Category: Stress

Ageing gradually limits an individual’s abilities as key life decisions and choices have already been made. Adulthood also brings many responsibilities including family and careers which must be met at all times to maintain a relatively balanced life. Unfortunately the modern world today is having so many demands that ultimately overcome our bodies and mind leading to serious psychological stresses which lead to depression if not well managed.

When a person can’t cope up with the day to day demands of life due to any valid or invalid reason, their personal wellbeing is compromised (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984) and one begins an unhappy existence which can ultimately lead to suicide. Nobody is immune from stress regardless of financial, health or social status but different coping mechanisms determine the final situation of an individual.

To effectively handle stress, an individual must be able to recognize the symptoms of stress and understand the possible cause which is easy as stress changes an individual’s happiness level, health, and behavior. When in doubt one should seek the services of qualified medical personnel who can effectively offer professional help.

The good thing with stress is that it can be effectively managed by simple strategies. Maintaining a healthy diet that is well spaced, accompanied by lots of sleep can relax the body and reduce stress levels occasioned by too much work. It’s also important to get plenty of physical exercise at all times to improve health and wellbeing. This may be supported by using mind relaxation exercises and engaging in enjoyable activities with friends and loved ones. Talking to friends and family about stressful feelings is also a good stress coping strategy as they offer emotional support.

Personally when I feel stressed, I visit my mum and dad and spend some quality time with them which always leaves me relaxed and happy.

As adults grow older, they are more likely to suffer from ill health occasioned by weakening body defense mechanisms. They can develop chronic conditions which require a lot of medication and care leaving them economically drained and depressed. This is accompanied by weakening mental faculties making them prone to forgetfulness and other problems which make their social life difficult and stressful.

Ageing limits the possibility and ability of engaging in gainful economic activities due to poor health, new technologies and government policies that require people to retire at a specific age.Adults who retire without adequate savings find themselves unable to become economically independent. Their children also become mature and independent and move out of their parents’ home as they assume more responsibilities in their careers and families having little or no time for their parents. In the case of severe incapacitation occasioned by ill health, disability, or mental weakening, older adults are forced to go to nursing homes to be taken care of, even without their consent. This takes away their decision making power.

Alcoholism and drug abuse would be quite a challenge for me to deal with in older adults because it is a deeply entrenched vice and is relatively difficult to stop. Dealing with chronically ill patients would be relatively easy for me because with good medication, treatment, and counselling, it is possible to improve the quality of lives of these older adults making them more content and happy in their old age.

References

Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. New York: Springer.

Introduction

According to Aamodt (2009) stress is the psychological and physical reaction to certain life events or situations. Fear, resistance, resentment, change, relations with others, organizational politics, and unfavorable physical environment are the main causes of stress (Aamodt, 2009). Even though stress affects different personalities differently, it could result to grave consequences if not well managed.

How Do Stress and Stressors Help a Person in Identifying Ways to Cope?

Many people often think there is little that can be done about their level of stress. However, the fact is contrary. Individuals should identify their stressors and develop coping strategies aimed at neutralizing and finally eliminating the effects of the stressors. I have in the past adopted various strategies in coping with stress.

There are many stress coping methods. However, individuals often find themselves employing unhealthy and unproductive methods, which end compounding the problem. Such methods include withdrawal from friends and families, use of pills, drinking, smoking, overeating, and taking out of stress on other people. Even though these methods can work, their results are temporary as individuals soon face the reality of the stressor.

Healthier and effective ways of controlling stress require either situation change, or reaction change. Every individual exhibits unique response to stress, which makes it impossible to have a common method of coping. The simplest approaches to coping with stress, which I have used in the past, include problem identification and solving, acceptance, alteration, self-nurturing, and anticipatory approach also suggested by Aldwin (2007).

Problem Solving Approach in Coping Stress

Problem solving approach is a strategy that its applicability is dependent on the determination of the main cause of stress. Once the stressor is identified, it becomes easy to solve the stress as an individual directs his or her energy towards subduing the stressor. For example, if lack of finances is the main cause of stress, then an individual may seek for new employment to provide for the much-needed cash.

The Identification of the Stressor

The identification of the stressor also opens a window for an individual to explore other adaptation methods, which can be of help in the future such as avoidance. In anticipatory approach, an individual prepares for possible causes of stress and consequently prepares for them before their actual occurrence. Past trends and acquired knowledge can help an individual in such preparations.

For example, a student subjected to last minute revision pressures and stress for failing to revise in time may expect the same, hence prepare early in the following semesters to avoid going through the same. This method is very effective as an individual can review and continually revise the best method to use every time the stressor reoccurs. Sometimes stressful situations are not only complex, but also impossible to avoid.

It is only prudent for individuals affected to alter and adapt to such situations. This involves finding possible ways of changing an individual’s operation to avoid the stress from reoccurring. For example, stress caused by coworkers could be avoided by expressing ones’ feelings to the specific workers instead of bottling them up. If the desired change is not achieved, then one can go a step further by changing his or her own behaviors.

Stressors such as the death of people we love, fatal accidents, and illness are unavoidable and impossible to ignore. However, letting such stressors take tall of an individual’s life is also unacceptable. In such cases, the best coping strategy is acceptance. Though hard to take, acceptance is the only way out for individuals facing unchangeable life-threatening situations.

Conlcusion

There are other effective coping strategies, which even though I have not used, I would consider applying. Self-nurturing is such “effective way of coping with stress” (Aldwin, 2007).

Creating time for fun and relaxing, enhance our ability to copy with life’s unending stressors. It is therefore prudent for an individual to engage frequently in healthy ways of relaxing such as, going for a walk, playing with a pet, going adventures, watching comedies, and lighting scented candles.

References

Aamodt, M. G. (2009). Industrial/Organizational Psychology: An Applied Approach (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.

Aldwin, C. M. (2007). Stress, coping, and development: an integrative perspective (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Introduction

Stress is a considerable problem in the modern society. People often experience high levels of stress due to being overwhelmed with a wide range of duties, such as work, studying, family duties, etc. In particular, college students are one group that is rather susceptible to stress, and can feel the adverse consequences of it very often (Brougham et al. 85); however, there are certain techniques that might help these learners overcome stress.

Causes of Stress in College Students

There are a number of causes of stress among college students (Lund et al. 127-129); according to Brougham et al., some of these causes include daily hassles, financial factors, and academic factors (90). The daily hassles that students are forced to deal with in the process of studying as identified by Brougham et al. are not directly related to college life; in fact, they include such problems as being stuck in traffic congestions, awakening too late in the morning, and the inability to find a place for parking (89). The financial causes of stress that college students are faced with include such issues as the need to pay one’s bills, the dearth of financial resources, and spending too much money when one should have not done so (Brougham et al. 89). Finally, the academic causes of stress, which are clearly specific to this population, include the need to write papers, especially final papers or assignments; worrying about the possibility to obtain low grades during an exam, or regret resulting from having received such; and difficulties related to the selection of one’s major (Brougham et al. 89). It is clear that students who are challenged with a large number of such stressors at the same time are more likely to develop a larger number of symptoms of stress, which have an adverse effect on these students’ ability to function effectively.

