Stress - causes, factors, symptoms and stress relief. Stress and stress conditions
Stress- a term literally meaning pressure or tension. It is understood as a human condition that occurs in response to the influence of adverse factors, which are commonly called stressors. They can be physical (hard work, trauma) or mental (fear, frustration).
The prevalence of stress is very high. In developed countries, 70% of the population is in a state of constant stress. Over 90% suffer from stress several times a month. This is a very worrying number, given how dangerous the effects of stress can be.
The experience of stress requires a lot of energy from a person. Therefore, prolonged exposure to stress factors causes weakness, apathy, a feeling of lack of strength. Development is also associated with stress 80% known to science diseases.
Types of stress
pre-stress state anxiety, nervous tension that occurs in a situation where stress factors act on a person. During this period, he can take measures to prevent stress.
Eustress – beneficial stress. It could be stress caused by strong positive emotions. Also, eustress is a moderate stress that mobilizes reserves, forcing you to more effectively deal with the problem. This type of stress includes all the reactions of the body that provide an urgent adaptation of a person to new conditions. It provides an opportunity to avoid an unpleasant situation, fight or adapt. Thus, eustress is a mechanism that ensures human survival.
Distress- harmful destructive stress, with which the body is not able to cope. This type of stress is caused by strong negative emotions, or physical factors (injury, illness, overwork) that affect for a long time. Distress undermines strength, preventing a person not only from effectively solving the problem that caused stress, but also from living fully.
emotional stress- emotions accompanying stress: anxiety, fear, anger, sadness. Most often, it is they, and not the situation itself, that cause negative changes in the body.
According to the duration of exposure, stress is usually divided into two types:
acute stress The stressful situation lasted for a short period of time. Most people bounce back quickly after a brief emotional jolt. However, if the shock was strong, then dysfunctions of the NS are possible, such as enuresis, stuttering, tics.
chronic stress- Stress factors affect a person long time. This situation is less favorable and dangerous for the development of diseases of the cardiovascular system and exacerbation of existing chronic diseases.
What are the phases of stress?
Alarm phase- a state of uncertainty and fear in connection with an approaching unpleasant situation. Its biological meaning is to “prepare weapons” to deal with possible troubles.
Resistance phase- the period of mobilization of forces. The phase in which there is an increase brain activity and muscle strength. This phase can have two resolution options. In the best case, the body adapts to new living conditions. At worst, the person continues to experience stress and moves on to the next phase.
Exhaustion phase- a period when a person feels that his strength is running out. At this stage, the body's resources are depleted. If a way out of a difficult situation is not found, then somatic diseases and psychological changes develop.
What causes stress?
The reasons for the development of stress can be very diverse.
| Physical reasons stress | Mental causes of stress |
|
| Internal | External |
|
| Strong pain Surgery infections Overwork backbreaking physical work Pollution environment | Inconsistency of expectations with reality Unfulfilled hopes Disappointment Internal conflict - a contradiction between "I want" and "I need" perfectionism Pessimism Low or high self-esteem Difficulty making decisions Lack of diligence Impossibility of self-expression Lack of respect, recognition Time pressure, feeling of lack of time | Threat to life and health Human or animal attack Conflicts in the family or team material problems natural or man-made disasters Illness or death of a loved one Getting married or divorced Betrayal of a loved one Employment, dismissal, retirement Loss of money or property |
It should be noted that the reaction of the body does not depend on what cause caused the stress. And the body will react to a broken arm and a divorce in the same way - by releasing stress hormones. Its consequences will depend on how significant the situation is for the person and how long he is under its influence.
What is susceptibility to stress?
The same impact can be evaluated differently by people. The same situation (for example, the loss of a certain amount), one person will cause severe stress, while the other will only be annoyed. It all depends on what meaning a person betrays this situation. The strength of the nervous system plays an important role life experience, upbringing, principles, life position, moral assessments, etc.
Individuals who are characterized by anxiety, irritability, imbalance, a tendency to hypochondria and depression are more susceptible to the effects of stress.
One of critical factors is the state of the nervous system this moment. During periods of overwork and illness, a person's ability to adequately assess the situation decreases, and relatively small impacts can cause serious stress.
Recent studies by psychologists have shown that people with the lowest levels of cortisol are less susceptible to stress. As a rule, they are harder to piss off. And in stressful situations, they do not lose their composure, which allows them to achieve significant success.
Signs of low stress resistance and high susceptibility to stress:
- You can't relax after a hard day;
- You experience excitement after a minor conflict;
- You repeatedly scroll through an unpleasant situation in your head;
- You can leave the business you started because of fears that you will not be able to cope with it;
- Your sleep is disturbed due to the excitement experienced;
- Unrest causes a noticeable deterioration in well-being (headache, trembling in the hands, rapid heartbeat, feeling hot)
If you answered yes to most of the questions, this means that you need to increase your resilience to stress.
What are the behavioral signs of stress?
How to recognize stress by behavior? Stress changes a person's behavior in a certain way. Although its manifestations largely depend on the nature and life experience of a person, there are a number of common signs.
- Binge eating. Although sometimes there is a loss of appetite.
- Insomnia. Sleep superficial with frequent awakenings.
- Slowness of movement or fussiness.
