Category: Stress

When the human body responds or reacts to an adjustment or something new, that reaction is called stress. The response of the human body varies from a mental to a physical one. Stress is a natural feeling that the human body is prepared to fight it. However, when there is continuous stress without a break or a pause this stress will become a virus to the body. This overstress forces the human body to change physiologically to adapt to this new change. the physiological change is a disturbance of balance in the body that causes headaches, trouble breathing, and depression plus other bad things that can hurt the body. In addition to that stress can cause a lot of deaths since it is one of the important factors that creates cancer, brain and heart attacks, and suicides. Moreover, people try to calm stress with substances that in fact will make their case worse for example: drinking alcohol, taking drugs, smoking a lot of cigarettes, and taking other harmful things. The consumption of these substances makes its consumer a prisoner in a looped feeling of stress. Moreover, stress is also contagious, the sources of the stress are not mainly related to the person in question they are also from other people. For example, if a person intimate such as a friend or a member of the family is having some serious health problems or an issue in a relationship. You will feel also stressed even though you are not concerned.

Stress is a natural feeling in the human. It is in fact a healthy feeling to experience if it is happening during a certain or brief amount of time. However, when it becomes a quasi-permanent feeling that becomes a serious problem because that will cause an excess in the amount of the stress hormones inside the human body which leads automatically to serious health issues (McEwen, B, 2006). The release of a great amount of stress hormones can cause a lot of problems in the human body. For example, In the digestive system, it will of course affect the stomach and all organs that are responsible for the digestion of food. It also causes obesity which is logical since when a person is stressed his appetite increases therefore there is a lot of weight gain. Not to mention that being obese increases your chances of having diabetes and blood-related problems. Speaking of blood-related problems, stress is also responsible for the dysfunction of the cardiovascular system it increases the blood pressure, and the rate of the heart it also increases the fat in the blood (cholesterol and triglycerides). All of these things affect the body and put the person in question a risk of developing heart disease (Stults-Kolehmainen, 2014). The body encounters many problems when getting exposed to a lot of stress. For example, Anorexia induction, Reduction of food and water intake, prevents stomach emptying, accelerates the colon movement, increases the movements of terminal parts, and decreases the initial part of the GI tract (Mönnikes et al., 2001).

The biological response to stress is a process or you can say a bunch of steps. This process of how the human body responds to stress whether it is short or long term is called Allostasis. Stress causes numerous changes in the human body. First, stress hormones are released after being produced, the release of stress hormones makes energy stores available to use immediately. Energy is transmitted to the tissues which makes them ready to work when the body is feeling stressed. The immune system’s cells migrate to battle stations (Dhabar & McEwen 1997). The process of digestion and the production of the gonadal hormones activities are suspended. In addition to that studies showed that stress has serious effects on the CNS which is the central nervous system. The main areas involved are the Glucocorticoid receptors and the Noradrenaline. These effects can be declarative memory disorders, reduction in spatial memory, weakening verbal memory, disturbance in hippocampus-dependent loading data, reduction of cognition and cognitive and mood disorders, and disorders in hippocampus-related cognition decreasing the reaction time ( Yaribeygi, 2017).

Studies showed that stress has some serious effects on the psychology of the person. Stress who was originated from violence and abuse during childhood results in creating disturbances and disorders in the brain of the person. Studies showed that people who go abused sexually, physically, or mentally encounter some serious psychological disturbances and disorders when they grow up. In addition to that people who grew up with parents who got divorced are often antisocial and have high depression levels compared to other people (Schneiderman, 2005). Moreover, studies have shown that children who were raised in an environment that was exposed to war or terrorism encounter psychological disorders and both post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive symptoms (Schneiderman, 2005). Statics made showed that 70% of children who were living in Kuwait encountered severe symptoms which are called PTSD effects after the gulf war (Nader A, 1993). In addition to that other studies showed that 43% of the children from Lebanon were victims of post-traumatic stress symptoms because of the war they were exposed to (Macksound M, 1996). That shows that exposure to intense and chronic events during childhood is likely to cause stress disorder which affects the psychology of the person. In addition to that, studies showed that people who were diagnosed with a dangerous disease such as cancer, are often diagnosed with depression which makes their case more difficult and their recovery pretty much impossible (McDaniel et al. 1995).

People who get stressed easily and during numerous periods of time need to calm the stress in any way possible. As a consequence, most stressed people try to calm themselves with substances like tobacco. A lot of surveys showed that people who smoke tobacco are often stressed and anxious and the tobacco helps them to control their anxiety. However, people think that they found a cure for stress but the use of tobacco is more dangerous to the human body if it is consumed in heavy quantities. In this case, the human body gets exposed to stress effects and tobacco effects. To conclude, stress damages the human body and pushes people to get addicted to substances that will ruin their bodies

Stress is a natural thing and everything natural is created for a reason. This feeling is a vital and healthy feeling for the human body if its limits are respected. However, when stress is becoming a permanent thing it hurts the body very badly. As was explained in this research paper many disorders and disturbances the person faces either psychological or physical originate from stress, especially if the stress is severe and prolonged. Results showed that persons who are optimistic have a great chance of benefiting from stress than getting hurt because of it (Glanz & Johnson, 1999). On the other hand, if stressors are stronger and more powerful than individuals who are physically or psychologically vulnerable because of age, gender, or past experiences stressors may lead to devastating effects. In addition to that, people who have witnessed horrific events in their childhood are more likely to encounter some serious mental problems due to heavy stress.

The Health and Safety Authority defines Work-Related Stress (WRS) as stress caused or made worse by work. It simply refers to when a person perceives the work environment in such a way that his or her reaction involves feelings of an inability to cope. It may be caused by perceived/real pressures/deadlines/threats/anxieties within the working environment. Ireland’s frontline emergency services are under immense strain at the moment due to a range of issues. Worryingly, the issues do not appear to be anywhere close to a resolution and staff have taken the decision to take industrial actions. During the economic downturn in Ireland from 2008 onwards, a moratorium on recruitment was introduced in the public and civil service which was not lifted until 2015. This cessation in new employees entering professions such as our security and healthcare professions intensified pressures and the workload on those in the workforce. In 2018, a report by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) was published and identified that the number of Irish workers who described themselves as stressed at work more than doubled in the five years from 2010 to 2015, with job stress among employees jumping from 8 percent in 2010 to 17 percent in 2015. The study further acknowledged that workers who experience angry clients or had to hide their emotions were more commonly stressed. The major question to be asked from this study are how stresses amongst employees affect their performance in their role and whether it impacts their satisfaction in their job. Secondary objectives to be achieved include identifying stressors in the workplace, identifying the controls in place from management, and the need for a positive work-life balance. The hypothesis is that work-related stress has a negative impact on both workers’ job performance and job satisfaction.

Literature Review

Arnold and Randall (2017, p. 380) define stress as a negative emotional state that results from the transactions between a person and their environment. It is something caused or made worse by work. They suggest the word stress is derived from the Latin word stringere meaning to draw tight. The term stress is not defined in terms of environmental pressures but instead its impact on mental well-being.

APA (2019) suggests some stress can be beneficial at times, producing a boost that provides the drive and energy to help people get through situations like exams or work deadlines. However, an extreme amount of stress can have health consequences

Sources of work-related stress

Organizational success depends highly on human resources. Human resource departments therefore have a responsibility in ensuring that employees are content in their roles and that the threat of stress is minimized. Identifying stressors at work is key to limiting the risks of employee absenteeism or industrial unrest which may adversely affect an organization’s profits or cause reputational damage. Cartwright and Cooper (1997) set out the major stresses of work originally suggested by Cooper, Cooper, and Eaker (1988).

1. Working conditions

Physical surroundings such as noise, poor lighting, or physical set up of office or assembly line

2. Shift work

Working irregular hours can impact sleeping patterns and family and social life. Additionally, studies have shown that shift work impacts negatively on workers’ health.

3. Long hours

Employees working extensive hours may suffer from health issues and work performance may slow. The European Working Time Directive limits employees to a maximum 48hr working week.

4. Travel

Many workers must commute long distances to attend their place of work due to low employment where they are from or forced to live outside cities to rent prices.

5. New Technology

The modern workplace is now centered on new and emerging technology. Workers are required to learn new skills in order to do their job.

