Chapter 14
STRESS AND STRESS
MANAGEMENT
McGraw-Hill/Irwin 2010
Modified by Jackie Kroening 2011
Causes of Stress
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* Stress is any reaction or response
made by the body to a new situation.
Two kinds of stress:
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* Eustress is a positive, pleasant, and
desirable stress. Example: wining a race.
Distress is negative stress.
Stressor is a situation or an event that
causes the body to react.
Parts taken from Human Relations 4ed
Modified by Jackie Kroening 2011
Causes of Stress
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Life changes and daily hassles
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* Major life changes such as divorce increase daily
hassles, causing stress.
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Example is “During the past year, you got married, got a
promotion, and moved into a bigger house.”
Daily hassles such as getting stuck in traffic or
misplacing your keys cause stress in your life.
Even if stress is due to a pleasant change, daily
hassles can occur.
Parts taken from Human Relations 4ed
Modified by Jackie Kroening 2011
Causes of Stress
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Chronic stressors
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Inescapable day-to-day situations or
conditions that cause stress.
More stressful than daily hassles.
Not as stressful as a major life change.
Examples include poverty, abuse, longterm health problems, and racism.
Parts taken from Human Relations 4ed
Modified by Jackie Kroening 2011
Sources of Stress
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External stressors
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Stressors from outside sources that causes pain
or discomfort, frustration, or conflict.
Frustration is the feeling people get when their
goals are blocked.
* Inner conflict is the pressure felt when forced to
make a choice.
The three types of inner conflict are approachapproach, approach-avoid, and avoid-avoid.
Parts taken from Human Relations 4ed
Modified by Jackie Kroening 2011
Sources of Stress
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* Approach-approach conflict – Feeling of
conflict one gets when torn between two
desirable goals.
Approach-avoid conflict – Occurs when one
is drawn towards and away from something
at the same time.
* Avoid-avoid conflict – Occurs when one is
torn between two undesirable options.
Parts taken from Human Relations 4ed
Modified by Jackie Kroening 2011
Sources of Stress
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Internal stressors
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One’s perceptions or interpretations of a stressor
as well as personality factors.
Perceptions differ because of:
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* Cognitive appraisal: Your “thinking evaluation” of
an event or a situation.
* The unnecessary stress of irrational beliefs: An
irrational belief system or, at worst, turning an
irrational belief into an imagined catastrophe.
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The stress of irrational beliefs can be reduced by the
“rational emotive therapy.”
Parts taken from Human Relations 4ed
Modified by Jackie Kroening 2011
Sources of Stress
Ellis’s ABC Approach to stress
Parts taken from Human Relations 4ed
Modified by Jackie Kroening 2011
Type A and Type B Personality Behavior
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Type A and Type B personalities are
associated with personality factors.
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* Type A personality is characterized by
impatience, hostility, perfectionism, and a
sense of time urgency.
* Type B is characterized by flexibility, the
ability to relax and delegate work, and a
minimal sense of time urgency. Most top
level executives are likely to be Type B
people.
Parts taken from Human Relations 4ed
Modified by Jackie Kroening 2011
Type A and Type B Personality Behavior
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Someone with a different kind of
personality than type A or type B:
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The survivor personality type manage
things well even if the stressors and
problems are impossible to overcome.
The hardy or resilient personality see
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*1. challenges, have a sense of
2. commitment, and a feeling of being in
3. control. (the three C’s)
Parts taken from Human Relations 4ed
Modified by Jackie Kroening 2011
The Physical Effects of Stress
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General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS):
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When confronted with stress, the body responds
with an activation of the sympathetic nervous
system – Fight-or-flight response.
* When the fight-or-flight response is activated,
you enter the first stage of GAS – Alarm.
The second stage is adaptation where one adapts
to the stressor and can usually return to normal.
* The third stage is exhaustion where one ends up
using all the physical resources.
Parts taken from Human Relations 4ed
Modified by Jackie Kroening 2011
The Physical Effects of Stress
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The immune system serves three basic
functions:
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Recognizing foreign cells and attacking them.
Developing antibodies to recognize foreign
invaders in the future.
Sending white blood cells and other helper cells
to the location of an injury or infection to speed
healing.
Chronic stress can actually weaken your
immune system and fall victim to an illness
that you would normally fight off with ease.
Parts taken from Human Relations 4ed
Modified by Jackie Kroening 2011
The Cost of Stress in the Workplace
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Job burnout is the physical and
emotional exhaustion resulting from
long-term stress or frustration in one’s
workplace.
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It leads to lower productivity, lost days of
work, worker’s compensation claims,
and lawsuits among others.
Parts taken from Human Relations 4ed
Modified by Jackie Kroening 2011
The Cost of Stress in the Workplace
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Health effects on employees are
headaches, back pain, exhaustion,
anxiety, anger, insomnia, and digestive
upsets.
Other effects include accidents on the
job, excessive eating or smoking,
anger outbursts, and alcohol/drug
abuse.
Employees are seeking help for stress
through employee programs.
Parts taken from Human Relations 4ed
Modified by Jackie Kroening 2011
The Cost of Stress in the Workplace
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Causes of employee stress
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Parts taken from Human Relations 4ed
Stress from management.
Having no say in decisions.
Too much/little structure.
Racism and sexism.
Frustrating company policies.
Low pay.
Stressful relationships with
supervisors/peers.
Boredom.
Work overload; too much responsibility.
No promotions.
Modified by Jackie Kroening 2011
The Cost of Stress in the Workplace
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Stress affects self-esteem.
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It makes one overwhelmed.
It makes people less productive and less
successful, which lowers self-esteem.
It impacts all areas of people’s lives.
Parts taken from Human Relations 4ed
Modified by Jackie Kroening 2011
Strategies for Success
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Discard irrational beliefs:
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2.
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4.
Evaluate the consequences of the belief.
Identify your belief system.
Dispute the self-defeating belief.
Practice effective ways of thinking.
Parts taken from Human Relations 4ed
Modified by Jackie Kroening 2011
Strategies for Success
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Change your behaviors to reduce
stress:
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Take charge of your life.
Use humor.
Compare yourself with others.
Take advantage of stress.
Learn to live with unavoidable stress.
Parts taken from Human Relations 4ed
Modified by Jackie Kroening 2011
Strategies for Success
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Take care of yourself:
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Parts taken from Human Relations 4ed
Use relaxation techniques.
Increase your fitness: Exercise, eat well, and
reduce/quit smoking and drinking.
Make time for rest and leisure.
Get social support.
Try to reduce stress in the workplace.
Manage your time.
Stop procrastinating.
Modified by Jackie Kroening 2011