- Irritability. It can be manifested by tearfulness, grumbling, unreasonable nit-picking.
- Closure, withdrawal from communication.
- Unwillingness to work. The reason lies not in laziness, but in a decrease in motivation, willpower and a lack of strength.
External signs of stress associated with stress individual groups muscles. These include:
- Pursed lips;
- Tension of chewing muscles;
- Raised "squeezed" shoulders;
What happens in the human body during stress?
Pathogenetic mechanisms of stress- a stressful situation (stressor) is perceived by the cerebral cortex as threatening. Further, the excitation passes through the chain of neurons to the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. Pituitary cells produce adrenocorticotropic hormone, which activates the adrenal cortex. The adrenal glands release large amounts of stress hormones - adrenaline and cortisol - into the blood, which are designed to provide adaptation in a stressful situation. However, if the body is under their influence for too long, is very sensitive to them, or hormones are produced in excess, then this can lead to the development of diseases.
Emotions activate the autonomic nervous system, or rather its sympathetic department. This biological mechanism designed to make the body stronger and more resilient for a short time, to tune it to vigorous activity. However, prolonged stimulation of the autonomic nervous system causes vasospasm and disruption of organs that lack blood circulation. Hence the violation of the functions of organs, pain, spasms.
The Positive Effects of Stress
Positive Consequences stress associated with the impact on the body of all the same stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. Their biological meaning is to ensure the survival of a person in a critical situation.
| Positive effects of adrenaline | Positive effects of cortisol |
| The appearance of fear, anxiety, anxiety. These emotions warn a person of possible danger. They give the opportunity to prepare for battle, run away or hide. Increased breathing - this ensures the saturation of the blood with oxygen. Acceleration of the heartbeat and rise in blood pressure - the heart supplies blood to the body better for efficient work. Stimulation mental capacity by improving delivery of arterial blood to the brain. Strengthening muscle strength through improved blood circulation of the muscles and increased muscle tone. This helps to realize the fight-or-flight instinct. A surge of energy due to the activation of metabolic processes. This allows a person to feel a surge of strength, if before that he experienced fatigue. The person shows courage, determination or aggression. An increase in blood glucose levels, which provides cells with additional nutrition and energy. Decreased blood flow in the internal organs and skin. This effect allows you to reduce bleeding during a possible injury. | A surge of vigor and strength due to the acceleration of metabolism: an increase in blood glucose levels and the breakdown of proteins into amino acids. suppression inflammatory response. Acceleration of blood clotting by increasing the number of platelets helps stop bleeding. Decreased activity of secondary functions. The body saves energy to direct it to combat stress. For example, the formation of immune cells decreases, the activity of the endocrine glands is suppressed, and intestinal motility decreases. Reducing the risk of developing allergic reactions. This is facilitated by the inhibitory effect of cortisol on the immune system. Blocking the production of dopamine and serotonin, “happiness hormones” that promote relaxation, which can have critical consequences in a dangerous situation. Increased sensitivity to adrenaline. This enhances its effects: increased heart rate, increased pressure, increased blood flow to the skeletal muscles and heart. |
It should be noted that positive impact hormones are noted with their short-term effects on the body. Therefore, short-term moderate stress can be beneficial for the body. He mobilizes, forces to gather strength to find optimal solution. Stress enriches life experience and in the future a person feels confident in similar situations. Stress increases the ability to adapt and in a certain way contributes to the development of the personality. However, it is important that the stressful situation is resolved before the body's resources are exhausted and negative changes begin.
The negative effects of stress
The negative effects of stress onpsyche due to prolonged action of stress hormones and overwork of the nervous system.
- The concentration of attention decreases, which leads to memory impairment;
- Fussiness and lack of concentration appear, which increases the risk of making rash decisions;
- Low performance and increased fatigue may be the result of a violation of neural connections in the cerebral cortex;
- Negative emotions predominate - general dissatisfaction with the position, work, partner, appearance, which increases the risk of developing depression;
- Irritability and aggression, which complicate interaction with others and delay the resolution of the conflict situation;
- The desire to alleviate the condition with the help of alcohol, antidepressants, narcotic drugs;
- Decreased self-esteem, disbelief in one's own strength;
- Problems in sexual and family life;
- A nervous breakdown is a partial loss of control over one's emotions and actions.
Negative effects of stress on the body
1. From the side of the nervous system. Under the influence of adrenaline and cortisol, the destruction of neurons is accelerated, the well-established work of various parts of the nervous system is disrupted:
- Overstimulation of the nervous system. Prolonged stimulation of the central nervous system leads to its overwork. Like other organs, the nervous system cannot work in an unusually intensive mode for a long time. This inevitably leads to various failures. Signs of overwork are drowsiness, apathy, depressive thoughts, cravings for sweets.
- Headaches can be associated with disruption of the brain vessels and deterioration of blood outflow.
- Stuttering, enuresis (urinary incontinence), tics (uncontrolled contractions of individual muscles). Perhaps they occur when the neural connections between nerve cells brain.
- Excitation of parts of the nervous system. Excitation of the sympathetic division of the nervous system leads to dysfunction of the internal organs.
2. From the immune system. Changes are associated with an increase in the level of glucocorticoid hormones, which inhibit the functioning of the immune system. Susceptibility to various infections increases.