6. Work Overload

French and Caplan (1973) suggest that quantitative refers to having too much to do, whereas qualitative means work that is too difficult.

Furthermore, Cooper and Payne (1978, p. 85-88) identify role ambiguity, role conflict, and responsibility as three additional factors of stress within an organization. An employee can be overcome with unnecessary stress when there is a lack of clarity about what the objectives and expectations are of them in the role. Role conflict exists when a worker feels they must do something they do not wish to do such as when there exists two expectations of them between two different groups. Responsibility, particularly in management roles is an identified cause of stress. Responsibility for getting the best out of employees or achieving set targets brings pressure. It often involves attendance at meetings and working alone.

Mind (2015) conducted a survey amongst emergency service personnel in 2015. The survey concluded that of 3500 surveyed, 87 percent of workers experienced stress at some point while working in their role. Emergency service workers are also far less likely to face stress issues due to the nature of their job and perceptions from the public and employers.

Overview of Research Approach / Proposed Methodology

It is proposed to use a mix of both quantitative research methods and qualitative research methods to conduct this study. According to DeFranzo (2011), quantitative research is used to quantify the problem by way of generating numerical data or data that can be transformed into usable statistics. It is used to quantify attitudes, opinions, behaviors, and other defined variables. Check and Schutt (2012, p. 394 state qualitative research methods are designed to capture life as participants experience it rather than in categories predetermined by the researcher.

The aim of this proposed study is to identify the stressors in the workplace amongst frontline emergency service workers and how these impact work and job satisfaction. The research will further identify how these stresses are managed by employees and line managers. An extensive literature review will assist in compiling a questionnaire which will be distributed to a selection of Gardaí with varying levels of service and backgrounds. This study strives to highlight the major issue of work-related stress and its impacts on employees and in turn employers and organizations. A hypothesis put forward by this proposed study is that there is a high level of work-related stress amongst emergency service personnel due the exposure to trauma, interactions with the public, and workload. Frontline personnel often have no definite job description and take on multiple roles. The issue and impacts of work-related stress are not well understood in this sector and this research paper will assist in identifying how employees can be better served.

The literature will be reviewed from a range of sources such as books, journals, scholarly articles, and websites. This review will form the basis of the proposed research. The questions on the questionnaire will probe issues highlighted from the reading of previous findings and observations. I propose to conduct the survey over a four-week period. The nature of the job of emergency service personnel means it would not be possible to have surveys completed in a single day. Affording the participant time and space to complete the questionnaire at their convenience will give a more honest and accurate reflection of the stresses impacting them. Closed questions will be the main type of question used. In addition to this, space will be given for open-ended questions to give the participant the opportunity to give their own opinions.

For confidentiality reasons, the identities of participants will not be disclosed.

Limitations and project risk

There are many limitations and risks to the success of this proposed study. In terms of the quantitative research method outlined, the structured questionnaire and its closed questions will limit the data available to collect. The limited options for answers may not accurately convey a participant’s views and opinions. It will also involve a substantial amount of resources from the time consumption of compiling the questionnaire and distributing it, to collecting the results and analyzing the data. Similarly conducting interviews depends on the participant’s availability in a busy schedule. It too is time-consuming as it requires an hour per interview to be set aside including introductions and conclusions of the interview.

A risk to the project is the current environment An Garda Síochána finds themselves in. There have been numerous scandals in recent years with confidence amongst the public low. Furthermore, in the current environment with industrial action in the public service and public opinion, participants may have disdain for government and management resulting in them giving biased answers out of discontent.

Key theorists prominent in the recognition of stress include physiologist Walter Cannon in 1914, and endocrinologist Hans Selye continued its development in 1936. These theorists have defined the term stress and played a major role in its evolution. Stress Science: Neuroendocrinologyedited by Dr. George Fink describes in detail both theorists’ ideas about stress. Finks’s analysis of stress begins with Walter Cannon’s concept of homeostasis, where he describes the stability of an organism in relation to its internal environment (Fink 2009). This development in the study of stress led to Cannon formulating the phrase “fight or flight”, which could be considered an introduction to the physical response to stress.

The meaning of homeostasis has not changed over the last eighty years, the general understanding is the stable state of equilibrium (Greenfield, 2003). For myself, I find change challenging and sometimes have trouble adapting to dramatic changes in my life. I found myself in a mixed state of mind when reading Greenfields Homeostasisarticle, in one part I found myself relating to the scared and predictable person he was describing, a person manifesting homeostatic impulses tends to feel tense and uneasy about change, or even the thought of change’ (Greenfield, 2003). The other part wanted to embrace change so I did not see myself that way and be more accepting of changes within my life.

There are many authors and researchers interested in Cannon’s theory of stress, Goldstein and Kopin (2007) discuss Cannon’s ideas through the Evolution of Concepts of Stress, Seaward describes in detail the four stages of the fight or flight response and Shelley Taylor and her colleagues (2000) propose an alternative response for a female’s reaction to stress in the study Biobehavioral responses to stress in females: tend and befriend, not fight-or-flight.

The fight or flight responses our body experiences when stressed can be triggered when our territory or space is invaded and when we feel scared in a situation. Seaward describes the four stages of fight or flight being; when one of the five senses sends a message to the brain such as a scream. Next, the brain will determine whether the situation is threatening or not. If the brain believes that the situation is non-threatening, the response is over and the body goes back to a stable state. However, if the brain does determine that the situation is threatening the brain activates the nervous and endocrine systems to prepare for the fight or flight. The body will stay in this activated state till the brain believes the threat is over and the body returns to homeostasis (2006).

Shelley Taylor (2000) identified that a female’s reaction could be different from a male’s reaction when faced with a stressful situation. As discussed, Cannon’s theory of fight-or-flight could predominantly be based on a male’s reaction to stress. Taylor et al propose that “human female response to stress (as well as those of some animal species) are not well characterized by fight-or-flight, as research has implicitly assumed, but rather are more typically characterized by a pattern we term “tend-and-befriend” (Taylor et al., 2000). They argue that females may have a naturalistic urge to protect their offspring from harm or trauma and therefore may feel that they do not want to put themselves and their offspring in jeopardy or they may not be in a position to flee a threat (2000).

Taylor suggests that men and women respond to stress differently. The “tend and befriend” response created by Taylor provides a counter theory to Cannon’s fight-or-flight response (Taylor, 2000). Taylor and her team’s investigation into already existing knowledge and research showed that information surrounding stress was predominantly male-driven and therefore provided inaccurate results for women under stress. Taylor suggests, “women’s instincts lead them to protect their offspring (“tending”) and turn to others for support (“befriending”)” (Pitman, 2003). This theory offers a viable explanation for women’s reactions during stressful situations, however, critics have noted a lack of feminist theory within her writing.

Through Taylor’s writing, she provides an array of benefits linked to the “tend and befriend” response. To ensure the survival of the species, whether animal or human, tending and providing protection to offspring during a stressful situation is vital. Befriending and coming together in a group to receive and offer support is also beneficial for our mental and physical health during stressful events (Taylor, 2006).

P B Persson and A Zakrisson also found limitations within Cannon’s fight-or-flight theory. They suggest that in the modern day, it would not be appropriate to attack your boss or flee from your office if under pressure (2016). Persson and Zakrisson also suggest, “this back-firing of our biological system vs. our work life may result in stress-related illness” (Persson and Zakrisson, 2016). Due to the fact that we simply cannot run away from stress, this project looks to establish alternate devices for expressing, and relieving stress.

There are many items and devices available to purchase on the market directed at people suffering from stress. Websites, such as Amazon and eBay sell a variety of products geared towards relieving stress for all age groups. These products include fidget spinners, fidget cubes, vibrating massage tools, and acupressure massage tools. The fidget objects are designed to keep the hands busy and distract us from a stressful situation. The massage tools such as Theracane or Body Back Buddy are used to ease one’s tension in parts of the body, such as the back, shoulder, or neck.

The Theracane and Body Back Buddy are both lightweight handheld objects. Like its name suggests the Theracane is in the shape of a cane and has six knobs to target tense areas. The Body Back Buddy resembles an “S” shape, with eleven trigger point therapy knobs, this tool offers relief from stress and tension in muscles. Though it seems to be an improved extension of the Thera Cane, the Body Back Buddy has evolved since 2005. The “S” shape offers perfect balance when utilizing the trigger points knobs on various parts of the human body. The shape also allows for muscle relief in hard-to-reach places.