Effects of Stress

Due to stress, college students may experience such adverse outcomes as the decreased levels of cognitive functioning, the impaired ability to study, and, consequently, lower academic performance (Abdulghani et al. 516). First of all, the fact that a student is experiencing stress might have a considerable adverse effect on their ability to perform a wide range of cognitive functions, which are necessary for both proper social functioning and for participation in learning activities. Students who are stressed might feel too tired, not be able to think clearly, or unable to focus on the task at hand. Second, as a result of this, stressed learners may find themselves incapable of concentrating on learning activities and tasks, whether listening to a lecture, reading a book or article, or writing text.

Some students might also start feeling despair or experience depression, which creates further barriers for carrying out their academic duties. Finally, the inability to properly do the tasks related to learning results in decreased academic performance, leading to grades which are lower than those of learners who do not suffer from the symptoms of stress (Abdulghani et al. 517-520). It should be pointed out that the decreased academic performance, as has already been noted above, plays the role of a stressor as well, thus further impairing the learners’ ability to study. Therefore, apart from impairing the student’s ability to function, stress also accumulates and, to a certain degree, starts being the cause of itself.

Overcoming Stress

Because of the serious impact of stress on the academic performance of college students, it might be recommended that students utilize coping strategies in order to decrease the level of stress (Jimenez et al. 444-447); one such strategy includes goal regulation (Neely et al. 88-89). Some authors state that goal regulation “consists of both the ability to disengage from goals that are unattainable and reengage in the pursuit of alternative goals” (qtd. in Neely et al. 89). There are a number of effects of this technique. First, a student who practices goal regulation is able to identify goals that are not attainable, and redirect their attention to aims that can be achieved in practice, which results in a more efficacious use of the temporal resources and the energy that a student possesses; consequently, students are less overwhelmed with tasks and thus may experience lower levels of stress.

Second, pursuing more concrete goals permits a student to direct their efforts towards these goals, thus considerably increasing their chance to achieve them; such an achievement can be viewed as a certain type of reward, thus increasing the student’s level of satisfaction and demonstrating them that they can achieve aims that they set. And finally, students who can disengage from pursuing unattainable and wasteful goals may be able to start “seeing the light at the end of the tunnel”; in practice, they experience fewer intrusive thoughts and lower levels of helplessness (Neely et al. 89). Therefore, goal regulation has a considerable potential as a method for overcoming stress, for it permits students to better distribute their resources, gain certain achievements, and stop feeling helpless.

Conclusion

Thus, college students often suffer from stress, which can have profoundly adverse effects on their lives; however, certain techniques might allow these people to overcome this problem (Caldwell et al. 433-435). Numerous issues cause stress in college students; these include daily hassles, financial and academic factors. Stress can impair students’ cognitive function, the ability to learn, and decrease their academic performance. However, goal regulation might help them to overcome stress. It should also be noted that this and other techniques for stress coping might be useful not only for college students but for other populations as well.

Works Cited

Abdulghani, Hamza M., et al. “Stress and Its Effects on Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study at a College of Medicine in Saudi Arabia.” Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, vol. 29, no. 5, 2011, pp. 516-522.

Brougham, Ruby R., et al. “Stress, Sex Differences, and Coping Strategies Among College Students.” Current Psychology, vol. 28, 2009, pp. 85-97.

Caldwell, Karen, et al. “Developing Mindfulness in College Students Through Movement Based Courses: Effects on Self-Regulatory Self-Efficacy, Mood, Stress, and Sleep Quality.” Journal of American College Health, vol. 58, no. 5, 2010, pp. 433-442.

Jimenez, Cristobal, et al. “Stress and Health in Novice and Experienced Nursing Students.” Journal of Advanced Nursing, vol. 66, no. 2, 2010, pp. 442-455.

Lund, Hannah G., et al. “Sleep Patterns and Predictors of Disturbed Sleep in a Large Population of College Students.” Journal of Adolescent Health, vol. 46, 2010, pp. 124-132.

Neely, Michelle E., et al. “Self-Kindness When Facing Stress: The Role of Self-Compassion, Goal Regulation, and Support in College Students’ Well-Being.” Motivation and Emotion Journal, vol. 33, 2009, pp. 88-97.

Introduction

Stress is the cause of numerous disorders and is typically attributed to the plague of modern society. The topic’s importance is conditioned by the fact that now an individual is highly susceptible to immense emotional strain due to the need to solve many problems at once. Hence, it is vital to emphasize how stress impacts the human body to demonstrate the necessity of minimizing it to prevent any health implications. Whilst numerous factors affect the changes in the immune system, stress remains one of the most potent mechanisms that contribute to immunity failure.

Discussion

The step-by-step process of the stress mechanism will be described in this section. With strong emotions, cortisol is released into the blood, which is called the stress hormone. High concentrations of this hormone inhibit the immune system. If stress passes quickly, the body easily recovers after the release of cortisol. However, if the emotional strain is chronic, there is no recovery; that is, the cortisol level is always higher than usual. This condition provokes the development of an inflammatory reaction that “distracts” the immune system from fighting viruses and bacteria. In addition, prolonged stress contributes to the disruption of T-lymphocytes (Choukèr 54). These cells are needed by the body to neutralize foreign microorganisms. T-cells are formed in the bone marrow, which migrates to the thymus (thymus gland) and ripens there. With an increase in the concentration of glucocorticoids, the thymus decreases in size – and the formation of immune cells is disrupted.

The primary fundamental assumption is that emotionally intense experiences suppress immune responses, which reduces the number of cells that produce antibodies. Antibodies are the body’s “weapon” with which it destroys bacteria and viruses(Choukèr 57). With a decrease in immunity, a person is more susceptible to frequent acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory infections; the recovery process is delayed, and the risk of complications increases.

The entire immune system is subject to regular changes. However, a drastic decrease in immunity due to stress is also observed against the background of a reduction in the number of natural killers (NK lymphocytes) (Choukèr 36). These cells of the immune system are the first level of protection against cancer. Furthermore, under stress, the processes of interaction between the nervous and immune systems are disrupted. This is manifested, in particular, by the development of chronic fatigue syndrome. In this condition, a person gets tired quickly and constantly feels weak. The immune system is in a passive state and reacts more slowly to threats.

With intense and constant experiences, macrophages, at some point, can secrete a large number of cytokines-signaling molecules that are responsible for the formation of an inflammatory response. If there are too many cytokines, a cytokine storm occurs (Choukèr 34). With a cytokine storm, the tissues of the focus of inflammation are rapidly destroyed, affecting neighboring tissues – this process can take over an entire organ. Cytokine storm is a dangerous body reaction; it can even lead to death.

