For a while now I have wanted to write a paper about workplace stress.
I decided, rather than wait to complete it I would write out some preliminary thoughts…this Thought Post is an introduction.
First, here’s an excerpt from Wikipedia:
“Stress is a term in psychology and biology, first coined in the biological context in the 1930s, which has in more recent decades become commonly used in popular parlance. It refers to the consequence of the failure of an organism – human or animal – to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats, whether actual or imagined.[1]
Signs of stress may be cognitive, emotional, physical or behavioral. Signs include poor judgment, a general negative outlook[citation needed], excessive worrying, moodiness, irritability, agitation, inability to relax, feeling lonely, isolated or depressed, aches and pains, diarrhea or constipation, nausea, dizziness, chest pain, rapid heartbeat, eating too much or not enough, sleeping too much or not enough, social withdrawal, procrastination or neglect of responsibilities, increased alcohol, nicotine or drug consumption, and nervous habits such as pacing about, nail-biting and neck pains.”
Next, here’s some information provided in David J. Lieberman books:
What causes stress and how do people react to it?
Stress happens:
- When we have doubts
- When we are not Confident
- When we do not feel in control of the situation
5 different kinds of stress:
- Acute & short-lived
- Example – many people are stressed when they must give a speech
- Acute with a sequence of challenge of some duration
- Example – the 911 tragedy
- Chronic demands, pervasive and personal
- Example – taking care of an ailing relative
- Lingering
- Example – child abuse
- Background stressors
- Examples – traffic, loud music
People react to stress 3 ways:
- Avoidance
- Problem-focused coping, when the stressor/situation can be changed
- Emotion-focused coping...change the way we feel
Link to David J Lieberman http://us.macmillan.com/author/davidjlieberman
…to be continued