- The production of antibodies and the activity of immune cells are reduced. As a result, susceptibility to viruses and bacteria increases. There is an increased risk of contracting viral or bacterial infections. The chance of self-infection also increases - the spread of bacteria from foci of inflammation (inflamed maxillary sinuses, palatine tonsils) to other organs.
- The immune defense against the appearance of cancer cells decreases, the risk of developing oncology increases.
3. From the endocrine system. Stress has a significant impact on the work of all hormonal glands. It can cause both an increase in synthesis and a sharp decrease in hormone production.
- Failure of the menstrual cycle. Severe stress can disrupt the functioning of the ovaries, which is manifested by a delay and soreness during menstruation. Problems with the cycle can continue until the situation is completely normal.
- Decreased testosterone synthesis, which is manifested by a decrease in potency.
- Slowdown in growth. Severe stress in a child can reduce the production of growth hormone and cause a delay in physical development.
- Decreased synthesis of triiodothyronine T3 with normal levels of thyroxine T4. Accompanied by increased fatigue, muscle weakness, fever, swelling of the face and extremities.
- Decreased prolactin. In breastfeeding women, prolonged stress can cause a decrease in breast milk production, up to full stop lactation.
- Violation of the pancreas responsible for the synthesis of insulin causes diabetes mellitus.
4. From the side of the cardiovascular system. Adrenaline and cortisol increase heart rate and constrict blood vessels, which has a number of negative consequences.
- Blood pressure rises, which increases the risk of hypertension.
- The load on the heart increases and the amount of blood pumped per minute triples. Combined with high blood pressure, this increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
- The heartbeat accelerates and the risk of heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmia, tachycardia) increases.
- The risk of blood clots increases due to an increase in the number of platelets.
- The permeability of blood and lymphatic vessels increases, their tone decreases. Metabolic products and toxins accumulate in the intercellular space. Tissue swelling increases. Cells are deficient in oxygen and nutrients.
5. From the digestive system disruption of the autonomic nervous system causes spasms and circulatory disorders in various parts of the gastrointestinal tract. This can have various manifestations:
- Feeling of a lump in the throat;
- Difficulty swallowing due to spasm of the esophagus;
- Pain in the stomach and various parts of the intestine caused by spasm;
- Constipation or diarrhea associated with impaired peristalsis and secretion of digestive enzymes;
- Development of peptic ulcer;
- Violation of the digestive glands, which causes gastritis, biliary dyskinesia and other functional disorders of the digestive system.
6. From the side of the musculoskeletal systems prolonged stress causes muscle spasm and deterioration of blood circulation in bone and muscle tissue.
- Spasm of muscles, mainly in the region of the cervicothoracic spine. In combination with osteochondrosis, this can lead to compression of the roots of the spinal nerves - radiculopathy occurs. This condition is manifested by pain in the neck, limbs, chest. It can also cause pain in the area of \u200b\u200bthe internal organs - the heart, liver.
- Bone fragility - caused by a decrease in calcium in the bone tissue.
- Decrease in muscle mass - stress hormones increase the breakdown of muscle cells. During prolonged stress, the body uses them as a reserve source of amino acids.
7. From the side of the skin
- Acne. Stress increases the production of sebum. Clogged hair follicles become inflamed on reduced immunity.
- Violations in the work of the nervous and immune systems provoke neurodermatitis and psoriasis.
We emphasize that short-term episodic stresses do not cause serious damage to health, since the changes they cause are reversible. Diseases develop over time if a person continues to acutely experience a stressful situation.
What are the ways to respond to stress?
Allocate three strategies for dealing with stress:
Rabbit- a passive reaction to a stressful situation. Stress makes it impossible to think rationally and act actively. A person hides from problems because he does not have the strength to cope with a traumatic situation.
a lion- Stress makes you use all the reserves of the body for a short period of time. A person violently and emotionally reacts to the situation, making a "spurt" to solve it. This strategy has its drawbacks. Actions are often thoughtless and overly emotional. If the situation could not be resolved quickly, then the forces are depleted.
ox- a person rationally uses his mental and mental resources, so he can live and work for a long time, experiencing stress. This strategy is the most justified from the point of view of neurophysiology and the most productive.
Stress Management Techniques
There are 4 main strategies for dealing with stress.
Raising awareness. In a difficult situation, it is important to reduce the level of uncertainty, for this it is important to have reliable information. Preliminary "living" of the situation will eliminate the effect of surprise and will allow you to act more efficiently. For example, before traveling to an unfamiliar city, think about what you will do, what you want to visit. Find out the addresses of hotels, attractions, restaurants, read reviews about them. This will help you worry less about your trip.
Comprehensive situation analysis, rationalization. Assess your strengths and resources. Consider the difficulties you will face. Prepare for them as much as possible. Shift your attention from the result to the action. For example, analyzing the collection of information about the company, preparing for the questions that are asked most often will help reduce the fear of an interview.
Reducing the importance of a stressful situation. Emotions make it difficult to consider the essence and find an obvious solution. Imagine how this situation is seen by strangers, for whom this event is familiar and does not matter. Try to think about this event without emotions, consciously reducing its significance. Imagine how you will remember the stressful situation in a month or a year.
