UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION STUDIES

TOPIC
MANAGING STRESS, GOAL SETTING AND MOTIVATIONAL STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL
LEARNING.

BY
DOMIMIC OSEI-BOAKYE
REGISTRAR –AIT
 Introduction
• Welcome to AIT
• On behalf of Management, I thank you for choosing AIT
• I am aware that most of you are workers and for that matter will be combining
work with studies
• Some of you are also mothers and fathers with other responsibilities.
• Your decision to combine your responsibilities with schooling is likely to create
stressful situations for you.
• If not well managed, you will give up on the way.
• I will be talking to you about some causes of stress and how to manage them
• I will also advise you on setting good goals and how to achieve them
• We will round up by looking at how you can motivate yourself to complete your
education at AIT
 Definition of Stress

A dynamic condition in which an individual is confronted with an

opportunity, constraint or demand related to what he or she desires, and
for which the outcome is perceived to be both uncertain and important.
Work stress occurs when this situation occurs in the context of the
workplace.
 Potential Sources of Stress
1. Environmental Factors
a) Economic Uncertainty
b) Political Uncertainty
c) Technological Uncertainty

2. Organizational Factors
a) Task demands
b) Role demands
c) Interpersonal demands
d) Organizational structure
e) Organizational leadership
f) Organizational life stage

3. Individual Factors
a) Family problems
b) Economic problems
c) Personality
 SYMPTOMS OF STRESS
1. Physiological Symptoms
a) Headaches
b) High blood pressure
c) Heart diseases

2. Psychological Symptoms
a) Anxiety
b) Depression
c) Decrease in job satisfaction

3. Behavioral Symptoms
a) Low productivity
b) High turnover
c) Absenteeism
 Types of Stress
• Emotional Stress-This stress results when people consider situations difficult
or impossible to deal with.
• Physiological Stress-It is the body's reaction to certain physical stressors.
• Acute Stress-It is a short term reaction to an immediate threat.
• Chronic Stress-This results from ongoing situations.
• Eustress-Eustress is a positive stress resulting from meeting challenges and
difficulties with the expectation of achievement. This kind of stress is
energizing and motivating.
• Distress -As stress increases, it reaches a point at which the effects become
negative. If a high level of stress continues for a prolonged period, distress or
bad stress occurs.
 Managing Stress
Individual Approaches
• Time management techniques
• Physical exercise
• Relaxation
• Expanding social support

Organizational Approaches
• Proper job design
• Set realistic goals
• Improved organizational communication
• Provide facilities and support for staff
 Goal Setting
A goal is „what an individual tries to achieve. It is the object or target of
a specific action. Setting of goals is a process of motivating employees
and assisting them in achieving the expected level of performance

In order to be effective, goals must possess the six characteristics:

1. Goal Specificity
2. Goal Difficulty
3. Goal Acceptance
4. Participation in Goal Setting
5. Relevant Goals
6. Feedback on Goals
 Motivating Yourself to Study
• Set realistic goals that you can achieve to avoid stress or getting discouraged
• Create an expectation and work towards achieving them
• Always reinforce your determination to complete. That will help you press
on even if you face challenges
• Spend time on things that will encourage you than conversations that will
demoralize you
• Always practice equity
• And remember, no road to success is smooth and no one or organization is
perfect. If you get knocked, dust yourself and move press again
END OF PRESENTATION
THANK YOU