Aside from hand-held objects, there are pieces of furniture that also aid in stress management. The versatility of the Exocetchair by Stephane Leathead allows the users to create the desired shape for the body or the person’s needs. The chair is made from vertical wooden slats that encompass a metal cylinder at the base of the chair. The cylinder acts as a hinge so that slats of wood can change shape. The subtle curve of the wooden slats mimics the curve of the human spine, providing back support for the user.

While the term “stress” is more commonly linked to negative connotations, eustress is a form of positive stress. The understanding of eustress is underdeveloped (Nelson & Simmons, 2015), however, it is described as being a good and healthy form of stress. Eustress is a good type of stress that allows an individual to feel excited and motivated. While this feeling may only be short-term, our bodies and emotions are more equipped to deal with this type of stress. Nelson and Simmons suggest, ‘We believe that most individuals not only prefer eustress, they actually savor, or enjoy with appreciation, this positive response to aspects of demands they encounter at work’(Nelson & Simmons, 2015). Some examples of eustress could include; getting married, taking a holiday, receiving a promotion at work, and retiring.

Distress is a negative response to stressors that are more commonly studied due to its effects on health (Nelson & Simmons, 2015). Nelson and Simmons describe distress as dysfunctional and negative, the opposite of eustress. It is the bad stress that comes into our lives as a result of the death of a spouse or loved one, injury or illness, and unemployment. This form of stress can be all-consuming and may cause anxiety which, could be both short and long-term. Distress can lead to an individual’s decreased performance in both the workplace and home life and could result in mental and physical problems.

An individual’s distress could be formed by a range of biological, cognitive, and social processes when interacting within an environment (Matthews, 2016). Humans differ in their response to stress, their vulnerability to stressors could depend on their resilience and self-regulation in challenging situations. Many factors can influence distress, Matthews states, ‘distress reflects both situational influences, such as life events, and intrapersonal influences such as personality traits’ (Matthews, 2016). The factors could include, environmental, such as traumatic events and ill health. Other influences include, physiological, cognitive, and social. Due to distress being such a broad term for a range of responses to stress, it is hard to determine a means of assessment (Matthews, 2016). Matthews suggests that an individual could experience distress both on an acute emotional state level and as a chronic condition. There are three timescales that distress could be assessed, the first being a temporary state of distress lasting only a few minutes. The second is longer and could last up to weeks or even months and the individual is generally experiencing an episodic state of distress that could be a result of a life event. The third assessment is described as a personality trait, such as anxiety which may stabilize over decades.

Acute stress disorder (ASD) is a precursor of chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and although they experience similar symptoms such as avoidance, individuals experiencing acute stress disorder may have a strong emphasis on dissociative symptoms (Bryant, Harvey, Dang, Sackville & Basten, 1998). Healthline.com describes acute stress as a condition of an individual’s psychological state caused in response to a traumatic event. Causes of the particular stress could include death and threats of death and potential injury to the individual or others. Individuals at risk could include those who have experienced or witnessed past traumatic events, individuals who may have a history of acute stress disorder or posttraumatic stress disorder, and individuals who may already have a history of mental problems. Individuals experiencing acute stress may feel numb or detached, feel anxious and irritable, and may avoid people, places, activities, and conversations. People suffering from this stress could also experience recurring images, thoughts, nightmares, illusions, or flashbacks. This type of re-experience may prolong the stressed state.

Academic stress is characterized by three types of stress; acute stress, episodic stress, and chronic acute stress. Acute stress is the result of recent or anticipated stress and is one of the most common stressors experienced by students. Episodic stress is identified as acute stress that occurs frequently and sometimes in a pattern. Chronic acute stress can be seen as never-ending stress that breaks an individual down. The symptoms of academic stress are divided into four categories; physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral. These manifestations could be the results of a number of causes including; moving away from home, academic demands, finances, and post-graduate plans. For most students, attending university could be the first time moving out of home and away from a support group, this in and of itself would place a great deal of stress on the individual.

The second part of my literature review analyses the concept of art therapy; what it is, the mediums and methods involved, and where and how this type of therapy may evolve in the near future. Within this review, I also want to look at visual art versus craft in relation to art therapy. Researchers such as Malchiodi paint a detailed picture of what art therapy is and how it has grown over the past 70 years, whereas Bucciarelli highlights the potential of a transdisciplinary approach to art therapy. I also want to look into art therapists working in the field, these include; Amanda Chambala and Nicolette Bodewes.

Art therapy is based on the creative process of art making and enables the participant or client to express their thoughts and emotions through nonverbal communication (Campbell, 2010; Malchiodi, 2011). This type of expression allows clients to self-evaluate their strengths and weaknesses by creating a visual communication of their mental state (Chambala, 2008). Art therapy appears to be a beneficial alternative to traditional forms of psychiatric therapy, the client may feel that it is a less intimidating form of expressing their emotions and feelings.

It is a general understanding that art therapy is interdisciplinary and crosses the lines between a range of fields. Bucciarelli suggests that art therapists utilize different approaches from various fields, such as, ‘visual arts, counseling, art education, rehabilitation, anthropology, neuroscience, and the study of creativity to create “art therapy”’ (Bucciarelli, 2016). The mediums used in art therapy are constantly evolving and keeping up to date with contemporary times. Some traditional forms include drawing, painting, and sculpting, however, with the influence of technology art therapists also use; filming, photography, and other forms of imaging making during sessions. The needs of the individual must be considered and although these tools have the potential to express one’s emotion, not all tools are ideal for all people or situations.

There has been much debate on the differences between art and craft in the art therapy domain. In the mid 70’s Ulman, Kramer, and Kwiatowska suggested that craft lacks self-confrontation and benefits from perfectionism, they also ‘propose that art and craft activities should have their own separate workspaces because art is more emotionally demanding and thus more challenging than craft’ (Hyland Moon, 2010). I disagree with this statement. For this master’s project, my practice lies somewhere between traditional art therapy methods and handmade craft, I find myself putting the same emotion into both categories. In the contemporary art world, Adamson explains, ‘although the crafting of a work is associated more with the concern for detail and quality, tactile encounters, and materiality, it no longer is seen as primarily focused in manual labor and devoid of the conceptual, intellectual, and emotional processes associated with art’(Adamson, 2007; Hyland Moon, 2010). Kapitan suggests ‘traditional craftspeople believe that their materials have memory and show the maker’s feelings and struggles’ (2011, pp94). However, in a survey conducted by Futterman Collier, where over 800 women handcrafters were surveyed, the results suggested that while the creative work was therapeutic and stress relieving, their discipline requires them to put aside negative emotions, so as to not make mistakes. The pieces that I create have a meaning behind them. In everything that I create, I have an emotional connection, whether it be expressing my emotions and feelings through the technical intricacies of making a ring or showing my frustrations by hand-forming a sculpture from clay, or expressing my thoughts through drawing.

The use of clay and fiber art are prominent materials that I use in my practice. Malchiodi describes the interaction with clay as “three-dimensional thinking” and promotes the use of tactile senses (2011). The versatility of clay is endless, there are many ways clients can work with this material, such as subtracting or adding to the clay, working, reworking, destroying, and rebuilding. Hyland Moon suggests that clay can be more interpretive than blank paper due to the client physically manipulating the material (2010). I also explore the collaboration of fiber art and natural materials in my practice. Traditional fiber art materials include; sewing, weaving, knitting, crocheting, batik, embroidery, and quilting. One thing about fibre art that resonates with me and potentially other women is the maternal connection associated with it for example, my mother taught me how to knit and her mother taught her.

Nicolette Bodewes Tools for Therapy is an interactive toolkit for clients to use during psychotherapy sessions. Her project is made up of white basic building blocks such as cylinders, cubes, and beams, as well as a set of twelve more complex objects. These more complex objects are influenced by the Jungian Archetypes created by psychologist Carl Jung and are in the forms of pyramids, egg shapes, and spheres. They are also made from different materials, including; wood, cork, marble, rubber, leather, porcelain, brass, and tin to name a few. Each material and form has a different meaning to each client and through using this toolkit they are encouraged to interpret the tangible and tactile forms to find a new level of communication. By using this toolkit, the clients may feel less intimidated and more open to expressing their thoughts and emotions.