Strengthening the possible negative consequences. Imagine the worst case scenario. As a rule, people drive this thought away from themselves, which makes it obsessive, and it comes back again and again. Realize that the probability of a catastrophe is extremely small, but even if it happens, there is a way out.
Setting for the best. Constantly remind yourself that everything will be fine. Problems and worries cannot go on forever. It is necessary to gather strength and do everything possible to bring a successful denouement closer.
It must be warned that during prolonged stress, the temptation to solve problems in an irrational way increases with the help of occult practices, religious sects, healers, etc. This approach can lead to new, more complex problems. Therefore, if you cannot find a way out and situations on your own, then it is advisable to contact a qualified specialist, psychologist, lawyer.
How to help yourself during stress?
Various ways to self-regulate under stress help to calm down and minimize the impact of negative emotions.
Autotraining- a psychotherapeutic technique aimed at restoring the balance lost as a result of stress. Autogenic training is based on muscle relaxation and self-hypnosis. These actions reduce the activity of the cerebral cortex and activate the parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system. This allows you to neutralize the effect of prolonged excitation of the sympathetic department. To perform the exercise, you need to sit in a comfortable position and consciously relax the muscles, especially the face and shoulder girdle. Then proceed to repeat the formulas autogenic training. For example: “I am calm. My nervous system calms down and gains strength. Problems don't bother me. They are perceived as touching the wind. Every day I get stronger."
Muscle relaxation - skeletal muscle relaxation technique. The technique is based on the assertion that muscle tone and nervous system are interrelated. Therefore, if you manage to relax the muscles, then the tension in the nervous system will decrease. With muscle relaxation, it is necessary to strongly strain the muscle, and then relax it as much as possible. Muscles are worked in a certain order:
- dominant hand from fingers to shoulder (right for right-handers, left for left-handers)
- non-dominant hand from fingers to shoulder
- back
- stomach
- dominant leg from hip to foot
- non-dominant leg from hip to foot
Breathing exercises. Breathing exercises for stress relief allow you to regain control over your emotions and body, reduce muscle tension and heart rate.
- Belly breathing. While inhaling, slowly inflate the stomach, then draw air into the middle and upper sections of the lungs. As you exhale, release the air from the chest, then draw in the stomach a little.
- Breathing for a count of 12. While inhaling, you need to slowly count from 1 to 4. Pause - at the expense of 5-8. Exhale for a count of 9-12. Thus, the respiratory movements and the pause between them have the same duration.
Autorational Therapy. It is based on postulates (principles) that help to change the attitude towards a stressful situation and reduce the severity of vegetative reactions. To reduce the level of stress, a person is recommended to work with his beliefs and thoughts using well-known cognitive formulas. For example:
- What does this situation teach me? What lesson can I take?
- “Lord, give me the strength to change what is in my power, give me peace of mind to come to terms with what I am not able to influence and the wisdom to distinguish one from the other.”
- It is necessary to live "here and now" or "Wash the cup, think about the cup."
- “Everything passes and this will pass” or “Life is like a zebra”.
Psychotherapy for stress
Psychotherapy for stress has more than 800 techniques. The most common are:
Rational psychotherapy. The psychotherapist teaches the patient to change his attitude to exciting events, to change correct settings. The main impact is aimed at the logic and personal values of a person. The specialist helps to master the methods of autogenic training, self-hypnosis and other self-help techniques for stress.
Suggestive psychotherapy. The patient is instilled with the correct attitudes, the main impact is directed to the subconscious of a person. Suggestion can be carried out in a relaxed or hypnotic state, when the person is between wakefulness and sleep.
Psychoanalysis under stress. Aimed at extracting from the subconscious mental trauma causing stress. Speaking out these situations can reduce their impact on a person.
Indications for psychotherapy for stress:
- stressful condition disrupts the usual way of life, making it impossible to work, maintain contact with people;
- partial loss of control own emotions and actions against the background of emotional experiences;
- formation personality traits- suspiciousness, anxiety, grumpiness, self-centeredness;
- the inability of a person to independently find a way out of a stressful situation, to cope with emotions;
- deterioration of the somatic condition against the background of stress, the development of psychosomatic diseases;
- signs of neurosis and depression;
- post-traumatic disorder.
Psychotherapy against stress is an effective method that helps to return to a full life, regardless of whether it was possible to resolve the situation or have to live under its influence.
How to recover from stress?
After the stressful situation is resolved, you need to restore physical and mental strength. The principles of a healthy lifestyle can help with this.
A change of scenery. A trip out of town, to the country house in another city. New impressions and walks on fresh air create new foci of excitation in the cerebral cortex, blocking memories of experienced stress.
Switching attention. Books, films, performances can serve as an object. Positive emotions activate brain activity encouraging activity. Thus, they prevent the development of depression.
Complete sleep. Get as much sleep as your body requires. To do this, you need to go to bed at 22 for several days, and get up without an alarm clock.
Balanced diet. Meat, fish and seafood, cottage cheese and eggs should be present in the diet - these products contain protein to strengthen immunity. Fresh vegetables and fruits are important sources of vitamins and fiber. A reasonable amount of sweets (up to 50 g per day) will help the brain restore energy resources. Nutrition should be complete, but not too plentiful.
