STRESS & COUNSELLING

EDITHA G. MARTIN, MBA

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
TO UNDERSTAND
The role of Stress in Employee Health Extreme forms of Stress Reactions Causes and symptoms of Stress Organizational Effects of Stress Actions that may Prevent or Reduce Stress Different Counseling Functions Three types of Counseling and Their Usefulness

EMPLOYEE Stress

WHAT IS STRESS?
Stress is the general term applied to the pressures people feel in life. Stress is your mind and bodys response or reaction to a real or imagined threat, event or change. The threat, event or change are commonly called stressors. Stressors can be internal (thoughts, beliefs, attitudes or external (loss, tragedy, change).

Types of Stressors

Injury Emotion al

Career Pressures Environmen tal

Illness Physical

Work Stress

Deadlines and pressures

Surprises
Interpersonal difficulties

Role and rank issues

Environmental stressors

Techno Stress
E-mail and computers T.V.

Phone
Pagers

Others

Home Stressors
Chores
Finances

Kids wanting attention

Discipline

Fun time
Other

Love Relationships
Strained? Stressed?

Distant?
Great?

STRESS
Physiological
PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS INCLUDE: MUSCLE TENSION NAUSEA, VOMITING HEADACHES MOODINESS JAW, NECK & BACK PAIN DEPRESSION DIARRHEA APPETITE VARIES SLEEP DISTURBANCES RACING THOUGHTS DRY MOUTH, SWEATY PALMS UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS COLD HANDS BREATHING CHANGES (E.G., SHALLOW, SIGHING) NIGHTMARES DIMINISHED CONCENTRATION IMPAIRED MEMORY OR FORGETFULNESS ON EDGE INCREASED FRUSTRATION/IRRITABLE MORE ACCIDENTS OVERREACTING RUSHING/PACING NERVOUS BEHAVIOR/HABITS

Psychological
EMOTIONAL/MENTAL SYMPTOMS:

Behavioral
BEHAVIORAL SYMPTOMS EXCESSIVE SMOKING EXCESSIVE SMOKING TARDINESS SERIOUS APPEARANCE

ANXIETY, WORRY, GUILT, NERVOUSNESS

ANGER, FRUSTRATION

STRESS MANAGEMENT
IS A PART OF EVERYDAY LIFE
IS NECESSARY

TIME, MONEY, AND RELATIONSHIPS ENSURE THAT STRESS WILL ALWAYS BE WITH US

STRESS MANAGEMENT

STRESS

DOES NOT HAVE TO BE NEGATIVE OR OVERWHELMING

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STRESS
DEFINITION:

THE NON-SPECIFIC RESPONSE OF THE BODY TO ANY DEMAND

Hans Selye, MD
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STRESS
DR. HANS SELYE WROTE:

STRESS IS ESSENTIALLY REFLECTED BY THE RATE OF ALL THE WEAR AND TEAR CAUSED BY LIFE.
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EUSTRESS
Eustress or positive stress occurs when your level of stress is high enough to motivate you to move into action to get things accomplished.

DISTRESS
Distress or negative stress occurs when your level of stress is either too high or too low and your body and/or mind begin to respond negatively to the stressors.

STRESS
NOT ALL STRESS IS NEGATIVE
EUSTRESS: POSITIVE STRESS RESULTS FROM EXHILARATING EXPERIENCES:

WINNING THE LOTTERY

UNEXPECTED PROMOTION

AWARD

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STRESS
DISTRESS
STRESS OF:

LOSING, FAILING, OVERWORKING AND NOT COPING CAN BE HARMFUL AND IT IS NORMAL FROM TIME TO TIME
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STRESS
CAUSES OF STRESS FALL INTO TWO CATEGORIES:

EXTERNAL

INTERNAL

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STRESS
INTERNAL STRESSORS
INSIDE OURSELVES

THIS TYPE OF STRESSOR MAY PLAY A GREATER ROLE IN THE STRESS OF DAILY LIFE
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STRESS
MAY BE CAUSED BY EVERYDAY PRESSURES SUCH AS: FINANCIAL DEADLINES ARGUMENTS FAMILY CONCERNS LACK OF SLEEP
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STRESS
EXTERNAL STRESSOR
MAY BE MAJOR LIFE EVENTS:

MOVING
DEATH OF SPOUSE, FAMILY MEMBER OR FRIEND DIVORCE
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PHASES OF STRESS

ALARM STAGE
As you begin to experience a stressful event or perceive something to be stressful psychological changes occur in your body. This experience or perception disrupts your bodys normal balance and immediately your body begins to respond to the stressor(s) as effectively as possible.

EXAMPLES
Cardiac - increased heart rate Respiratory - increased respiration

Skin - decreased temperature

Hormonal - increased stimulation of adrenal genes which produce an adrenal rush.

RESISTANCE STAGE
During this stage your body tries to cope or adapt to the stressors by beginning a process of repairing any damage the stressor has caused. Your friends, family or co-workers may notice changes in you before you do so it is important to examine their feedback to make sure you do not reach overload.