Amanda Chambala is a practicing art therapist and anxiety suffer (2008). She designed an art therapy program for adults who were hospitalized in a psychiatric unit that ran for 8 weeks. At the end of the eight weeks, the clients were invited to exhibit their work, which served as a space for informing the public about the nature of anxiety (2008). The therapy program explored clients identifying their anxiety through drawing and developing coping strategies for panic and worry through drawing and painting. Chambala explains, ‘Overall, art making allowed clients to experience some form of containment and identification with regard to their excessive worries, to identify their personal strengths and weaknesses through creative expression, and to leave treatment with tangible reminders of their personal coping strategies’(Chambala, 2008).

Art therapy has evolved with contemporary times, but like many things can develop further. As stated above, art therapy is generally described as an interdisciplinary field, however, Bucciarelli proposes a transdisciplinary field, she states, ‘Art therapy viewed as a transdisciplinary field embraces unity with diversity, collaboration within autonomy, and innovation that still honors art therapy’s historical roots’ (Bucciarelli, 2016). There are six themes of transdisciplinary art therapy; unified, autonomous, holistic, collaborative, flexible, and innovative. If art therapists view art therapy as a transdisciplinary field, they can look beyond theoretical differences.

Through researching and understanding aspects of the broad term stress, I have been able to self-evaluate and identify my own physical symptoms of stress.

Stress Assignment

As the semester draws to a close, many college students often find themselves in a state of distress. Students can be found juggling a variety of tasks such as studying for upcoming finals, maintaining a decent grade point average, completing assignments with fast-approaching deadlines, and catering to responsibilities outside of school. Students must learn to deal with the pressures applied by academia as well as many other obligations that can cause a great deal of stress. Situation and circumstance also play major roles when it comes to stress; the mindset of an individual influences how stressors are handled and dealt with. Since stress is a process where one must appraise, and respond to a threat or challenging event, it can ultimately lead to a multitude of both, psychological and physical health issues (Myers, 2016).

How exactly does stress affect people? Most importantly, what are the physical and mental repercussions of one who frequently experiences stress? An entire field of study known as psychoneuroimmunology exists specifically to understand body-mind interactions of stress and stress-related illnesses and afflictions (Myers, 2016). According to the American Institute of Stress (AIS), multiple common symptoms and signs physically affect the body. Jaw clenching, or painful headaches; racing thoughts or being unable to fully concentrate or focus on the task at hand; feelings of isolation, worthlessness, or loneliness; increased edginess, irritability, and frustration; overreaction, and the development of compulsive and obsessive behavior (“The American Institute of Stress,” 2019). The list goes on and on, however, a couple of the most fascinating effects stress has on the body are the ability to slow the rate at which the body heals itself; and how stress can leave the body vulnerable and more susceptible to colds.

Acquiring any type of major or minor wound when stressed will result in a decelerated healing time. Our healing factors are unable to efficiently keep up with the damage the body takes, wounds tend to heal much slower when facing a stressful situation. One study concluded that 40% of wounds heal slower before a major exam as opposed to wounds acquired during summer vacation (Myers, 2016). Additional studies conducted have shown that the immune system can be compromised by disease and age when paired with an abundance of stress; consequently, response time to vaccines lessens, which can contribute to early mortality (Segerstrom & Miller, 2004).

Myers (2016) explains how decreased immunity makes sense physiologically; energy is required to track and isolate harmful pathogens in the body and maintain normal body temperatures while simultaneously reducing swelling. Thus, if the body is diseased, muscular energy is reduced by increasing sleep and decreasing activity; stress does the exact opposite. Myers (2016) states that stress creates a competing need for energy; stress responses direct energy from the immune system to the brain and muscles during a fight-or-flight reaction increasing vulnerability to illness. Although stress is not directly responsible for making people sick, it does alter the immune system functionality which makes people more susceptible to infection. Although there are many effects stress has on the body and immune system; which can escalate a variety of infections and diseases, stress can also heavily impact the mind and the way people deal with stressors.

Stress is particularly good at “getting under the skin” and causing people to become emotional. Anger mixed with a pessimistic perspective and depression are common reactions that people who are highly stressed encounter. Myers (2016) tells us that when faced with a new challenge or threat; fear activates the flight, while anger activates the fight. People with Type A personalities (Friedman and Rosenman’s term for anger-prone people) have been linked to coronary heart disease, and stress-induced anger can become life-threatening if the problem is persistent (Myers, 2016). Memory is also affected by high levels of stress and has even been considered a risk factor associated with the development of Alzheimer’s disease (Tatomir, 2014). A study conducted in 2017 demonstrated that time-dependent prospective memories appear more vulnerable to stress (Piefke, 2017). Stress is something that all people deal with in one way or another, the way people let it affect them is entirely up to the individual. Healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms alike, it behooves all to learn to control stress for health reasons.

Participant

The subject is a 29-year-old male, 185 lbs., an only child with Type A personality traits. The subject is an unemployed full-time college student and a father of two. The participant currently resides with his parents, significant other, and children, the participant practices unhealthy diet habits and claims to be under a great deal of stress. Family history consists of an extensive list of mental health issues such as depression, suicide, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, high anxiety, and multiple health problems including aneurysms, emphysema, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis. The subject has agreed to undergo a week of stress reduction treatments while monitoring stress levels. Exercise and meditation will be implemented to help the subject deal with stress over the course of a week.

Methods

The daily exercise routine will consist of cardiovascular workouts, jogging, jumping jacks, burpees, sit-ups, push-ups, and weightlifting dumbbells and bench presses for 20-30 minutes when stress is heightened; exercise will be the catharsis of the experiment. The workout regimen is as follows: Jogging for 10-15 minutes, 100 jumping jacks, 20-30 burpees, 100 sit-ups, and 20-40 push-ups. Weightlifting: 40lbs dumbbells 3 sets of 10 reps, bench press 120lbs 3 sets of 30 at different inclines. Meditation will also be implemented in 10-30-minute intervals, the participant will distance himself from stressful situations; isolating himself from noisy areas, allowing the participant to become calm and collected. The participant will keep a journal on hand to document when stress levels are high and when implementations will be utilized.

Case Study

Sunday- The subject felt more alleviation due to the upcoming break from school, there was some moderate stress in the late afternoon. An attempt of meditation was made, to no avail. Meditation attempt included sitting in silence, however, the participant was unable to quiet the mind. The participant decided to implement some light exercising which consisted of two sets of push-ups; 20 reps. Moderate stress subsided after the exercise concluded.

Monday- The subject became stressed when studying for the upcoming biology practicum and presentation at approximately 4:45 pm due to hunger, and increased noise which caused the inability to properly study. The subject successfully relieved stress by weightlifting for 25 minutes. The workout consisted of alternate bicep curls using 40 lbs. dumbbells (2 sets of 10) and bench pressing 120 lbs. (2 sets of 30) followed by a meal. Slight stress was encountered later in the night at approximately 10:15 pm when the subject began to feel overwhelmed after struggling to get the children to bed. Another attempt at meditation was made, the subject meditated for 20 minutes achieving temporary stress reduction.

Tuesday- With the holiday fast approaching, the subject experienced more stress than usual, several times throughout the day. The subject was abruptly woken up by children; disrupting sleeping patterns, which caused irritability for the duration of the day. After the subject consumed morning coffee at roughly 6:50 am; the participant exercised to combat stress-induced irritability. The exercise was comprised of 100 jumping jacks, followed by 50 sit-ups; the subject felt as if the exercise did little to help with stress. The subject needed to acquire items from the store for the holiday when the subject found that most items were sold out, and stress increased around 1:15 pm. Since the subject was not home, the implementation of a stress-reduction strategy was not feasible; lack of relief ultimately led to higher levels of stress. In the evening stress occurred when the subject reflected on the list of assignments due within the next week, and the amount of studying that needed to be done. Close to midnight the subject successfully meditated reducing stress levels before the subject went to bed; the subject starts to grasp meditation induction.

Wednesday- Preparation of the holiday meal imposed on the amount of study time available to the participant which elevated stress levels. Stress levels remained high for the entirety of the day; the participant was unable to implement stress reduction until later that night. The participant meditated for 30 minutes; accumulated stress was reduced to acute levels.