Regular physical activity. Especially useful are gymnastics, yoga, stretching, Pilates and other exercises aimed at stretching the muscles to help relieve muscle spasm caused by stress. They also improve blood circulation, which has a positive effect on the state of the nervous system.
Communication. Chat with positive people that put you in a good mood. Personal meetings are preferable, but also suitable phone call or chatting online. If there is no such possibility or desire, then find a place where you can be among people in a calm atmosphere - a cafe or a library reading room. Communication with pets also helps restore lost balance.
Visiting the spa, baths, saunas. Such procedures help to relax muscles and relieve nervous tension. They can help you get rid of sad thoughts and tune in a positive way.
massages, baths, sunbathing swimming in ponds. These procedures have a calming and restorative effect, helping to restore lost strength. If desired, some procedures can be carried out at home, such as baths with sea salt or pine extract, self-massage or aromatherapy.
Techniques for increasing stress resistance
Stress tolerance- This is a set of personality traits that allows you to endure stress with the least harm to health. Stress tolerance may be innate in the nervous system, but it can also be developed.
Increasing self-esteem. The dependence has been proven - the higher the level of self-esteem, the higher the stress resistance. Psychologists advise: form confident demeanor, communicate, move, act like a confident person. Over time, the behavior will develop into inner confidence in their power.
Meditation. Regular meditation several times a week for 10 minutes reduces the level of anxiety and the degree of reaction to stressful situations. It also reduces the level of aggression, which contributes to constructive communication in a stressful situation.
Responsibility. When a person moves away from the position of the victim, and takes responsibility for what is happening, he becomes less vulnerable to external influences.
Interest in change. It is human nature to be afraid of change, so unexpectedness and new circumstances often provoke stress. It is important to create an attitude that will help you perceive changes as new opportunities. Ask yourself: “what good can a new situation or life change bring me.”
Striving for Achievement. People who strive to achieve a goal experience less stress than those who try to avoid failure. Therefore, in order to increase stress resistance, it is important to plan your life by setting short-term and global goals. Orientation to the result helps not to pay attention to minor troubles that arise on the way to the goal.
Time management. The correct distribution of time eliminates time trouble - one of the main stress factors. To combat the lack of time, it is convenient to use the Eisenhower matrix. It is based on the division of all daily tasks into 4 categories: important and urgent, important non-urgent, not important urgent, not important and non-urgent.
Stress is an integral part of human life. It is impossible to completely eliminate them, but it is possible to reduce their impact on health. To do this, it is necessary to consciously increase stress resistance and prevent prolonged stress, timely starting the fight against negative emotions.
Federal State Educational Institution of Higher
vocational education
"FINANCIAL ACADEMY UNDER THE GOVERNMENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION"
Department of Applied Psychology
Abstract on the topic:
“Stress. Acquisition of stress resistance in business communication.
Completed: stud. Gr.fk1-18, Marenova E.V.
Checked by: Assoc. Beketova E.E.
Moscow, 2009.
Introduction………………………………………………………………..3
I. The concept and nature of stress…………………………………………….4
1.1. Causes and sources of stress…………...……………………….4
1.2. Types and phases of stress……………………….……………………...7
II. Stress management………………………………………….....10
2.1. Prevention of stress in business communication .................................... 10
2.2. Individual strategy and tactics of stress-resistant behavior…………………………………………………………..…….15
Conclusion…………………………………………………………....17
Bibliographic list………………………………………..... 19
INTRODUCTION
Avoid conflicts in the field business communication almost impossible.
Many conflicts often lead to additional nervous stress on a person, to stressful situations, to the need to manage stress.
The concept of "stress" was borrowed from the field of technology, where it means the ability of various bodies and structures to withstand the load. Any structure has a tensile strength, the excess of which leads to its destruction.
Transferred to the field of social psychology, the concept of "stress" includes a whole range of personality states caused by a variety of events: from defeats or victories to creative experiences and doubts. Some experts believe that stress is the pressure in the world that leads to a state of emotional discomfort. Others believe that emotional discomfort is stress caused by pressure or conditions called stressors.
In general, stress is a common phenomenon. Minor stresses are inevitable and harmless, but excessive stress creates problems for both individuals and organizations, making it difficult to complete tasks.
This topic is relevant for modern society, because. people constantly face stress at work, on the street and at home. This topic is especially significant for managers, because the stress experienced by employees can have a devastating effect both on themselves and on the organization as a whole.
Chapter I : THE CONCEPT AND NATURE OF STRESS.
1.1. Causes and sources of stress.
“To fall into anger means to take revenge
the mistakes of others."
Alexander Pop
The word "stress" came into Russian from English and in translation means action, tension, effort, external influence . Stress- this is a state of increased nervous tension, overstrain caused by some strong influence. The doctrine of stress first appeared in connection with the work of the world famous Canadian physiologist G. Selye (1907 - 1982). He formulated the universal concept of stress.
At its core, stress is a way to achieve the stability of the body in response to the action of a negative factor. By classical definition G. Selye, stress is a non-specific response of the organism to any demand presented to it, and this response is the tension of the organism, aimed at overcoming the difficulties that arise and adapting to the increased requirements. Modern life situations lead to a sharp increase in psychological stress on a person. An important prerequisite for the creation of the doctrine of stress was the need to solve the problem of protecting a person from the effects of adverse factors.