What is more, with prolonged stress, the synthesis of melatonin, the “sleep hormone,” is disrupted, which means that night sleep worsens. As a result, the immune and endocrine systems suffer (Choukèr 67). Violations are manifested by various symptoms, including frequent illnesses due to weakened immunity. The primary sign that a body is exposed to threat is the lack of sleep or feeling tired despite having a stable regime.

The possible problems include the fact that the immune system can also be suppressed by other factors. For instance, taking specific medications or having hormone disorders could be the reason for immunity damage, meaning stress is not the core root. In addition, immune diseases are often confused with hormonal disorders. They are connected but hormones can be fixed without altering immunity. Ultimately, with short-term stress effects, unlike the effects of chronic stress, there are no clinical manifestations of psychological and physiological dysfunctions associated with a violation of the immune system (Choukèr 55). Underestimation of the state of health, inadequate treatment and, as a result, aggravation of the picture of the disease can be dangerous here.

Hence, it is essential to keep in mind that stress is a major contributor to immune system damage. Strong emotions evoked by negative experiences raise the cortisol level causing alterations in blood structure. Moreover, an important role is played by the significance of a stressful event and personal characteristics – everyone has a different stress threshold, resistance to it, and behavior strategies. Under stress, the tension of the immune system and the activity of the body’s natural defenses decreases in people whose condition is characterized by despondency, despair, gloomy forebodings, fear, and anxiety (Choukèr 113). Conversely, the immune system is more stable in people who are optimistic.

Conclusion

In summation, the negative effect of chronic stress on the immune system has also been confirmed by practical experiments. The stress response is realized by the nervous and endocrine systems. There is a violation of biochemical processes in the body, which leads to undesirable changes in tissues and organs. The organs responsible for immunity are affected. The level of hormones – glucocorticoids – increases sharply in the blood, the high concentration of which suppresses the body’s immune system. It has always been believed that its high level depresses the immune system and causes deviations in the treatment, which takes much time.

Work Cited

Choukèr, Alexander. Stress Challenges and Immunity in Space. Springer Nature, 2019.

Introduction

Stress has an adverse effect on human health; it leads to numerous health complications if not effectively managed. When stressed, people risk suffering from stress-related complications. According to Ciccarelli & White, 2012, health can broadly be divided as physical health (free of diseases) and psychological health (being able to make sound decisions).

When under stress, an individual’s decision making capacity is hampered making the person psychologically unhealthy (Ciccarelli & White, 2012). This paper discusses the relationship between stress and human health.

Stress and health

There are numerous theories and researches on stress and health, they all agree that stress has an adverse effect on human health; the statement goes “a stressed man is an unhealthy man”. Although human life cannot be free of stress, it becomes unmanaged stress which causes havoc to human body and mind . According to psychologists, human body is “wired’’ to communicate with the state of the mind; the communication is meant to protect threats against predators and other aggressors.

The statements predators and other aggressors used to mean life threatening activities or actions which include meeting deadlines, fighting back, reacting to a certain situation, or making life challenging decisions. The challenge facing human kind is failing to understand the right way to manage stress; in most cases the activities they engage in lead to more stress (Ciccarelli & White, 2012).

When someone is stressed for a long period, he or she exposes his body to uncontrolled brain cortisol and other stress managing hormones, which in turn can result in health complications like eczema, obesity, depression, digestive problems, sleeping challenges, and heart diseases.

Human state of mind determines the kind of life decisions they make; in the event that someone is stressed, his or her mind will be hampered from making sound and reliable decision as their mind, soul, and body are not at peace with each other. Some day-to-day health feelings like fatigue, headaches, and boredom can be attributed to the state of the mind; state of the mind is unhealthy with stress.

Stress affects human body, thoughts and feelings, when the above have been affected, then the behaviors and to some extent the personality of an affected person change. When unchecked, stress results in health complications like high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes (Ciccarelli & White, 2012).

According to Ciccarelli & White, 2012, the human body responds differently to stress; some people are likely to show fast heath deterioration when stressed while others are likely to have slowed health complications. What remain constant is that prolonged stress without proper management will have a negative effect on human health.

Stressed people need to enroll in stress management classes/lessons where they can be trained on basic methods of preventing and managing stress. In the event that an individual is suffering from a certain ailment, and then happens to be stressed, the recovery rate of such an individual is low. There is much connection between the rate of recovery from health complication and stress that the patient has (Ciccarelli & White, 2012).

Conclusion

Stress is a common occurrence in human beings; well-managed stress is of benefit to human beings as it assists when making decisions. However when stress is not managed effectively, it has an adverse effect on human health. Some complications related with ineffective stress management include depression, heart diseases, and diabetes.

References

Ciccarelli, S. K., & White, J. N. (2012). Psychology. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Introduction

Stress can be defined as overload experienced by human beings when they are faced with demands either mental or emotional such that they cannot handle them. Due to the demanding nature of the world we live in, we find ourselves overloaded with many things on a daily basis. We have so many things to do at the same time yet we do not have the enough time. Sometimes our bodies send signs that may lead us into identifying stress but it is only after the situations become serious that we discover we need to stop some of the things we are doing.

Stress can damage our lives completely by making us feel totally out of control. It leads to disruption of lives because it not only affects individuals but also people who are close to the person suffering from it. It affects the health of an individual by damaging the heart and the gums. It also makes one more vulnerable to other diseases which could be avoided. If stress is not managed in good time, it may lead to alteration of the brain hence threatening the general well being of an individual (Wellness Library 3). This paper will discuss y success plan through stress management, staying healthy and managing finances.

Stress Management Techniques

Because of the harmful results that may be caused by stress and based on my personal history, it is important for me to develop stress management techniques. I am a woman aged 33 years old who lost her husband on his birthday four years ago. My husband was a great friend and someone who meant the whole world to me. Six months after his death, my doctor informed me that I had huge fibroid tumors that caused hysterectomy hence I was unable to conceive.

This was really a difficult situation I was going through that caused me depression and stress. I started experiencing weight gain where I gained a total of 75 ibs until my doctor advised me to take specific diets and start exercising. However, it was hard to lose the weight because of my hyperthyroid condition and PCOS (polystic Ovary Syndrome). These situations were challenging for me to manage and I had to file for bankruptcy and sell my car since I could not manage it. Currently, I do not have the car and I am struggling to succeed in school and working hard to make ends meet. These unfortunate conditions have stressed me and I have to make use of various stress management techniques.

Avoiding Unnecessary Stress

It is not possible to avoid every stressful situation because I cannot avoid situations that require to be addressed. However, I have discovered that I am able to eliminate some stressors in my life and manage stress well. I have identified my limits in life and have learnt operating within them. In my professional and personal life, I only accept the responsibilities that I can cope with. I have realized that accepting additional responsibilities that are not within my limits will cause me stress.