Thursday- Stress levels were practically nonexistent all day, the subject enjoyed time spent with family along with a delicious Thanksgiving dinner. The subject carried out stress reduction in the evening without being stressed; 10 minutes of jogging, followed by 15 minutes of meditation before bed.

Friday- The subject woke in a state of panic due to the lack of studying from the day before which led to escalated levels of stress; the participant relied on a brief workout to help reduce the stress felt at 9:10 am. The workout included dumbbells (1 set of 10 reps) and bench pressing 120 lbs. (1 set of 30 reps). The workout did very little to help ease the stress as the participant felt strapped for time. The subject studied for nearly 3 hours before conjuring thoughts of doubt that inevitably increased stress. The participant neglected stress implementation to study longer uninterrupted. Stress subsided after talking to a loved one and gaining reassurance after studying the session. At 4 pm the subject ineffectively attempted to meditate and concluded that meditation is best utilized during the night before sleeping. The subject continued to study while feeling acute stress; at 9 pm the subject meditated for 25 minutes diminishing lingering stress before going to bed.

Saturday- The participant found himself under immense stress for most of the day and well into the night; at 2:30 pm the subject went jogging for 15 minutes, stress was unaffected by the strategy. The participant watched his children from 3 pm to 10:30 pm, stress levels during the 7 hours peaked at a weekly high. At 5:15 pm the subject and children did 100 jumping jacks, followed by 15 burpees. Stress was somewhat alleviated when children grew tired. The participant finished the night with an extended meditation session which lasted nearly 45 minutes.

Summary

The participant underwent an entire week of stress reduction strategies, documenting the times, dates, and implementations that were utilized to reduce stress. The subject implemented a series of aerobic exercises, as well as meditation sessions when the subject felt stressed. When the strategies were properly applied, stress was successfully reduced. However, the subject faced difficulties when unable to apply the strategies due to the inconvenience of whereabouts. Thus, heightening stress levels; the subject became conditioned to alleviate stress when stress levels increased which resulted in both positive and negative outcomes.

Conclusion

Throughout the duration of the experiment, the subject’s stress levels started at a minimum and eventually escalated as the week progressed. The subject became conditioned to relieve stress when stress levels heightened, when unable to alleviate stress, stress worsened. Meditation worked best in the nighttime when the participant was able to isolate himself. The exercise proved effective and reduced stress levels; however, this stress reduction strategy was only able to be implemented when in the right environment. Stress reduction was not as effective towards the end of the study as deadlines approached. The subject will continue to implement the same strategies in the future to help deal with stress, the subject will also try other forms of stress-reducing strategies such as yoga, writing in a journal, and venting to a loved one. Stress is part of the daily routine in the life of a college student, although it is unavoidable, with the proper techniques it is manageable.

Topic and Purpose

We all experience stress whether we want to admit it or not. Many health problems are induced by stress, it is important that we understand how it affects our body and learn effective stress management techniques that will work for us rather than against us.

The definition of time management is the process of planning and controlling how much time to spend on specific activities (E. Reeder,2018). Some employers offer time management skills techniques for employees to help lessen their stress. The relationship between time management and stress is negative. In other words, stress will decrease with the right tools for time management. Some have a great deal of responsibilities at work and home. It will benefit you to keep track of responsibilities at both home and work. Some often use a notebook or keep a file on their computer that they check for tasks, projects, meetings, and other required responsibilities. I find that calendars are the best tool for important dates, tasks, and meetings. Setting a calendar reminder provides me with proper notification of an upcoming task, meeting, or project.

Potential Significance

The study of human relations looks at the interaction between people in the workplace and students. From studying for my master’s in leadership development to working from home during a pandemic, I understand how one can be stressed. Highly stressed employees and students are less productive, experience more health issues, and tend to be removed from family and friends. Therefore, good management is needed to combat stress. This critical reflection will examine signs of stress and focus on how to manage stress and time management.

Stress in the workplace does not only come from conflicts between employees, but it can also come from dealing with customers, or just daily tasks of work. The uncertainty of an organization’s policy can also result in tension.

Research shows that over 87% of employees worldwide are emotionally disconnected from their work and are likely to be unproductive. It is important not to overlook or ignore stress management. We should not ignore or overlook stress. Stress can escalate to a point where it becomes dangerous to the well-being of the organization or even to our health.

The new perspective that I plan to bring to stress and time management is that we are not alone. There are several ways of coping with stress and time management without ourselves. Having positive communication, and good management are all good ways to deal with stress within the workplace. Often, employers look for ways to create stress-free work environments to help motivate employees and to assist with production. Motivation is hard to achieve if the team is not motivated or has the proper tools to keep them motivated. In my personal experience, motivation comes with having a passion for what you do. If an employee is not happy with their job, they will not be motivated to be successful with it.

Framework and General Research Questions

I plan to bring to light how to cope with stress and time management within the workplace and in our personal lives. The research will include the following:

1. Does leadership help us to be inspired by the purpose and mission statements?
2. Do organizations provide acceptable work-life balance?
3. Has the pandemic caused additional stress?
4. Do organizations realize or care how much stress an employee is under?

Limitations

There are several limitations on stress and time management. Stress can cause health issues, irritability, withdrawal from family and friends, and depression. Lack of time management leads to stress. Stress limits our ability to interact, work efficiently, be in good health, and just have good overall peace of mind. Time management helps with work-life balance.

Stress is something that everyone experiences in their daily life. Stress is a heightened sense of anxiety, caused by specific situations and pressures. These circumstances and tensions are commonly known as stressors and can vary from person – to – person. Stressors can be internal or external and are generally experienced as negative rather than a positive feeling. Positive stressors or Eustress as they are commonly known as are short-term and tend to motivate us and are perceived to be within our coping abilities resulting in improvement and change. Examples of positive stressors include going on a vacation, learning a new hobby or sport, moving houses etc. The more common type of stress, however, is negative stress or distress. Distress can be short or long term and in contrast to Eustress, is perceived to exceed our coping ability. Upcoming exams, deadlines, family issues, poor performance in certain subjects are all examples of distress and are also a few examples of stress that students in Rossmoyne SHS face regularly.

Approximately 47% of Australian students’ experience stress daily resulting in a decrease of student motivation and increases the chance of school dropouts, poorer academic achievement and a greater chance of risky behaviour in young Australians and society. With a growing rate of students’ experiencing stress daily, stress management strategies are a must for Rossmoyne SHS students and community as this would help in developing resilience and coping skills for stress. The expected beneficial outcomes of practising stress management strategies include stable moods, clearer thoughts, improvement in relationships and decreasing the risk of mental and physical illness for Rossmoyne SHS students and community.

Stress is the body’s reaction to harmful situations, both real and perceived. These reactions can be physical, social and emotional and can have consequences that affect the body physically and mentally. A few physical consequences of stress include insomnia, low energy levels, aches and pains, rapid heart rate, sweating, high blood pressure, obesity, shaking and tension. Stress affects our balance of hormones impacting in social and behavioural consequences in our bodies. Examples of social and behavioural consequences include isolation, depression, aggressive feelings and behaviours, difficulties in relationships and drug or alcohol misuse. Along with stress comes unpredictable moods and other emotional consequences. Examples of these consequences are frustration, anger, extreme mood swings, defensiveness, sadness and fear. Many students in our school suffer from stress and these consequences have a serious impact on students at Rossmoyne, indicating that we need to educate the students at the school on how to cope and overcome stress.

Common causes of stress that students experience at Rossmoyne are a heavy workload, social pressure and extracurricular classes. Heavy workload and meeting deadlines create a large amount of stress for students making them feel overwhelmed and frustrated resulting in an increase of difficulty for the child to fully understand all the topics to the fullest. The main cause for the heavy workload is due to the lack of communication between teachers and the clash of each teacher giving a large pile of work for the student to get done all on similar due dates. All teachers in Rossmoyne have high expectations for each student to perform well, but due to the amount of the workload we students receive, students find it hard to meet all those expectations resulting in the student being negatively stressed. Social pressure is another cause of stress that students experience in Rossmoyne SHS. Students in high school place a high value on their social lives and finding and keeping your friend groups can be very stressful to many students. High school students are at that age where they are learning and changing, both physically and mentally. With their mind and body changing, many teens engage in behaviour outside of their comfort zones to appease to their peers. Another cause of stress that students experience at Rossmoyne is being in extracurricular activities and due to the increased difficulty of the task and the amount of time we must put in the activity, this results in students being stressed. Many of these activities are very competitive, requiring practice and participation and constant commitment to coaches, teachers, teammates and peers. The students experience stress not only because they constantly push themselves to be the best but also because their activities are often very public events causing them to be disappointed in themselves, become stressed and blamed/feel a failure when they make a mistake.