Further study of stress by the followers of G. Selye was devoted to the psychological mechanisms of the manifestation of stress, as well as their role in the development of diseases resulting from emotional overstrain. In connection with the appearance of a large number of works on this topic, a new concept has come into science - “emotional or psychological stress».
However, stress is not just nervous tension. In humans, the most common stressor, i.e. The factor that causes stress is an emotional stimulus.
Causes of stress. The list of causes of stress is endless. International conflicts, instability of the political situation in the country, and socio-economic crises can act as stresses.
ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS. Much of the stress-producing factors are related to the performance of our professional duties. We can distinguish the following organizational factors that can cause stress (see Appendix No. 1):
Overload or too little workload;
Conflict of roles (occurs if an employee is presented with conflicting requirements);
Uncertainty of roles (the employee is not sure what is expected of him);
Uninteresting work (a survey of 2,000 male workers in 23 occupations showed that those who have more interesting work, show less anxiety and are less prone to physical ailments than those engaged in work that is not interesting for them);
Poor physical conditions (noise, cold, etc.)
Wrong balance between authority and responsibility;
Poor communication channels in the organization, etc.
Another group of stress factors could be called organizational and personal, since they express the subjective and anxious attitude of a person to his professional activity. ORGANIZATIONAL AND PERSONAL FACTORS. German psychologists W. Siegert and L. Lang identify several typical "fears" of workers:
Fear won't do the job;
Fear of making a mistake;
Fear of being bypassed by others;
Fear of losing your job;
Fear of losing your own self.
ORGANIZATIONAL AND PRODUCTION FACTORS: Unfavorable moral and psychological climate in the team, unresolved conflicts, lack of social support, etc. are also stressors.
To all this “bouquet” of stresses of an organizational and production nature, problems can also be added. personal life of a person, providing many reasons for unfavorable emotions. Trouble in the family, health problems, "mid-life crisis" and other similar irritants are usually acutely experienced by a person and cause significant damage to his stress resistance.
Thus, the causes of stress are not a special secret. The problem is how to prevent stress that affects the causes that cause it. The basic rule here suggests itself: we need to clearly distinguish stressful events that we can somehow influence, from those that are clearly not in our power. It is clear that on crisis situation in the country or in the world, on the inevitable approaching retirement age, etc., if an individual person can influence, it is very insignificant. Therefore, such events should be left alone and focus on those stressors that we can actually change.
1.2. Types and phases of stress.
"Boldly get out of yourself,
if there is no other way."
Janusz Wasilkowski
TYPES OF STRESS.
AT everyday life There are two types of stress: eustress and distress. Eustress involves the emergence of the desired, i.e. positive effect, and distress - negative.
Usually, stress is associated with pleasant and unpleasant experiences. Pleasant and unpleasant emotional arousal is accompanied by an increase in physiological stress.
According to the hypothesis of the world-famous Canadian physiologist G. Selye, the absence of stimuli (deprivation), as well as an excess of irritation, is equally accompanied by an increase in stress. The absence of stress, from the point of view of G. Selye, means death. It is not possible to avoid it.
According to Selye, “In order to give meaning to our lives, we must set ourselves a difficult and long-term task. We should aim at a goal that requires hard work to achieve. The absence of such a goal is one of the most severe stresses that cause stomach ulcers, heart attacks, hypertension, or simply doom a person to a bleak vegetative existence.
G. Selye noted another important circumstance regarding stress: the same stress can cause different reactions in people. He called them "conditional factors". They can be external or internal. Under the influence of these factors, a normally tolerated degree of stress can become pathogenic and "adaptation" diseases.
The same stimulus acts on different people is not the same depending on the individuality of external and internal conditions defining the reactivity of each.
Various psychological manifestations of stress are reflected in physiological reactions. The presence of a direct correlation between the physiological reactions of the body and the psychological characteristics of stress makes it possible to use changes in physiological reactions as an objective indicator of psychological (emotional) stress.
Stress can arise as a result of certain social influences. The means of protection against stress in this case can be social transformations and the restructuring of human relationships.
Stressful conditions are the result certain requirements and restrictions imposed on a person by work, family relationships, etc. At the same time, the effect of stress can have internal causes and arise as a result of the inability to satisfy basic needs.
PHASES OF STRESS.
Stress has three phases: anxiety, resistance, and exhaustion. People with stable emotional psyche able to overcome the phase of anxiety. emotionally unstable people covers immediately anxiety, which then turns into fear. Then exhaustion sets in for such people, taking the form of doom and despair.
Resistance to stress factors can be provided in two ways: emotional training and careful training using playing difficult situations, etc.
The psychological reserves of people lie in his psyche and, above all, in the emotional sphere. Emotion is understood as a person's experience of his personal attitude to the actions of other people and to himself.
A person lives in a world of positive and negative emotions, depending on life situations.
In life, emotions create various forms of emotional states that differ in duration and intensity. They are moods, passions and affects. Mood is characterized by quite a intensity, duration of flow, as well as ambiguity and "unaccountability" of experiences.
Unlike sentiment, passion- a stronger, deeper and more lasting emotional state. Passion mobilizes a person to achieve their goals. It can have a positive effect on the human personality, but it can also destroy the personality.