In addition, there are some people who are problematic and it is wise to avoid such people. My success plan involves spending less time with such people and focusing on my activities since staying close to them results in stress. It is also advisable to avoid topics that are likely to be stressful. For example, there are some events that have occurred in my life that have caused me a lot of stress and staying in places where such topics are being discussed will cause unnecessary stress to me.

Altering the Situation

Stressful situations that cannot be avoided can be altered. I try to look at what I can do to prevent some situations from happening in the future. There has been a change in my communication strategies and the way I do things. For instance, I have learnt expressing some feelings that cause me stress instead of keeping them to myself. Keeping feelings to oneself only causes anger to remain within oneself and make the situation worse instead of improving it.

Taking compromises is another way of altering the situation in order to avoid stress. I have realized that stress can be managed well when individuals are willing to change. This creates a situation where agreements can be reached easily. Being ready for problems and working hard to change the situations is another strategy I use to deal with stress. When one anticipates challenges, it becomes easy to deal with them when they come as opposed to having not prepared for them.

Accepting what I Cannot Change

Some factors that cause stress cannot be avoided. For example, we cannot avoid death, sickness or changes in economic trends. My strategy of managing stress caused by such factors is learning to accept and live with them. It might be difficult to accept the situation but eventually this helps rather than fighting with a situation that I cannot control. Some people behave in ways we cannot control and instead of stressing myself trying to change the behavior of such people, I have learnt to focus on looking for ways of dealing with my problems. When faced by tough challenges, I now take them as lessons that will make me emerge stronger instead of treating them as things that should leave me stressed.

It is also helpful to talk to trusted people on my situations even when they cannot offer solutions. This is a good way of managing stress because talking about my situations gives me relief. I have also learnt that the world we live in is not perfect and at times people will do unpleasant things to me. Keeping the unpleasant things done to me will only continue stressing me. The best way to avoid stress is learning to forgive those who wrong me.

Staying Healthy

It is very important to maintain fitness and this is only possible when health is maintained. The world has become extremely competitive which means that it is important to stay healthy in addition to being intelligent. Technological advancements have caused many feeding habits some of which are unhealthy. Packaged and junk foods are common types of food that people feed on and the result is that they become sick (gsa 2). Sickness may be stressful and prevent us from moving on. Staying healthy is therefore an important strategy that enables me to keep moving on.

The first way of staying healthy is by eating a healthy breakfast. Some people underestimate the importance of breakfast and either skip it completely or just eat sugary foods. A healthy breakfast gives me the energy to move on with my activities throughout the day. It keeps me healthy because it is capable of removing cholesterol from the body since it is rich in fibers. Skipping breakfast causes the body to spend many hours without an external source of energy and this affects how blood sugar is regulated. Eating a healthy and nutritious breakfast is an important strategy that I use to continue moving on.

The second strategy that I use to stay healthy is drinking a lot of water. Water is an essential component for life. It is involved in many body functions hence it is very essential. It is an important detoxifier and I always take in plenty of it for my body to remain free of toxins. Water aids in the removal of waste products such as urine and sweat which carry toxic materials. Some people think that they take enough water through beverages and other drinks but it is advisable to take in pure water since it is the best. Water reduces minor aches and pains and leads to improved general health and this is an important strategy that I use to stay healthy.

The body requires healthy diets which comprise of all the essential nutrients. However, this is not enough to provide the body with all the nutrients it requires. It is my strategy to take in mineral supplements to stay healthy. Mineral supplements contain additional minerals and vitamins and that is why they are important to the body. This is a simple strategy yet one that most people ignore and I use it to remain healthy and continue moving on.

Managing Finances

Ability to manage finances implies that one knows how to spend money and make informed decisions on how the money should be spent. People who are keen to monitor how their money moves out do not face problems such as bad debts. One of the ways through which I monitor my spending is by preparing a budget. A budget helps me to control the entry and exit of money and by so doing; I am able to identify my financial strengths and weaknesses. After preparing a budget I open a savings account which ensures that at any given time, I save an amount of money for emergencies out of the my little earnings (Ellis 294).

Financial papers are very important and should be stored in places where they can be traced easily when they are required. Losing them is a sensitive issue that drives some people into trouble. My success plan with regard to storage of financial papers is one that values organization. This is because being disorganized may bring about serious repercussions. It is important to have special places which act as storage places for financial papers such as cabinets and drawers.

A financial plan is an important document that is developed to assist one in managing finances. Having a financial plan enables me to save more money and pride in my general progress. Writing down the plan on how to spent money is more effective than planning on how to spend the money without a written plan. Writing my financial plan helps me to remember the things that are supposed to be given priority. It is also beneficial because it helps in monitoring the use of my money because I can make reference to confirm if my spending is in accordance with the written plan. These strategies of planning for my finances are important parts of my success plan because they enable me spent wisely and move on (CPFE 1).

Conclusion

My success plan comprises of three critical areas which must be dealt with carefully. For success to be achieved, it is important to be free from any stress. With the many changes that have taken place in the world today, it is difficult to avoid stress. Stress can be managed by avoiding unnecessary events that cause it such as spending time with irritating friends. It can also be managed by accepting realities that we cannot avoid such as death.

Another important component of my success plan is staying healthy. Health is very important for success since it forms the basis of all the other things in life. Staying healthy involves strategies like eating healthy breakfast, drinking a lot of water and taking mineral supplements. The last component of my success strategy is managing my finances. Without finances, nothing can succeed and they should be well managed through making budgets, financial plans and keeping financial papers safely. By observing these strategies, my success plan is complete.

Works Cited

CPFE. Effective Strategies for Personal Money Management. 2004. Web.

Ellis, Dave. Becoming a Master Student. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2009. Print.

gsa. Creating a Healthy Lifestyle. n.d. Web.

Wellness Library. Stress Management. 2009. Web.

Introduction

In today’s world and environment, stress transverses the gender, race, class, or even age notion to become far-fetched in the society at large. Stress can be allied to work, role, people, sleep, time, food, and pain, including our own fears on other pertinent issues.

It also has much to do with our perception of the daily state of affairs that occurs in our lives therefore making our stress levels be associated with what we believe in. Therefore, Stress can be seen as a self-motivated interaction between a person and the environment in relation to two-way relationships that operate via an intricate set of feedback processes.

However, when we learn to negotiate the anxieties in our environment, we remain imperturbable to this interaction. Prolonged stress can cause physiological and physical problems and in some cases, reaction to stress can prove fatal.

Since we can decide on what to believe or think, we posses the aptitude on how we can respond to the exigent events and circumstances in our daily lives. So, we can adapt and learn on how to ‘’switch off’’ the stress response and deal with stress.