Two homeroom activities that allow students to practise and learn about stress management techniques are 20-minute meditation and positive thinking skills. When our bodies are exposed to a sudden stress or threat, we respond with a characteristic ‘fight or flight’ response. The “fight or flight” response refers to the days of the cavemen where when you were faced with danger, your instincts would either tell you to either fight through the problem or run away from it. Numerous studies have shown that meditation is an effective stress management tool, that allows the mind to have more capacity to manage stress. Meditation is known for reversing the effects of the stress response (fight or flight). When meditating, the body experiences many healing effects such as a decrease in heart rate, normalisation of blood pressure, reduced production of stress hormones and more efficient oxygen use by the body. A 20-minute meditation session – that can be found online (YouTube) – during homeroom will allow the students to practice stress coping skills and leave the students feeling relieved and less stressed about situations and pressures that they were experiencing that day.

Another activity which could be used during homeroom, which allows students to learn about stress management, is positive thinking motivation. For this task, students will be given a scrap piece of paper each, where they write three negative skills/beliefs/thoughts that they have. They will then receive an A5 piece of card where they write three affirmations in bold, e.g. I AM INTELLIGENT, I AM WORTHY, I AM IMPORTANT etc. The students are then asked to decorate the piece of card with self – motivating colours, take it home and put in a place where they are constantly reminded of it – like their study area/table. Finally, the students will then tear up the scrap piece of paper, where they wrote their three negative skills, and toss it into the bin. Students physically remove the negative thoughts from their head and instead focus on the positive. This also makes the students feel motivated and increases their self-esteem. Negative thoughts clutter the mind resulting in stress and directly contribute to feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope. This activity allows students to practice and learn about stress management and can be easily done during homeroom.

Therefore, I believe more stress management strategies are critical to supporting the young students of Rossmoyne SHS students and enhance our school community.

Until the recent introduction of positive psychology, the field of psychology has primarily focused on the study of deficits rather than assets. Because of this, there is limited and little literature regarding the study of ‘good stress’ and positive responses to workplace stress. It was questioned whether all occupational stress is damaging and upon investigation of the little research available, it can be argued that this is not true. Eustress is the word that is used for stress that is considered ‘good’ and which is associated with healthy and positive outcomes (Simmons & Nelson, 2001). This topic is important because there is little research regarding this topic. It is a topic that requires more empirical study and therefore more attention is required. This essay will examine the little literature that regards this topic. The literature examined found that, eustress is a legitimate response depending on the individual’s response technique, and the type of stressor that is occurring. Based on current research, this essay will argue that not all forms of workplace stress are negative, and that stress can elicit positive responses in occupational settings.

Brule and Morgan (2018) provided a nice introduction into the concept of eustress in occupational settings by summarising the few current theories regarding ‘good stress’. This piece argued that there are two types of stress, eustress and distress, and that eustress can be immensely positive, “Certain situations can seem overwhelming for individuals and diminish performances and leads to burnout are distress. O’Sullivan revealed a significant positive correlation between eustress and life satisfaction… If individuals view the demands as something they do not have autonomy over (too much pressure either internally or externally), the effect on workplace well-being is negative – lower levels of engagement, less positive affect ” (Brule & Morgan, 2018 pp. 2) While providing a short snapshot of this field of study, the article was short and did not pose any new or advancing information on the topic. What was learnt from this study was a basic understanding of stress in the workplace, the basic meaning of eustress and brief summaries of the work of O’Sullivan, Simmons, Gavin and Mason, and Oswald et al. It was appreciated as an introduction into the topic but was not useful for the level of investigation this essay is aiming to achieve.

A study was conducted by Bret Simmons and Debra Nelson that examined the effect of a positive response to work demands on the health of nurses. While the study agreed that certain stressors cause negative impacts on health, the primary argument was that there are stressors that can elicit positive responses and positive perceptions of health (Simmons & Nelson, 2001). This study was conducted by distributing questionnaires to a sample of 450 nurses in two separate hospitals. Before the questionnaires were distributed, the researches established the primary stressors that nurses face. These are role ambiguity, work overload and death/dying. The questionnaires included questions that inquired about their stress responses to these variables and their perception of their health. The response constructs were based on distress, which included only negative affect, and eustress, which included hope, positive affect, and meaningfulness. The study found “a positive relationship between hope and perception of health in hospital nurses” and that “workers can have a positive response to even the most demanding work environments, and this positive response is significantly related to employee health” (Simmons & Nelson, 2001, pp. 14). What made this source so convincing is that, unlike other sources found, this study focused exclusively on eustress and it really supported its existence. However, this study lacked significant consideration to why nurses have better health perception and why they have a positive response to stress. This study supported this essays thesis in the sense that the study suggested that eustress is a legitimate reaction to stressors in demanding workplaces, however, why this is so was not as evident in this study. The reference to theories such as Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional stress model did however enhance the potential reasoning for eustress responses. The study suggested that eustress might be based on Lazarus and Folkman’s theory that stress response is based on individual appraisals to relevant stressors as positive or negative in their environment, “When a person encounters a stressor, she or he evaluates the encounter with respect to its significance for well-being. This evaluative process is the essence of cognitive appraisal” (Simmons & Nelson, 2001, pp. 8). Additionally, there was little reference to potential limitations of the study. There are many variables that could have affected this study which the study failed to acknowledge. This diminishes the reliability of this source.

It can be assumed that by referencing Lazarus and Folkman’s research, that Simmons and Nelson’s research agreed that positive responses are due to the appraisal techniques of the individual rather than the stressors themselves. A study conducted be Jeffery Lepine (2005) also acknowledged a potential positive response to stress but credited this to the stressor itself rather than the individual’s appraisal method. The basis for the research conducted by Jeffery Lepine et al, is that stressors are conditions that cause strain, but that not all stressors lead to strain (Lepine et al, 2005, pp.764). Whether or not the stressor will cause strain is dependent on the type of stressor, either challenge or hinderance (Lepine et al, 2005). Challenge stressors causes personal growth and gain whereas hinderance stressors cause burnout, exhaustion and anxiety (Lepine et al, 2005, pp.764). They conducted a meta-analysis of data based on work stressor-performance relationships. They found that hinderance stressors had a negative effect on work performance and challenge stressors had a positive effect on work performance (Lepine et al, 2005, pp.769). Challenge stressors “the potential to promote personal gain or growth, trigger positive emotions and an active or problem-solving style of coping (e.g., increasing effort)” and hinderance stressors “have the potential to harm personal growth or gain, trigger negative emotions and a passive or emotional style of coping” (Lepine et al, 2005, pp.765). This study was very comprehensive and very reliable because it considered a variety of limitations and used studies and research to support their theories, “As with all studies, limitations in our work exist. First, the primary research did not allow us to assess alternative explanations for the differing effect” (Lepine et al, 2005, pp.771). Lepine et al. (2005) acknowledged that their theory is closely related and incorporates elements of the individual response reasoning for eustress. While they believed that the eustress response is based on the type of stressor, either hinderance or challenge, they believed that the individuals reaction techniques also plays an important role in determining if the response is eustress.

Research shows that not all stress is bad. While there are varying ideas of why positive responses to stressors occur, it is accepted that there is ‘good’ stress. This essay investigated the research that supports eustress as a functional response and found that there is empirical evidence supporting its legitimacy. The two conflicting possible reasons for eustress were either individuals’ reactions or the stressors themselves. It is important that this area of research receives more attention because the World Health Organisation “estimates that stress costs American businesses $300 billion dollars per year” and that “stress has even been dubbed the “Health Epidemic of the 21st Century” (Brule & Morgan, 2018 pp. 1). Considering how detrimental stress can be, understanding positive responses to stress and eustress can aid in the creation of strategies that can be implemented in occupational settings to utilise stress in a positive way and better stress management.