Affect- this is a kind of emotional state that proceeds with great and pronounced intensity. Features of his condition is that the affect is stormy outward manifestation, characterized by short duration, while the behavior is unaccountable. Any emotion can, under certain conditions, come to affect. Negative affective states usually lead to adverse consequences for the human body.
According to available scientific evidence, the negative impact of stress in our time takes more and more human lives. Now it is customary to divide stress into emotional and informational. Information stress is associated with the inability to cope with an avalanche-like flow of information.
Stress can arise not only under the action of one strong stimulus, but when small constant negative influences are manifested, causing a state of threat, anxiety, resentment, and danger in a person.
The action of stress is accompanied by various reactions: from a state of increased activity to depression.
In the manifestation of stress, the individuality of people matters. No two people have exactly the same response to stress. Most of the stresses in a person's life are initiated and reproduced by him.
G. Selye also noted what happens to you, but how you perceive it. This is directly related to stress. Even in ancient times, the philosopher Epictetus said that “People are not upset by events, but by the way they are looked at.”
In the transformation of most stimuli into stressors, cognitive and affective responses related to stimuli play a role. If the stimulus is not interpreted as a threat or challenge to the individual, then the stress response does not occur at all.
Chapter II : STRESS MANAGEMENT
2.1. Prevention of stress in work situations.
“A fool will immediately show
his wrath, but the prudent
hides an insult.
Proverbs 12:16.
We get a significant part of stress as a result of conflicts generated by various production situations. At the same time, in any case, the "vertical" of business relations is affected: the head - the subordinate. After all, even if ordinary employees are in conflict with each other, the manager cannot but interfere in the course of resolving the conflict. Therefore, the recommendations for the prevention of stress, formulated by management psychology, are deployed, as it were, on two “fronts”: managers, whose duties include reducing the level of stress among employees, and subordinates, who are invited to protect themselves from stress and not serve as stress givers for others.
Anti-stress guide. To minimize the level of stress in the team, without reducing productivity, the leader should heed the following recommendations.
Think often about the accuracy of assessing the abilities and inclinations of your employees. Compliance with these qualities of the volume and complexity of assigned tasks is an important condition for the prevention of stress among subordinates.
Do not neglect the "bureaucracy", that is, a clear definition of the functions, powers and limits of responsibility of employees. This way you will prevent a lot of small conflicts and mutual insults.
Do not get annoyed if the employee refuses the assignment, it is better to discuss with him the validity of the refusal.
Show your trust and support to your subordinates as often as possible. (According to one of the American studies, employees who experienced significant stress, but felt the support of their boss, fell ill during the year by half as much as those who did not notice such support).
Use a leadership style that is appropriate for the specific work situation and the characteristics of the composition of the employees.
In case of failures of employees, first of all, evaluate the circumstances in which the person acted, and not his personal qualities.
Do not exclude compromises, concessions, apologies from the arsenal of means of communication with subordinates.
Forbid yourself to use sarcasm, irony, humor directed at a subordinate.
If there is a need to somehow criticize, do not lose sight of the rules of constructive and ethical criticism.
Periodically think about ways to relieve stress already accumulated by subordinates. Keep in mind the problems of rest of employees, the possibility of their emotional release, entertainment, etc.
The implementation of these simple recommendations by managers can significantly affect the level of stress in the team.
Anti-stress submission. At the same time, for the same purposes, it is proposed to meet the bosses and subordinates. People suffering from stress at work are usually offered this list of minimizing stress at work.
If you are not satisfied with the conditions and content of work, wages, promotion opportunities and other organizational factors, try to carefully analyze how realistic your organization's ability to improve these parameters is.
Discuss your problems with colleagues, with management. Take care not to sound accusing or complaining - you just want to decide work problem which may not only apply to you.
Try to establish effective business relationship with your leader. Assess the scope of his problems and help him sort out yours. Managers, as a rule, need “feedback” but are not always able to provide it.
If you feel that the amount of work entrusted to you clearly exceeds your capabilities, find the strength to say no. Be sure to provide a well-balanced and thorough justification for your refusal. But don't "slam the door": explain that you are not at all opposed to new assignments ... if only you will be allowed to free yourself from some of the old ones.
Do not hesitate to demand complete clarity and certainty from the management and colleagues in the essence of the tasks assigned to you.
If a production “conflict of roles” arises, that is, a deliberate inconsistency of the requirements, do not bring the matter to a sad ending, when you have to make excuses for not completing one or another task. Bring up the problem of incompatibility of the cases assigned to you right away, focusing the attention of management on the fact that the business will suffer in the end, and not you personally.
When you're working hard, look for opportunities to take a short break and rest. Experience shows that two 10-15 minute periods of relaxation per day are enough to maintain a high degree of performance.
It is also helpful to remember that failures at work are rarely fatal. When analyzing their reasons, it is better to compare yourself not with a tightrope walker who does not have the right to make a mistake, but with a football forward who, out of dozens of attempts to beat defenders, turns out to be successful only one or two, but even this number is sometimes enough. Learning from your own mistakes is a natural right of any person.