Problem Solution

Regardless of the humiliation and degradation other might heap upon us and the appalling environment we might live in, our own choices ultimately defines our identity and we should be in control of how we choose to respond.

Such circumstances should not change us on the inside unless we consent to it since no one has the authority and power to make anyone respond in a particular way on the inside unless we opt to react that way. Each of us solely has the freedom to forge his or her opinion, ideas, choices and attitudes.

Our choice of attitude is quite significant in the daily decision making and is more imperative than one’s education, position, successes or failures, bankroll, or even past events and circumstances. To some degree, our attitudes and reactions are consequential from the stress-produced emotions which are controllable.

Also to some great extent, we can choose on how we can deal with depression, hostility, fear, guilt, jealousy, worry, and any other emotional circumstances known to generate physical reactions. By questioning and reflecting upon our own attitudes, it may prove an important step towards living a better health and less stress life.

We should also have a constant communication with our close friends and family who are preferably concerned or not, with the aim of getting different opinions or even assistance if possible on our troubling circumstances since they are occasionally close to us.

This will considerably help us before going overboard with our reactions which may prove regrettable. We should also participate in recreational events and programs in order to turn away and switch off the invariable psychological tapes that keep playing in our heads and reminding us of painful events and aggravations.

We should also learn to focus on events and people that bring joy, peace, love, and happiness in our lives, and build up an attitude of gratitude and appreciation towards these events and people. Also by focusing on all the good things in our lives, it will help us forget the traumas or negative events that have happened and be optimistic about the future rather than being restless.

Conclusion

I have only highlighted some of the necessary steps required in dealing with our stress although a lot more can be done to trim down stress in how we think, work, and react to situations that become even more dramatic than necessary.

In my opinion, we can build up our body’s ability to be in demanding situations without unwarranted stress and things taken for granted such as going for retreats, long runs, and other recreational activities can build our ability to stay focused in the midst of irrepressible events or chaos.

Although we can not change the most anxious person in world into a bullfighter within a single day, these are just some steps that are freely available to us which we can us to gradually form a routine of living a stress free life.

Acute stress and attachment behavioral systems

Acute stress triggers one’s attachment behavior system by activating that innate human disposition to seek comfort and care from a familiar individual or group. At the point of stress, the person will feel vulnerable or in danger and will need something to offer them security.

Normal people have a way of dealing with conflicts in an appropriate manner because they have developed a healthy attachment behavioral system. However, those with a disorganized attachment system will feel like victims when scared, in pain, or anxious.

They will revisit earlier experiences of the same and focus on it. Furthermore, such parties have negative views about themselves. They will worry about experiencing the same consequences that emanated from similar stresses in the past. These individuals will always be vigilant about a repetition of their past.

Some of them will display higher levels of hostility or anger during that period of stress in an attempt to defend themselves against past misfortunes. Therefore, a person’s attachment system is turned off when a negative experience such as fear, stress or anxiety is terminated.

At this point, the person experiences ‘felt security’. On the other hand, if felt security is not attained, then the person’s attachment system will be constantly activated. This will lead to extreme reactions to real and perceived moments of fear/ anxiety/ stress.

Helping somebody experiencing deep loss

An effective way of helping somebody experiencing deep loss or acute stress is establishing a support system. Since creation of ‘felt security’ is paramount in deactivating the attachment behavioral system, then one must establish this reaction through association with others.

Family and friends are vital in the grieving process because they provide the bereaved with an outlet that can offer them support through those trying times.

Since a person’s thought processes contribute tremendously to their coping ability during loss, then one can help the affected person by focusing on positive thinking.

For instance, the bereaved may have a perfectionist stance on matters. A counselor can help that person realize that it is alright to be less than perfect. The grieving person should be taught to avoid overgeneralizations.

Grief comes in various phases; denial, anger, negotiation, depression and acceptance. A person in the denial phase has not come to terms with the fact that the loss has occurred. A counselor or therapist can help such a person by urging him to face his feelings.

He or she should try to express his feelings creatively through personal journals, art, or writing a letter to the loved one. Alternatively, a counselor may assist a grief-stricken individual to cope with his stress by identifying and planning for possible grief triggers.

If a person lost his life-long partner, then anniversaries or public holidays may be particularly difficult. The person can talk about these days with a trusted friend or counselor and then plan what to do on that day. It should be noted that grief must be accepted and expressed in one’s own unique way.

Although helpers can assist an individual in coping with acute stress or deep loss, it is not acceptable to let other people prescribe courses of action.

No one should tell the victim to move on or to act in a particular way as the person will know when he or she is ready to move into another phase.

How God can help

God can become a source of safety and security for those suffering from acute stress by helping individuals with the problem of loosing control.

Stress often immobilizes people because they do not feel like they can do anything about their situation. Faith allows one to focus on a higher power rather than the things one cannot do or can do.

God also provides a sense of security through spiritual groups that can support an acutely stressed person. Isolation often perpetuates depression because a person lacks a source of security. God allows such victims to find like-minded people who they can confide in.

Introduction

Organizations are increasingly experiencing a challenge arising from the dynamic nature of the environment in which they operate. In order to survive in this environment, it is paramount for these organizations to develop their competitive advantage. One of the ways through which they can achieve this is by integrating the concept of organizational development.

Anderson (2011, p.2) defines organizational development as the various organizational-wide efforts that are incorporated by a firm’s management team in order to improve its operational effectiveness. Organizational development also entails the process of facilitating organizational and personal change by utilizing various interventions.

According to Daft (2010, p. 432), organizational development mainly emphasizes on social and human aspects within a firm in an effort to enhance a firm’s effectiveness in dealing with problems that may arise in its operation.

For an organization to benefit from its organizational development programs, it must take into consideration the wellbeing of its human capital. Organizations should consider their employees as one of their most important assets. Over the recent past, there has been an increment in the level of changes within the business environment.

Some of these changes have emanated from an increment in the intensity of competition due to the high rate of globalization. In an effort to create a high competitive advantage, most organizations are considering incorporating change in their operation such as by undertaking mergers and acquisition and implementing new technology.

The recent economic crisis has also presented a challenge to employees due to the high cost living and job insecurity. These changes significantly reduce the employees’ level of productivity due to the associated stress. In executing organizational duties, employees may be overloaded with tasks which may cause them to be stressed.

Cunningham (2000, p.112) asserts that employees have their own personal such as those associated with career development. According to Cunningham (2000, p.112), if an organization does not address the employees’ individual needs such as their career goals, there is a high probability of such employees experiencing stress.

Findings of a report by the World Health Organization revealed that work stress can be a major hindrance to an organization attaining its goals in addition to affecting the workers health (Leka, Griffiths & Cox, 2003, p.3). This arises from the fact that stress makes employees to be poorly motivated and hence less productive. Additionally, stress reduces employees’ safety.