EXAMPLES
Behavior indicators include: lack of enthusiasm for family, school, work or life in general, withdrawal, change in eating habits, insomnia, hypersomnia, anger, fatigue.

Cognitive Indicators include: poor problem solving, confusion, nightmares, hypervigilance.

RESISTANCE STAGE
Emotional indicators include: tearfulness fear anxiety panic Overwhelmed

guilt
agitation

depression

EXHAUSTION STAGE
During this stage the stressor is not being managed effectively and the body and mind are not able to repair the damage.

EXAMPLES
Digestive disorders, withdrawal, headaches, tension, insomnia, loss of temper.

Extreme product of Stress

Burnout a situation in which employees are emotionally exhausted, develop cynicism about their work and feel unable to accomplish their professional goals. Workaholics place higher priority on work than on family or recreation, think and talk constantly about work, have difficulty delegating to others, worry about their careers and often try to accomplish multiple tasks simultaneously. Karoshi sudden death at work. Trauma - occurs following a major threat to ones security. Workplace Violence a troubled employee takes dramatic and harmful physical action against co-workers, managers, or company property.

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THREE TYPES OF TRAUMA

Workplace Trauma is the disintegration of employees self-concepts and beliefs in their capabilities caused by sudden job loss e.g. harassment at work, wrongful termination, discrimination Lay-off Survivors Sickness feelings of uncertainty/insecurity, anger, guilt and distrust.

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) the shock of sudden and violent incidents often produces immediate stress-related symptoms.
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A Model of Causes, Types, & Consequences of Stress

Individual Differences Organizational Stressors Positive Stress

Constructive Organizational & Personal consequences *Short term *Long term

Employees Negative Stress

Non-work stressors

Destructive Organizational & Personal consequences *Short term *Long term

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TYPICAL CAUSES OF STRESS ON THE JOB

1. Work overload 2. Time Pressures

3. Poor quality of Supervision

4. Insecure job climate 5. Lack of personal control

6. Inadequate authority to match responsibilities

7. Role conflict and ambiguity 8. Differences between company and employee values

9. Change of any type, especially when it is major or unusual. 10. Frustration

11. Technology with inadequate training or support

FRUSTRATION

Frustration- is a result of a motivation being blocked to prevent one from reaching a desired goal.

Defense Mechanisms reactions to frustrations as a way to defend yourself from the psychological effects of the blocked goal.

Types of Reactions
Aggression becoming aggressive Apathy not responding to your job or associates Regression to less mature behavior - self pity, pouting Fixation constant blaming of supervisors for both your problems and the problems of others, regardless of the facts. Physical disorder upset stomach Substitute goal becoming a leader of a powerful informal group in office politics.

STRESS PERFORMANCE MODEL DEPICTING TWO STRESS THRESHOLDS

HIGH
JOB PERFORMANCE

A B

STRESS THRESHOLD

LOW
LOW STRESS HIGH

STRESS VULNERABILITY
STRESS THRESHOLD the level of stressor that the person can tolerate before negative feelings of stress occur and adversely affect performance.
PERCEIVED CONTROL control over work and working condition. TYPE A PEOPLE are aggressive and competitive, set high standards with themselves and others, and thrive under constant time pressures. TYPE B PEOPLE can be highly productive workers who meet schedule expectations.

APPROACHES TO STRESS MANAGEMENT

PREVENT organizations can seek to improve communication skills, empower employees through participation, redesign jobs to be more fulfilling. ESCAPE requesting job transfers, finding alternative employment, taking early retirement or acquiring alternative skills

COPE often involve cooperative effort s among employees and management:

TYPES OF SUPPORT
SOCIAL SUPPORT is the network of helpful activities, interactions, and relationship that provides an employee with the satisfaction of important needs.
Task support Information support Evaluation support Emotional support

RELAXATION involves quiet concentrated inner thought in order to rest the body physically and emotionally.
SABBATICALS employers give partially paid leaves , and few continue to full pay while employees are away. PERSONAL WELLNESS - in house programs of preventive maintenance. E.g. disease screening, health education, fitness centers.

EMPLOYEE COUNSELLING
COUNSELLING is discussion with an employee of a problem that usually has emotional content in order to help the employee cope with it better. FUNCTIONS OF COUNSELLING:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. ADVICE Telling a person what you think should be done; coaching REASSURANCE giving people courage and confidence that they are capable of facing a problem COMMUNICATION providing information and understanding RELEASE OF EMOTIONAL TENSION - helping a person feel more free of frustration and stress CLARIFIED THINKING - encouraging more coherent, rational and mature thought REORIENTATION encouraging an internal change in goals, values and mental models

TYPES OF COUNSELING
DIRECTIVE COUNSELING- is the process of listening to an employees problem, deciding with the employee what should be done and then telling and motivating the employee to do it. NON-DIRECTIVE COUNSELLING requires professional counselors and is costly PARTICIPATIVE COUNSELING is a mutual relationship that establishes a cooperative exchange of ideas to help solve an employees problems.