References

1. Brulé Gaël, & Morgan, R. (2018). Editorial Working with stress: can we turn distress into eustress? Journal of Neuropsychology & Stress Management, 3.
2. Lepine, J., Podsakoff, N., & Lepine, M. (2005). A Meta-Analytic Test of the Challenge Stressor-Hindrance Stressor Framework: An Explanation for Inconsistent Relationships among Stressors and Performance. The Academy of Management Journal, 48(5), 764-775. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/20159696
3. Simmons, B. L., & Nelson, D. L. (2001). Eustress at Work: The Relationship between Hope and Health in Hospital Nurses. Health Care Management Review, 26(4), 7–18. doi: 10.1097/00004010-200110000-00002

“The young doctor should look about early for an avocation, a pastime that will take him away from the patients, pills, and potions.” Medical training should include helping doctors recognize their own limitations and develop skills to better track how stress affects their well-being and professional practice. This research work is a process to study the need and techniques of stress management. It is based on all people who are working and students. The sample size used for this research is 20. The tools are used for this research are “chi-square Test, percentage analysis.”

Stress is the “wear and tear” our minds and bodies experience as we at the attempt. To cope with our continually changing environment. Stress is the reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed upon them. It arises when they worry that they can’t cope. Problems with healthcare seem to be getting quite a bit of process, but one significant problem may not be receiving enough attention. This is the challenge of having a high population of overly-stressed doctors. Understanding the stress doctors face and how it affects them can help us to understand behind the scenes factors the doctors deal and raise awareness of their heavy level of stress. Stress management consists of a making a changes to life if women are in a consistent stress level is actually a survival, response when our body thinks that it is in danger Every women has a different journey when getting to the root cause of stress, symptoms of stress may include an increased heart rate, disturbances, etc….. Employee in both public and private sector experiences stress and respond in different ways today’s life is so busy and complex and stress can manifest itself in both positive and negative way. Healthcare is defined of the prevention, treatment and management of illness and the services offered by the medical and health professions. The need towards have the safest working environment and the best quality of health care delivery to patients by health care professionals overemphasized. It is therefore imperative to identify factors that old promote these goals and to prevent other negative factors from impending their achievement. Work stress has been recognized as a main issue in service delivery in every organization and in most field of works. How this works stress affects health care professionals institution, how they cope with it and the resultant effect of the coping strategies on their output forms. II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Literature review focused on a research question that tries to identify, appraise, select and synthesizone all high quality research evidence relevant to the question.Systematic reviews of high quality randomized controlled trials are crucial to evidence based medicine. An understanding of systematic reviews and how to implement them in practice is becoming mandatory for all professionals involved in healthcare delivery (aveyard Helen 2014)

Brendal happel (2013) nurses and stress recognizing causes and seeking solution journal of nursing management. They identify from the perspective of nurses, occupational stresses and ways in which they may be reduced. Saijo y (2013) Australia an journal of rural health. He explained the difference in burnout status and job stress.

Maria tims, Arnold B.baker (2011) do transformations leaders enhance their followers daily work engagement the leadership quality. They look into how transformational leaders enhance their daily works engagement. Nielson (2008) the importance of transformation leadership style for well being of employees working with older people, journal of advanced nuring. He found the relationship between transformational leadership, anticipated working condtions and employees well being job satisfaction.

Van de (2008) managing what kind of job stress in nursing what kind of resources do we need. Journal of advanced nursing discovered the different kinds of job resources and their functions for managing job stress in health care professional.

Stress is unavoidable now-a-days it can be handle positively by coordination with workers, time management, loving the professional, family support, and creating personal hobbies improves your diet ,by eating well-balanced meals and skipping junk food. Make time for exercise meditation and yoga that is a phenomenal way of dealing with stress and depression.

REFERENCE

1. http:// days. Darmouth. edu/2011/02/the-physiology-of-stress-cortisol-and-the-hypothalamic-pictuitary-adrenal-axis#.W C L V Pp 7 1 U.
2. https://WWW.Randomlists.com/team-generator?Items=IA,OL, VV. SB. LV, M, VI,MV,IT,ND,LA,MA &qty=14&grp=2
3. http://hydesmith-com/de -stress/files/stress ssMgt.pdf.

Stress has a significant impact on people and affects their emotions, actions and interpersonal relationships. connections are a case that is made by incorporating many factors. (Torun, 1997 and Rice, 1999). Stress is a form of illness that can feel anxiety, fear, frustration, and sadness that can be extremely stressful for a person to experience. Stress is difficult to resist because it can lead to depression in children or adults who may be undergoing it.

Stress management is a broad spectrum of methods and psychotherapies directed at managing one’s stress level, particularly chronic stress, usually for purpose and to improve daily functioning. (Wikipedia, 2020). It’s good to know about stress, especially for public health workers. because individuals under stress find it difficult to succeed and also for happiness. Stress management for public health workers should be prioritized to protect mental and physical health. Stress with a significant impact on individuals, affects this behavior, way of life, and affects their attitudes, relationships with others and stress is very difficult for everyone. Individuals who experience stress find it difficult to be happy and successful. To protect individuals in mental and physical health one should know stress management. Stress management enhances the quality of living and Sleep is a type of illness where we feel anxiety, fear, anxiety, frustration and sometimes even sadness that can be easily exacerbated in humans. While providing services, healthcare staff, they see many patients and relatives of patients with many different levels of health problems. These situations threaten the health of an individual and cause stress due to uncertainty and anxiety affecting health care staff as well as the patient (Aslan et al.1998). These are the reasons public health workers find fatigue, stressful work, job uncertainty, and poor relationships with colleagues or bosses caused by tension and mental illness. According to Jennifer LeClaire, fatigue – the stress that comes from caring for too much – can strike any health care worker. Because they care deeply about their patients, healthcare professionals who listen to stories of fear, pain, and suffering may find themselves at the same time experiencing similar emotions. Eat healthy foods.

According to the Department of Health (DOH) As defined by the Stress Management Society, stress is primarily a physical response. When stressed, the body thinks it is under attack and switches to fight or flight model. The SMS further noted that having stress is not necessarily a bad thing, as it can also be a ‘boost’ of energy that allows a person to complete an activity. However, when the ‘fight or flight’ keep going consistently, it could have negative effects on the body. Under the 12S of the DOH, the emphasis is placed on ‘Stretching as a physical, it will help the body relax the muscles, lubricate the joints and increase the supply of oxygen to the body. Meanwhile, participating in ‘Sports’ keeps your body active, not only reaping the physical benefits but also great social benefits. The Health department added that an individual who is stressed can take a ‘Sensation technique’ or have a massage.

The study will be conducted with public health workers in the Rural Health Unit of Bayambang Pangasinan. It will also evaluate the stress management strategies adopted by public health institute are Nurses, Midwives, Med-tech, Pharmacist, Dentist, and Medical Doctor. The studying Such areas also include concepts and types of stress, sources of stress and stressmanagement strategies. Personalized stress management strategies, work-related stress management techniques, interpersonal stress management strategies, and general stress management strategies will beinvestigated. The study will draw on three theories: the stimulus model, transactional model, and the response model.The foregoing discussion on the stress and stress management of Public Health Workers

through LinkedIn Learning is guided by different theories of stress. These theories include the stimulus-based model of stress, response-based model of stress, and the transactional-based model of stress. Figure 1 below shows the connection between the theories that serve as a framework of the study.The present study is a stimulus-based model of stress. In these models stress is defined as a stimulus, According to Holmes, there are 43 life events or lifestyle changes, which can cause stress. There are positive and negative life events that are considered stressful. The scale of stressful life events is used to record recent stressful experiences of the individual, such as divorce, pregnancy, retirement. those scales must be revalidated by age and by socioeconomic status, also, they must be culturally adapted. Stress theory as a stimulus viewed stress as a significant life event or change that required response, adjustment, or adaptation. There is some supporting evidence in this, but the correlation is relatively low. Moreover, this theory has been criticized for ignoring the cognitive aspects of the effect of stress. In other words, it is not attained for individual betting on the meaning of different life events. A stimulus, life event, or a set of events that provokes physiologic a psychological reaction that may increase the individual’s vulnerability.