The resultant effect of stress in work environment is that an organization fails to attain the desired organizational development goals. This underscores the importance of integrating stress management in organizations. In the light of this, the author of this paper intends to conduct a critical literature review on the concept of stress management.

Literature review

Definition of stress in work environment

Employees experience stress from different sources such as from work and home. It is not possible for an organization to protect employees from stress arising from home. However, organizations can protect employees from work related stress. One of the ways through which an organization can achieve this is by integrating effective work organization and stress management (Parker, 2007, p. 23).

An employee may experience stress due to work demands for example if he or she is assigned a task that he or she does not have sufficient skills and knowledge to perform. Considering the changes in the external environment, employees cannot avoid pressure arising from work.

Work pressure may be an effective source of motivation. However, in some circumstances, excess work pressure may result into stress. The level of stress may be high if employees do not receive the necessary support from the managers and supervisors.

Leka, Griffiths and Cox (2003, p.3) are of the opinion that work related stress arises from the disparity between the demands of the job and the pressure on the employee on one hand and the mismatch between their abilities and knowledge on the other.

Causes of stress in workplace

According to Leka, Griffiths and Cox (2003, p.11), stress in workplace may arise as a result of different factors that lead into intense pressure and job demands. Others may be associated with ineffective work organization or how the job is designed. Additionally, unsatisfactory working conditions and poor management may also result into work stress.

According to Palmer and Cooper (2010, p. 162), the various work aspects which have a potential of causing stress are referred to as stress related hazards. The chart below gives a summary of the stress hazard with regard to work content and work context.

Stress management

According to Fried (2008, p. 61), stress management entails the various techniques that are used in eliminating feelings of strain. If not well managed, stress may lead into dysfunctional behavior amongst the employees in addition to poor mental and physical health.

For example, stress may result into extreme physical conditions such as heart diseases, high blood pressure, digestive system complications and musculo-skeletal disorders. As a result of stress, the employees’ operational efficiency is significantly reduced.

The employees’ ability to make effective decisions and to think logically is also affected. Parker (2007, p. 32) asserts that stress leads into a reduction in the employees’ level of commitment in their duties.

Stress in the workplace negatively affects employees productivity and hence the organization’s performance. Over the recent past, organizations in different economic sectors have appreciated the strength of relationship between the well being of their workforce and their productivity. Firms in the public and private sector are increasingly appreciating the costs associated with stress (Weinberg, Sutherland & Cooper, 2010, p. 61).

Stress management is one of the ways through which they are integrating in an effort to minimize stress. According to Ron (2004, p.1), it is estimated that job stress in the United States costs businesses more than $ 300 billion in their corporate profit annually.

This cost arises from increased complaints by customers and clients, a high rate of absenteeism, a rise in legal claims by employees, poor employees’ performance and productivity, and lack of employee commitment. On a daily basis, it is estimated that one million people do not attend work daily in the United State as a result of workplace stress overload (Ron, 2004, p. 1).

Ashworth (2005, para. 1) In 2005, the rate of unscheduled absenteeism in the US reached its five-year high due to a number of factors amongst them stress. According to Leka, Griffiths and Cox (2003, p. 14), inefficiency in managing job stress tarnishes an organization’s image both internally and externally.

Ron (2004, p.1) is of the opinion that stress is a major issue in an organization’s operation. However, it is astonishing to see the rate at which organizational CFOs and CEOs are concerned with attaining the desired profitability. Additionally, firm’s management teams are also concerned with ensuring that the employees are committed in executing their duties.

Despite this, most organizations have not implemented strategies aimed at dealing with stress at the workplace. According to Jex and Britt (2008, p.222), one of the most effective methods of dealing with stress related hazards in workplace is through stress management. The best stress management strategies that an organization can implement are those that check it from reaching excessive levels.

In the 21^st century, organizations are increasingly appreciating the importance of being involved in managing work related stress (Kaila, 2005, p.494). The rationale for this trend is that organizations are partially involved in making the employees to be stressed.

As a result, they should be actively involved in relieving it. The other rationale is that employees who are less stressed are more effective in their duties. In an effort to manage stress, organizations have implemented two main strategies. These include;

1. Institutional programs
2. Collateral programs

Institutional programs

These entail the various stress reduction strategies that are established through different organizational mechanisms (Griffin & Moorhead, 2011, p. 191). For example, in order to establish work-life balance, organizations should effectively design their jobs. According to Kaila (2005, p.494), working in shifts can be a source of stress to employees.

This arises from the fact that the employees will be forced to change their relaxation and sleeping patterns. Therefore, it is paramount for organizations to implement work schedules that contribute to reduction of stress. One of the way through which an organization can achieve this is by integrating flexible-working schedule.

This will give employees an opportunity to take care of their non-work activities such as advance their career by going back to school, having time with their family and being involved in recreational activities. Establishing work-life balance can be very beneficial to both employees and the organizations.

Stress within an organization can also be reduced by creating a strong organizational culture. One such culture that organizations can integrate entails ensuring that there is a balance between the employees work and non-work activities. For example, a firm’s management team may make it to be a norm that all employees should go on vacation or take some time off from work in order to relax.

Another institutional mechanism that a firm can consider entails ensuring that there is effective supervision. According to Kaila (2005, p.494), a supervisor can cause employees to be stressed by overloading them with tasks. To avoid this, a firm’s management team should ensure that its employees are assigned manageable and reasonable tasks.

Collateral programs

These include stress reduction programs that are specifically designed to assisting employees to cope with stress. There are different collateral programs that organizations incorporate in their stress management efforts. Some of these include Health Promotion Programs (HPPs), Employee Wellness Programs (EWPs) and Stress Management Programs.

According to Werner and DeSimone (2009, p.362), HPPs and EWPs are composed of various activities that are aimed at improving organizational practices and promoting employee behavior. The core objective is to ensure that the employees are fit and healthy to perform their duties.

The HPP and EWP programs are based on the principle that employee wellness does not only entail ensuring that the employees are not sick. However, they are aimed at encouraging employees to adopt lifestyles that contribute towards maximization of their wellbeing.

In their health promotion programs, organizations incorporate a holistic approach by educating employees on different issues. The health promotion programs are composed of different dimensions that are aimed at promoting employee wellness. These include emotional, physical, mental, spiritual, communal and social dimensions.

According to Kaila (2005, p.494), collateral programs encourage employees to be involved in exercises thus reducing stress indirectly. However, implementation of collateral programs as stress management strategies can be costly. This arises from the fact that organizations will be required to invest in the necessary physical facilities.

Despite this, Kaila (2005, p.494) asserts that more and more organizations are increasingly exploring this option in their stress management. Studies which have been conducted reveal that fitness and wellbeing programs significantly reduce absenteeism as a result of stress. Additionally, they also help in improving an employee’s mental health and his or her ability to resist stress.

