Student: RICHEN S.

MAKIG-ANGAY

Subject: ED 234 – 2:00 TO 5:00 P.M

Instructor: Dr. BEN HOPE J. RUELO, EdD

Reflection on “Causes of Job Stress”

(Essentials of organizational behavior)

By: Roxel A. Apruebo

Filipinos are known to be one of the happiest people around

the world. We naturally acquire the “Cheerful Personality.

Filipinos have a habit of smiling and laughing a lot. They smile

when they are happy, or sometimes even when they are sad or

angry. Smiling has been a coping strategy for many Filipinos

especially during trying times and calamities. For instance,

Filipinos smile and wave at the camera while being interviewed

even after a fire or flooding incident. They always try to

maintain a positive outlook in life which makes them

resilient and able to manage almost everything with a

simple smile. Even in hard situations, you can see the curves

on their face. But smiles at some point is said to be a facade

of every hidden problem a person encounter. And with a

problem, one will experience stress which are invisible to

people around. Stress is defined as our body's reaction to a

challenge or demand. It may start on the simplest thing to

the larger ones. And every individual has its own different

amount of stress. There are many causes why such person is

stressed. Most contributor of today’s stress is the Covid 19

pandemic which distresses most of the people around the world.

Some lost their job because of the lockdown. Some lost their

patience in waiting/looking transportation in going to work or

to deliver goods. Some are engaging to argument/fight in

claiming their “ayuda” from the government or from some

charitable groups. Or maybe by overloaded work or so feeling

worry on livelihood. People in rural or urban areas, do all

face the stresses of family. Truly, family could be one of these

sources of stress too. Though Filipinos are known to be a

family-oriented people. In short, stressor is just there

around the corners waiting when the time it strikes.

Life could not be that colorful if stress is absent, it makes

life more challenging and worth to live for. But if one does not

know how to handle it, it will knock him/her down and bring

him/her to frustration, depression and become low performing

employee. The worst if he/she could not cope with it, it leads to

a suicidal instance.
Work-related stress is a growing problem around the world that

affects not only the health and well-being of employees, but also

the productivity of organizations. Work-related stress arises

where work demands of various types and combinations exceed the

person’s capacity and capability to cope. For me most of work-

related stressors are:

1. Potential stressors at workplaces.

- Organization culture – if you are new in the field, you

must adjust the culture developed by time within the

organization.

- Undesirable management practices – The “palakas and

sipsip system” which could create factions among

employees.

- Job content and demands – works not related to your

forte but you are assigned because you are newly hired.

And the deadlines of reports.

- Physical work environment – lack of facilities to used

to apply your expertise and the distance from the house

to the working station.

- Peer to peer relationships – there colleagues that

feels they far greater than others, they usually

underestimated newly hired or junior workers.

 - Routinary changes of management – In my experience in

our department, every 5 years there is a rotation of

heads, every rotation new adjust with the superior.

- Insufficient resources – in some instances there were

times that you have to dig your own resources because

of insufficient availability of materials and

opportunity.

- Role conflict – there are some colleagues feeling that

they are your superiors.

- Distress – if one of the colleagues is bully, does not

know how to be with recessive colleagues.

My own ways of escaping stressors are the following:

 Since some changes in the organization are predictable, you

have to prepare in adjusting yourself or be flexible to

changes in order to reduce your stress levels and then take

action in addressing it. Some changes you can manage

yourself, while others will need the cooperation of others.

 Be honest to yourself and be open with your colleagues to

talk disagreed things, little undiscussed disagreement it

will be saturated by time.

 To be not overcrowded by deadlines, make sure that you are

well organized. List your tasks in order of priority.

 Schedule the most difficult tasks of each day for times when

you are fresh, such as first thing in the morning.

 Love yourself by taking care of it. If possible, maintain a

healthy diet and exercise regularly. Simple playing

basketball with friends could help much.

 Find time to spend for relaxation. Consider the benefits of

regular it. Over used machine could shorten its life span

and could result less productive too. make sure you have

enough free time to yourself every week listening to

favorite music or watch movies to unload your mind from the

office works worries.

 Practice no taking out your stress to your own home. If you

fell that you are exhausted, encountered work-related

problems and you need rests, tell them about it and ask for

their understanding, support, and suggestions.

 Don’t ever think that drugs can make you a superman that can

make you resistant to any stressor or it can alleviate

stress. In fact, it leads you to more trouble and can cause

additional health problems. Avoid excessive drinking and

smoking.

 If you think that you can’t handle your stress by yourself

anymore, find a person whom you think you can share your

problem and can give you some healthful advice. Sometimes by

 sharing our problem to one of our trusted friend or people

could lighten our feelings.

 Work what you think is right and lawful, never pay attention

to all toxics around. The more you think of them/it, the

less you become who you are and what you are. Always

remember that God created you special so serve according to

His’ purpose not by their.

 Lastly, make sure that before complaining about others you

are not a toxic for them too.