT

A practical way of defining stress is the feeling one gets from prolonged, pent-up emotions.

“You can make stress your best ally in achieving personal and professional excellence.”

Prolonged stress can be devastating; burnout, breakdown, and depression are some of the

potential results of long-term, unmanaged stress.

Stress in your private life influences your work and vice versa

Sometimes stress can have desirable effects

Stress affects the body

Everyday frustration cause stress build-up

Problems in our personal life can be devastating

STRESS SIGNALS

If you are experiencing long-term stress, you may or may not be aware of it. Even if you are,

you may choose to avoid facing up to your problems. When the solutions are not obvious and

easy, it may feel better to hide the problem—even from your inner self.

You may be depressed and not realize it

o If you are experiencing depression, you may lose interest in your work and

withdraw from family, friends, and everything that enriches your life. If you

experience persistent, deep depression, you should seek professional help.

o Physical Symptoms can be Warning Signals

 In The Wellness Book: The Comprehensive Guide to Maintaining

Health and Treating Stress-Related Illness, Benson and Stuart suggest

that the physical warning signs of harmful stress may include these:

 pounding of the heart

 dryness of the throat or mouth

 insomnia

 feeling constantly tired

 inability to concentrate

 chronic pain

 change in appetite

 nightmares

 difficulty breathing

 overpowering urge to cry

 an urge to escape

 trembling

 panic attacks

Often stress signs are ignored, as they seem to come and go. If these

symptoms are totally disregarded, more serious conditions may

develop.
KEEP STRESS UNDER CONTROL

There are many effective ways to handle stress. One of the several excellent books on

keeping stress under control is Coping with Job Stress by Herbert M. Greenberg.

Of course, you can’t avoid stress; in fact, you wouldn’t want to avoid all stress—because

you’d never grow. However, you can manage your life so that you survive the emotional down

times without allowing stress to engulf you. Also, you can work to eliminate controllable stress

factors, such as running late or not getting enough sleep. But when stress is constant or too great,

your wisest option is to find ways to reduce or control it. You need not, and should not, live your

life in emotional stress and discomfort. Stress can be successfully manage.

Understand the Causes of Stress

Understanding why you are under stress is important. This may seem obvious, but

it requires a deliberate, conscious effort to pause and simply ponder your situation.

Stress response, the emotional or physical symptoms of uncontrolled stress.

Now you need to try to discover the stressor, the factors that create the stress in

your life.

Prepare a Written Assessment of Your Stress Factors so You can Visualize and

Understand Them

This written self-analysis can help prepare you to gain control of the stress in your

life. For example, you may write: “I feel tired most of the time. My lower back seems to

ache all through the day and night. I miss deadlines and run behind schedule.” After your

analysis of stress responses and consequences is written, consider each item and ask why.
“Why am I feeling tired? Why does my back ache? Why do I run behind schedule?”

Careful consideration of the answers to the “why” questions will reveal stressors, such as

deadlines, anxieties, trying to do too much, managing time or money poorly, or poor

health habits.

It may help to talk things over with someone with whom you feel comfortable and

secure. A good friend or a professional counsellor can help you explore possibilities and

clarify your thinking about what is causing stress in your life. These talks will release

pressure, make you feel better, and help you see a new side of a problem. In the process

of describing your problem, you may find a solution.

Deal With the Stressors

Develop techniques to deal with the causes of stress. The longer you avoid

dealing with the stress factors, the more stress will build up. If tension comes because

you have put off an unfinished task, restructure your priorities so you can get the task you

have been avoiding out of the way and off your mind. Take the tasks that you have been

neglecting, write them down, and check them off as you take care of them. Make it a

point to talk with any person causing stress in your life and resolve your differences.

You may find yourself ignoring the causes of stress by simply saying, “I’m not

feeling well,” “I’m just tired,” or by taking your frustration and stress out on others with

unkind thoughts, words, or actions. This kind of behaviour only increases stress.

Develop your Ability to Work Under Pressure or Unusual Conditions

 When you can’t reduce the stressors, you need to manage your stress response.

Almost everyone, at least at some point, has to meet deadlines, keep several tasks going

at once, resolve problems that come up, and do extra work when necessary. However,

when the pressure mounts, you can relieve it. Relaxation is the key, but most people must

train themselves to relax when the pressure is on.

Here are some tips on how to relax when the pressure is on:

Stop for a moment (especially when you feel your muscles tightening up) and take a

few deep breaths. You may even want to post a sign that says “breathe” in large

letters.

Do a relaxing exercise. Swing your hands at your sides and stretch.

If your work situation allows it, take a “power nap”. Lie down and totally relax for a

few minutes.

Find time outside your work to do some things that you enjoy.

Learn meditation techniques or yoga.

Leave your workplace briefly for a brisk walk or other vigorous exercise.

Find a quiet place to read a magazine or novel during a break or at lunch.

If possible, have pictures of serene, peaceful scenery (forests, meadows, mountain)

visible or accessible. This “mini-vacation” for your eyes is a powerful inducer of the

relaxation response.

Look up.

Keep something humorous on hand, such as a book of jokes. Laughter is great

medicine to help us relax.

[6]

WHAT IS STRESS?

Stress is the process of adjusting to circumstances that disrupt, or threaten to disrupt, a

person’s equilibrium (Burchfield, 1979; Lazarus & Folkman, 1984; Selye, 1976).

Stress always involves a relationship between people and their environments—more

specifically, between stressors and stress reactions. Stressors are events and situations (such as

uncomfortable bus rides) to which people must adjust. Stress reactions are the physical,

psychological, and behavioral responses (such as nausea, nervousness, and tiredness) people

display in the face of stressors.

Stress is defined, not as a specific occurrence, but as a process.

STRESSORS

Many stressors involve physical demands; infections and extreme temperatures are

examples. In humans, however, many of the most significant stressors are psychological.
[4]

Stress.

Stress is difficult to define—it is not strictly an independent, dependent, or intervening

variable. Rather, it is a collective term denoting demands that “tax” a system (physiological,

social, or psychological) and its responses.

The antecedents of stress (called stressors) come from many sources. They may originate

from the physical environment (temperature, noise), from individual-level phenomena (work

overload, role conflict), from the work group (lack of cohesiveness) and from the total

organization (climate). Feelings of stress can then be perceived by oneself. However, sometimes

individuals do not know they are stressed, but their friends recognize that something is “wrong”.

The consequences of stress include coronary heart disease, ulcers, headaches, depression, and

nervous exhaustion.