Training and development

According to Donaldson-Fielder, Lewis and Yarker (2011, p. 67), organizations also use training and development interventions in managing stress. There are two main ways through which organizations use training and development in their stress management. These include technical skills training and stress management skills training.

Technical skills training

Technical skills training enhances employees’ ability to cope with job requirements. For example, technical skills training contribute towards significant reduction in the amount of effort required to execute a task. The resultant effect is that employees experience minimal stress arising from work demands and pressure.

Through technical skills training, an employee’s level of confidence in performing his or her duties is improved. To determine the technical skills training that an organization should conduct, a firm may conduct a performance appraisal, stress risk assessment, or a one-on-one conversation with the employees (Leka, Griffiths & Cox, 2003, p.3).

For example, an employee who may be assigned a new task may be required to make a presentation in front of the organization’s directors. This may cause anxiety to the employee leading into stress. In order to improve the employee’s presentation skills; the organization may enroll him or her to a presentation skills course in an effort to improve his or her confidence level when communicating to the managers (Spiers, 2003, p.84).

Additionally, a risk assessment conducted by an engineering firm revealed that employees were reporting work-related stress and a high level of job dissatisfaction. Upon investigation, the firm revealed that the cause of the stress was as a result of the project management systems that the firm was using.

The project management team revealed that they had never received training on how to operate the new Information Technology system that the firm had implemented. In order to minimize stress as a result of the new technology, the firm implemented a training program on how to operate the new software (Donald-Fielder, Lewis & Yarker, 2011, p. 68).

Stress management skills training

This is a stress management strategy that is aimed at increasing the employees’ level of awareness on stressors and the importance of their wellbeing. Alternatively, stress management skills training is aimed at teaching employees on how to reduce stress. In their stress management skills training, organizations intend to bridge the gap that existed between the job demands, the employees’ ability to perform the tasks and the resources available.

There are three main types of stress management skills training that an organization can implement. These include multimodal, relaxation-based and cognitive behavioral therapy. Multimodal training entails increasing the level of awareness on what stress is, how to identify signs of stress and how they can acquire skills to cope with stress.

Relaxation-based training entails educating employees on how to undertake mental and physical relaxation in an effort to deal with the various consequences associated with stress. On the other hand, cognitive behavioral therapy training entails equipping employees with skills that change their perception on the source of stress differently.

According to Donaldson-Fielder and Yarker (2011, p.69), these stress management skills training are very effective in reducing stress. However, a recent evaluation conducted on these methods revealed that cognitive behavioral therapy training is more effective compared to the other two methods.

Support interventions

These include the various forms of assistance strategies such as therapy and counseling employees who are suffering from stress.

The support interventions targets individuals who have not benefited from stress prevention strategies such as training and development. The support interventions are focused at curing symptoms of stress. Support interventions may also entail medical treatment and coaching employees suffering from stress.

Conclusion

In order for organization to attain their goals, it is paramount for management teams to ensure that their employees are committed and productive. However, employees are faced with a challenge in executing their duties due to work-related stress. Stress has a negative impact to both the employee and the organization.

Therefore, it is important for organizations to incorporate the concept of stress management in order to help them cope with challenging work situations. There are different strategies that an organization can integrate in their stress management efforts.

To be effective in stress management, it is important for firms to integrate both curative and preventative stress management strategies. Some of the main strategies that a firm can integrate entail institutional programs, collateral programs, training program and support interventions.

Institutional programs contribute towards reduction of work-related stress by ensuring that there are effective organizational mechanisms that minimize stress in its structure. Some of the ways through which they attain this is by being effective in designing jobs.

Organizations should ensure that they assign employees jobs in according with their abilities and the resources available. It is also important for firm’s management teams to design jobs that are meaningful to their employees.

Jobs should be designed in such as way that employees can be able to use their skills in executing them. This will contribute towards creation of a high level of commitment. It is also critical to ensure that the employees understand their role and responsibilities. When making decisions that affect them, firm’s management teams should give the employees an opportunity to participate.

Organizations should also integrate effective work-schedule that ensures a high level of flexibility. The work-schedules incorporated should be in line with the employees’ non-work responsibilities and demands. Such schedules reduce work-related stress by giving employees an opportunity to pursue their personal goals such as advancing their education

. Employees intend to advance their career in order to improve their competitiveness in the labor market. Additionally, employees have sufficient time with their family and friends and to engage in recreational activities that improve their wellbeing hence reducing stress. On the other hand, collateral programs aid in improving the employees fitness and wellbeing.

Training and development strategies such as technical skills training and stress management skills training enable employees to cope with job pressure and associated stressors. Through technical skills training, an employee is equipped with skills that enable him or her to execute tasks assigned with minimal pressure and effort.

On the other hand, stress management skills training equip employees with a high level of awareness regarding skills. Organizations may also integrate support interventions such as counseling and coaching employees who are already suffering from stress.

Therefore, to increase the probability of attaining organizational development, it is critical for firm’s management teams to integrate effective stress management. Stress management benefits both an organization and its employees.

Reference List

Anderson, D., 2011. Organization development; the process of leading organizational change. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications. Ashworth, S., 2005. Low morale, other issues push absences to a five year high.

New York: American City Business Journals. Cunningham, J., 2000. The stress management sourcebook. Los Angeles: Lowell House.

Daft, R., 2010. Organizational theory and design. Mason, Ohio: South-Western Cengage Learning.

Donaldson-Fielder, E., Lewis, R. & Yarker, J., 2011. Preventing stress in organizations: how to develop positive managers. New York: John Wiley and Sons.

Fried, R., 2008. Stress management for success in the workplace. Washington: Lulu.com.

Griffin, R. & Moorehead, G., 2011. Organizational behavior: managing people and organizations. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

Jex, S. & Britt, T., 2008. Organizational theory; a scientist-practitioner approach. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley and Sons.

Kaila, H., 2005. Human resource management. Delhi: Kalpaz Publications.

Leka, S., Griffiths, A. & Cox, T., 2003. Work organization and stress. United Kingdom: Institute of Work, Health and Organization.

Palmer, S. & Cooper, C., 2010. How to deal with stress. London: Kogan Page. Parker, H., 2007. Stress management. Chandni Chowk, Delhi: Global Media. Ron, B., 2004. Workplace stress sucks $ 300 billion annually from corporate profits. New York: Technology Marketing Corporation.

Spiers, C., 2003. Tolleys managing stress in the workplace. Chicago: Taylor & Francis.

Weinberg, A., Sutherland, V. & Cooper, C., 2010. Organizational stress management; a strategic approach. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Werner, J. & DeSimone, R., 2009. Human resource development. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

Introduction

The recession that occurred between 2007 and 2009 had significant negative effects on businesses in various parts of the world. Some companies had to collapse, whereas others suffered huge losses because of the recession. This paper will discuss the effect of the recession on the magnitude of the stress that people experienced. It will also identify and discuss the strategies that can be used to manage stress effectively. The thesis of the paper is that stress is both a cause and a consequence of poor performance at the workplace.

