MANAGING STRESS AT WORKPLACE[/b]
Given below are details of two news items that appeared recently in a major Delhi newspaper as well what a Senior MNC Executive had to say after working non stop for 12 years:
1. News Item in “The Times of India” dated 23.1.11
“Unable to take pressure, tech student shoots himself in Ghaziabad[/b].
A 22-year-old, final year B.Tech student shot himself on Friday night as he allegedly could not handle the pressure of his studies.
The student, Hitesh Jha, had only recently landed a job with a top IT company, at an annual package of Rs 7 lakh, in an on-campus interview, said police.
Jha left a suicide note which said, “I can no longer take the pressure of my studies. I tried my best, but it is no longer possible. Please forgive me, Pitaji (Father), for not being able to come up to your expectations.”
2. News Item in “The Times of India” dated 24.1.11
“Stress taking toll on mental health: Study [/b]
Psychiatric illnesses on rise in Urban India[/b]
City Life has its own trials. Stress at work and in social life have resulted in an increase in the number of people suffering from psychiatric illnesses and sub-syndromes of diseases like headache, tension and insomnia, says a survey conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on urban mental health.
According to the survey conducted across three cities in the country, including Delhi, 8-10% people suffer from psychiatric illnesses like depression, anxiety and schizophrenia, among others.”
3. [/b]“Everything just got to me in the end'[/b]
The story of a 38-year-old Marketing Head in a multinational company:
“I realized I was suffering from a burnout when I had a heart attack. I had been working nonstop for the last 10-12 years. I took only the most necessary holidays, and even then, I was on the phone or on my laptop. I had no fixed timings for food. I would sleep for 5 to 6 hours, and even that was disturbed. My job required me to travel, so I was away from home 15 to 20 days a month, invariably missing important family occasions. Though I enjoyed my jet set lifestyle and job, the targets, the constant fear of failing and being fired finally got to me. At home too, I felt pressurized to go out with my family or run errands. To cope, I resorted to alcohol but that didn't help. Then I had a heart attack..
.After that, I sought professional help and was on medication for three months. Even so, I was anxious at the thought of returning to work. Finally, with support from my family and good doctors, I felt strong enough to get back into the workforce. But now I want a position with fewer responsibilities”.
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As per George F. Burns “If you ask what is the single most important key to longevity, I would have to say it is avoiding worry, stress and tension”.
There's no doubt that conflict and stress are rampant in society, and no place more so than the workplace - be it the office,class room and so on. Modern life is full of problems, deadlines, frustrations, and demands. For many people, stress is so commonplace that it has become a way of life. Stress isn’t always bad. In small doses, it can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do your best. But when you’re constantly running in emergency mode, your mind and body pay the price.
“Stress is basically a disconnection from the earth, a forgetting of the breath. Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency. Nothing is that important. .” [/b]
….[/b]Natalie Goldberg [/i][/b]
All of us, whether in our business lives or personal lives, are under stress to produce, abide by rules and to exist compatibly on the job and with others. It is expected of us to interact with co-workers, supervisors, friends and relatives. We are to do this without causing hardship to ourselves or others. Each day brings new, stressful situations we must deal with in our business lives and our personal lives.
Stress is not confined to upper management and the people that make the major decisions. Stress is found at all levels of life. The anxiety of stress shows in our lives as a negative situation. What we need to do is teach ourselves how to stay positive about job and personal life situations. We need to learn philosophies in critical situations to prevent burn-out, depression, and anger..
How to Reduce, prevent, and Cope with Stress
How do both management and employees protect themselves and their companies' performance and productivity against workplace stresses and hostility. How to manage frustration, alienation,anxiety and the growing sense of helplessness so many experience at work.
It may seem that there’s nothing you can do about your stress level. The bills aren’t going to stop coming, there will never be more hours in the day for all your errands, and your career or family responsibilities will always be demanding. But you have a lot more control than you might think. In fact, the simple realization that you’re in control of your life is the foundation of stress management.
Managing stress is all about taking charge: taking charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment, and the way you deal with problems. The ultimate goal is a balanced life, with time for work, relationships, relaxation, and fun – plus the resilience to hold up under pressure and meet challenges head on.
Coping with work stress in today’s uncertain climate
For workers everywhere, the troubled economy may feel like an emotional roller coaster. "Layoffs" and "budget cuts" have become bywords in the workplace, and the result is increased fear, uncertainty, and higher levels of stress. Since job and workplace stress grow in times of economic crisis, it’s important to learn new and better ways of coping with the pressure. The ability to manage stress in the workplace can make the difference between success or failure on the job. Your emotions are contagious, and stress has an impact on the quality of your interactions with others. The better you are at managing your own stress, the more you'll positively affect those around you and the less other people's stress will negatively affect you.
Warning signs of excessive stress at work
When people feel overwhelmed, they lose confidence and become irritable or withdrawn, making them less productive and effective and their work less rewarding. If the warning signs of work stress go unattended, they can lead to bigger problems. Beyond interfering with job performance and satisfaction, chronic or intense stress can also lead to physical and emotional health problems.
Signs and symptoms of excessive job and workplace stress
· Feeling anxious, irritable, or depressed
· Apathy, loss of interest in work.
· Problem sleeping
· Fatigue,
· Trouble concentrating
Muscle tension or headaches
Stomach problems
Social withdrawal
Loss of sex drive
Using alcohol or drugs to cope
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Common causes of excessive workplace stress
· Fear of layoffs
· Increased demands for overtime due to staff cutbacks
· Pressure to perform to meet rising expectations but with no increase in job satisfaction