Another theory is that the response model is based on stress. Stress as a response model, first introduced by Hans Selye (1956), describes stress as a pattern of physiological response and is captured within the general model of adaptation syndrome (GAS). The definition of stress as a response was developed and described by Selye, who defined stress as an unrelated response to the body of any kind applied to it. The general reaction of the body’s overall response, (GAS) has been demonstrated by the release of many hormones, resulting in changes in the structure and chemical composition of the body. This model emphasizes the general physiological outcomes of stressful situations. the response is a physiological one in which provocative of the sympathetic nervous system consequence in many physiological and somatic changes and finally disruption of homeostasis. Selye(1956), developed this conception into a theoretical model of stress called the General Adaption Syndrome theory. He defined stress as (non-specific response and demand made upon the body). He proposed that different kinds of stimuli would consequence in similar physiological responses. Stress may be deemed as response .the general adaption syndrome (GAS) is physiological response of the body towards stress.

This is the last theory which is the transactional-based model of stress. The Transactional Model of Stress Theory is a framework that emphasizes evaluation to assess the injury, threats, and challenges, 9esulting in the process of coping with stressful events (Lazaurus, 1966; Lazarus & Folkman, 1984).The degree of stress experienced in the form of thoughts, feelings, emotions, and behaviors, as a result of external stresses, depends on situational considerations that involve a judgment of whether internal or external factors requests exceed resources and the ability to cope when requests exceed resources (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). This theory includes environmental factors, social support or assistance, knowledge, and skills to mitigate this threat. The model transactional examines how major life events and daily interruptions impact on emotions with an emphasis on cognitive evaluation and stress. Cognitive learning consists of the primary appraisal (to assess the harm or threat of the situation that may occur) and the secondary appraisal (which evaluates what can be done and the ability of the individual to manage and cope with it).

Stress learning is easier when there is a paradigm because the requirements or methods of conducting research are fixed or stated. It also covers the most important reasons why research is being studied. Statement of the Problem

The principal goal of this study is to recognize the stress management strategies adopted by the public health workers in the Rural Health Unit of Bayambang Pangasinan. Specifically, the study seeks to find out the:

• source of stress in public health workers;
• work-related stress management strategies adopted by public health workers 3. personal characteristics of stress management adopted by public health workers;
• general stress management strategies adopted by public health workers;
• difference stress factors of Nurses, Midwives, Med-tech, Pharmacist, Dentist, Medical Doctor public health workers.

Stress is a difficult experience for people and administrative problems continue to threaten the aspirations of the tertiary administrative staff institutions. According to Businessballs(2019), the problem of stress has become an important area of research in medicine and psychology, and management, development, and stress are believed to experience 70% of doctor visits and 85% of serious it hurts. if there was a pleasing stress level exist in highly technologically developed. One can imagine what will happen to everyone especially in the field of medicine.

Studies in Nigeria, Ofoegbu & Nwadiani (2006) have documented the prevalence of stressful working conditions in third-party institutions. According to them those things Threats, harmful and challenging situations that stress people’s availability and well-being of the administrative staff. Research findings it is also indicated that work-related stress is captured in each task and can be as dangerous as smoking. For example, a survey of 21,000 women in Britain found that those who had the most demands for jobs, little control over their work environment and lack of support from the co-workers and superiors are more likely to suffer from stress than satisfied ones with their jobs (Madisori, 2000). Many studies have also been conducted on administrator stress management strategies (Dardick, 1990; Terril, 1993; Hartzell, 1994; Michell, 1996; Marnic, 1997; Laws, 1997; Goodsoon, 2000) found humor, exercise, discussion, and prayer as management strategies.

For example, studies on heart and respiratory disorders (Cohen & Herbert, 1996), common cold (Costa And VandeBos, 1996) some types of diabetes and gastrointestinal disorders such as being influenced by stress-related responses (Cohen, Frank, Doyle, Skonner, Rabbin, & Gwaltney, 1998). This is of particular concern as the leading cause of illness and may be reduced by adopting skills that help to relieve stress for the administrative staff university institutions. People try to manage their stress conditions and their strategies differ from person to person and situation to situation.

There is a clear indication from the literature that stress-related disorders are rapidly becoming the most frequent cause for workers’ disabilities. For example, research in the United States found at least 40% of employee reductions turn out because of on-the-job stress (World Federation For Mental Health, 2000). In Japan, 59% of workers are found feeling ‘tired’ from work. Impact, ‘Karoshi ” is a word for stress on It is said that the Japanese claimed about 10,000. The problem with Japanese stress is their refusal to search for help because of their culture of work obsession as a virtue and tiredness as a sign of weakness (Segal, 2020). A significant amount of research in recent decades implicated stress to be an important factor in susceptibility to diseases.

Abstract

In this article provided reveals a vast amount of ideas on stress management and its impacts among students analyzing the reasons and some problems of stress. As well as, suggesting possible solutions to reduce them.

Introduction

Stress is a frustrating feeling, that has an influence to individuals’ psychological and physical system. There is no doubt, that every person feels stress in their daily basis, because of the varied reasons or problems. To be more specific, students considered the most sufferers of stress and they are most affected by stress due to the academic and social success. The reason is that, they face up with a range variety of challenges, hardships and they live under pressure in today’s globalized world.

Students from science stream goes into further stress by giving entrance exams for different universities or colleges and they suppose that examinations are extremely significant action in their life. Therefore, majority of youngsters do not pay attention to their health during the preparation because of depression.

The reasons of why students have stress about their studies

According to the scientific researches of professors, R. Hemamalini, V. Ashok and psychologist V. Sasikala, stress occurs when one worries about something which is extremely essential or think about the same thing for a long time.

They found some reasons when and why occurs depression among students:

• Many hours of studying;
• Language difficulties;
• Lack of support;
• Examinations;
• Misunderstanding of subjects.

Without shadow of a doubt, every student faces up with mentioned hardships during the academic year, especially in examinations they work under pressure and be concerned about their results and fear of failure.

Professor R. Hemamalini gave data on suffering from stress and feeling depression among both genders in his research by analyzing the characters of them. Following pie-chart is concerning this issue:

According to the psychologist V. Sasikala’s data, a number of activities, which majority of students consider would be more stressful. By the way, 33.6 percent of students have chosen that examinations are more serious and they feel depressed during the preparation. Yet by far, many hours of study (26.4%) also can be stressful for them, because of learning for a long time would be frustrating.

Problems of stress

Stress has a negative impact on the brain and the whole anatomy of the body.

Naturally, stress-related diseases, cardiovascular system, metabolism and gastrointestinal diseases are determined by great areas of genetic and developmental factors which are different from a human to a human but also symptoms of this illness would be the same as among humans. According to the researches of professor V. Ashok, stress causes to many serious illnesses, such as heart diseases, blood pressure and other kinda problems of health.

Stress explained as “An uncertain reaction to external and internal factors” that means a negative or positive reaction to environmental stimuli. In this regard, it is how the totality of your body relate to changes and unfamiliar situations that present itself in the course of time. During such a period, significant parts of our bodies, such as sexual organs, heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate in the body react speedily. Many hormonal responses are at peak.

Ways to manage or reduce stress

Manage time

Proper time management is one of the most effective stress-relieving techniques. Choose a relaxing break between work and study, even if it is just taking out time to breathe.

Exercise and get some fresh air

A healthy lifestyle is essential for students, especially at university level. Stress is generally lower in people who maintain a healthy routine.

Water therapy

Water therapy is extremely helpful way for reducing the stress and the body relax. It can improve academic performance too.

Take one step at a time

Do not put too many eggs in one basket. Instead of feeling overwhelmed about all the deadlines, it is more effective to sort out them one by one.

Spend time with your friends

A cup of coffee with your friends or family is all you need to bring your stress levels back to normal.

Conclusion

A vast percentage of the students of higher education have many depressions during the academic year. Individuals facing stress at the academic level can be a reason of many psychological diseases in the form of decreased motivation, absenteeism for class and exams, incompletion of all work and others. The stress management is a leading fact that each and every management should concentrate so that they can keep an eye on their academic and personal life. All the students regardless of his or her age, gender, income level or any other priority should treat equally and should manage without any dissatisfaction. The introduction of stress management education into the curriculum could prove useful in combating this problem. Students themselves should become trainers of managing their own stress. This trend will totally lead to empower the students and to get succeed in their academic and personal life. Students facing stress are advised to attend stress management courses which will help them to build up their future life and give them brilliant motivations in order to increase their self-evaluation.

References

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