Effect of the Recession on the Magnitude of Stress

The recent recession directly increased the level of stress that people experienced in the US and other countries in the following ways. To begin with, the recession had a negative impact on demand in various industries in the country. As demand reduced, businesses had no option but to reduce prices in order to sell their products.

This exposed business owners to the risk of making losses, which in turn stressed them as they looked for alternative ways of saving their companies. The stressed business owners passed the tension to their managers who in turn passed it to employees (Debra and Campbell 271). This involved putting managers under pressure to improve the performance of their companies to prevent losses. Employees also experienced increased stress levels due to unmanageable workload.

The recession also increased the level of stress by reducing the value of properties such as homes (Debra and Campbell 271). A reduction in the value of homes causes a lot of stress since purchasing a house is one of the most expensive investments that an average person makes in his lifetime. In this case, the stress results from the losses associated with the reduction in the prices of houses. The recession also increased stress through its negative impact on the cost of living. The people whose incomes reduced during the recession became stressed because they were worried of being unable to pay for expenses such as college fees.

Effect of the Responses of Businesses

The responses of businesses to the recession affected employees’ stress levels in the following ways. First, downsizing was one of the main responses to the recession (Debra and Campbell 271). The employees who lost their jobs experienced high levels of stress because they had no alternative sources of income. Undoubtedly, loss of income is a major source of stress since it directly threatens the survival of an individual by denying him/ her access to basic needs such as food (Olpin and Hesson 59-96). The employees who retained their jobs also experienced high stress due to lack of job security. In this case, the uncertainty associated with lack of job security caused anxiety and fear, which led to a significant increase in stress and poor performance among employees.

Second, some businesses responded to the recession by reducing salaries and benefits. This strategy is considered a win-win solution since it enables employers to reduce losses, whereas employees retain their jobs (Rayner and Rumbles 47-83). In this respect, employees who were concerned about job security rather than salaries did not experience high stress. Nonetheless, the loss of valuable benefits such as pension contributions led to increased stress among employees.

Finally, long working hours increased employees’ stress levels. Some businesses increased working hours in order to improve their financial performance during the recession. However, long shifts had negative effects on employees since it denied them the opportunity to attend to personal issues such as caring for their families. In addition, long shifts often lead to fatigue and stress, which in turn reduce performance at the workplace.

Yerkes-Dodson Law

The Yerkes-Dodson law states that the ability of a human being to perform a give task increases with arousal. However, the performance begins to fall after a certain level of arousal is exceeded (Olpin and Hesson 23-45). The factors that determine the effect of arousal on performance include skill level, personality, trait anxiety, and task complexity. Before the recession, most individuals’ stress levels were likely to be low, especially, if they had not suffered any catastrophic loss. Thus, they were likely to perform well in their jobs even if they had low skill levels.

At the beginning of the recession in 2007, some businesses were able to report positive financial results. This shows that the stress levels at the beginning of the recession were optimal since it enabled some companies to increase productivity and avoid losses. However, in 2008 and 2009 most companies made huge losses. The losses were attributed in part to poor performance among employees. Specifically, stress coupled with low morale reduced employees’ performance (Debra and Campbell 271).

According Yerkes-Dodson law, individuals with weak personalities such as introverts are less likely to excel in high-pressure situations. In addition, people who are not confident are likely to fail when subjected to stress and high pressure. Stress also leads to poor performance in situations where the task to be performed is very complex. In this case, stress causes underperformance by limiting an individual’s ability to think and develop innovative solutions.

The aforementioned determinants of performance in stressful situations are likely to have led to the poor financial results reported by companies during the recession. In this context, the dismal performance of employees and their companies means that the recession increased stress levels beyond the optimal point. Moreover, poor performance was a cause of stress since it exposed the employees who were not able to achieve their targets to the risk of losing their jobs.

Managing Stress at Individual Level

According to the Yerkes-Dodson law, individuals can manage stress effectively by taking the following actions. First, the individual should be able to identify his overload point. In this case, the overload point refers to the level of arousal beyond which individual performance declines. Apart from performance, symptoms of stress such as headaches, sleeplessness, and loss of appetite indicate that the overload point has been exceeded (Olpin and Hesson 93-95). Once the overload point is identified, the individual should avoid exceeding it by setting realistic targets or goals to prevent stress. Those who are already stressed should learn to relax by doing what they enjoy to reduce stress.

Individuals can also reduce stress by improving their personality traits. For instance, introverts can reduce stress by learning to interact and share their problems with others. This helps in easing tension and finding solutions from third parties. Developing a positive attitude is also an important strategy for managing stress at the individual level. A positive attitude is likely to motivate an individual to find an effective solution to the problem that causes stress (Olpin and Hesson 97). For instance, a positive attitude can increase the probability of making a sale during an economic downturn. Generally, individuals with positive thoughts are likely to have enough confidence to solve their problems, thereby avoiding or reducing stress.

Managing Stress at the Company Level

Employers can help their employees to avoid stress in the following ways. First, employers should focus on improving their employees’ skills to enable them to avoid stress (Rayner and Rumbles 78). Employees with the right skill set are likely to avoid stress by excelling in high-pressure situations. Thus, employers should introduce relevant training and staff development programs to improve the skills and knowledge of their employees.

Second, employers can help employees to deal with the stress and anxiety associated with lack of confidence. One of the ways of dealing with anxiety is to introduce mentorship programs that allow employees with weak personality traits to access assistance from their experienced counterparts. Mentorship can boost employees’ confidence and self-esteem, thereby improving their ability to cope with stressful situations.

Finally, employers can eliminate stress at the workplace by reducing task complexity. This involves redesigning various tasks to make them simple to employees. In addition, employees should be assigned tasks that match their skills to avoid the stress associated with performing very complex tasks in high-pressure situations.

Conclusion

The great recession directly increased people’s stress levels. The increase was attributed to the economic difficulties that were created by the recession. These included reduction in the value of properties such as houses and lack of adequate funds to pay for personal expenses. Businesses responded to the recession through layoffs, wage cuts, and increasing working hours. These strategies had negative effects on employees’ financial stability and lifestyles. As a result, employees in different industries experienced increased levels of stress. This led to poor performance among employees. In addition, poor performance exacerbated the stress by exposing the employees to the risk of losing their jobs. This shows that stress is both a cause and a consequence of poor performance at the workplace.

Works Cited

Debra, Nelson and James Campbell. Organizational Behavior: Science, the Real World, and You, New York: Cengage Textbook, 2012. Print.

Olpin, Michael and Margie Hesson. Stress Management for Life, New York: Cengage Learning, 2012. Print.

Rayner, Charlotte and Sally Rumbles. Organizational Behavior, New York: John Wiley and Sons, 2012. Print.