Be sure to unload your negative emotions but in socially acceptable forms. Socially approved management of one's emotions does not consist in suppressing them, but in the ability to find suitable channels for their withdrawal or release. When in a strong annoyance, do not slam the door and do not yell at colleagues, but find ways to take out your anger on something neutral: break a couple of pencils or start tearing up old papers, which, as a rule, are available in any organization in considerable quantities. Wait for the evening or the weekend and give yourself any physical activity - preferably one where you need to hit something (football, volleyball, tennis, at worst, beating carpets will do).
Try not to mix personal and business relationships, etc.
Among such recommendations for reducing the level of stress, formulated by modern managerial and psychological thought, there are quite unexpected ones that run counter to generally accepted ideas. So, for example, it is widely believed that a strong family, a “strong rear”, in which an employee attacked by work stresses, finds comfort and support, is a fairly reliable protection against stresses received at work. However, everything is not so simple. American researchers Susan W. Kobasa and Mark K. Pyusetti, who examined about two hundred employees of middle management and above in one of the large companies, recorded a strange phenomenon. It turned out that workers who perceived their family as their biggest support had the highest rates of stress-related illnesses. This fact was confirmed even in relation to those who had such a social asset as a large salary or a high position.
The essence of this situation was interpreted in such a way that the families of workers do not provide them with the kind of support that is required to overcome the stresses at work. While the production situation requires them to discipline or mobilize all their forces, the family may maintain qualities that are not the most appropriate at such a moment - resentment towards colleagues and management, self-pity, shifting blame to others or circumstances, etc. The conclusion is clear: not all family support can serve as a reliable refuge from stress.
The recommendations listed above for the prevention of stress in involuntary work groups are quite general. A specific stressful situation is always unique, since not least is determined by the individuality of the stressed person (his temperament, character, communication style, etc.). In addition, our susceptibility to stress at work to a large extent depends on the general life background, that is, on how successfully we are able to get out of stressful situations generated by general social, family, age and other factors. In fact, professional stress is just one of many types of stress that overcomes us. It certainly has its own specifics. But the physiological nature of stress is the same. Therefore, a person who is hardened in overcoming various life barriers and troubles must obviously cope with professional stressful situations more successfully than others.
Thus, one of the keys to success in overcoming work stress lies in the overall life strategy of the individual, based on the selected core values and taking into account the peculiarities of his personality.
2.2. Individual strategy and tactics of stress-resistant behavior.
"If you're angry, count to ten,
and only then speak; if you are very angry,
count to a hundred and don't say anything."
Mark Twain
At the beginning of our conversation about stress, we adopted the theses of G. Selye that stress is “the aroma and taste of life”, and that “complete freedom from stress means death”. More than seven to ten years of studying the phenomenon of stress has convinced experts of the truth of these premises. It is now generally accepted that our ability to adequately meet the threat of stress and remove it with minimal damage to the body is ultimately determined. our common attitude to life, what in romantic philosophy and literature was called the will to live.
After all, stress is in any case a psychophysiological reaction. personality, and not just an organism, as previously thought. In the development of stress essential role plays social component of human behavior. In the structure of the stress reaction, one usually distinguishes three main element:
Evaluation of the stressful event;
Physiological and biochemical changes in the body;
Changing human behavior.
So the stress response is mostly social phenomenon. And that means that you can resist stress by influencing, first of all, the social components of stress reactions, which, in theory, should be more manageable than our physiology.
In concept "search activity" developed by Russian scientists B.C. Rotenberg and V.V. Arshavsky. It is described, What exactly should our efforts to increase stress resistance be directed to?
It is a well-known fact that negative emotions have a bad effect on our health. They literally incite our organism to self-destructive reactions. They need to be decisively eliminated, even at the expense of emotional impoverishment. Sick politicians are forbidden to read newspapers, leaders who have a heart attack are protected from information about their teams, but they simply try not to make all other citizens nervous with bad news.
Does not save the situation, by the way, and the lack of emotions. From a monotonous, uninterrupted routine, seemingly not affecting us in any way, you can get no less stress. The immutability of the situation, its monotony, will begin to annoy. Thus, negative emotions are not always unconditionally harmful to health. A calm and serene existence does not guarantee physical well-being. That is, the sign of emotions itself - positive or negative - is not decisive factor, predetermining Negative consequences stress. There should be one more, additional link in the development of a stressful situation, which is responsible for one or another of its outcomes. According to B.C. Rotenberg and V.V. Arshavsky, such a link is the type of behavior of a living being, distinguished by the presence or absence of search activity.
Their experiments showed that pathological processes in an animal's body can slow down, even if it experiences sharply negative emotions. But this happens only if the animal demonstrates the so-called "active-defensive" reaction. If she hid in the corner of the cage and did not make any attempts to escape, then all pathological processes were noticeably accelerated and sometimes even led the animal to death. This behavior is called passive defensive. And, probably, it is precisely this that is the main factor leading eventually to psychosomatic disorders after stress reactions.
B.C. Rotenberg and V.V. Arshavsky believe that a protective agent is search activity, aimed at changing an unfavorable or maintaining a favorable situation despite the action of threatening factors or circumstances. search engine such activity is named because the certainty of the final results is almost always absent. The subject can never be sure that he will find a path to success. It is the rejection of the search itself, and not the unacceptable situation as such and the negative emotions it causes, that makes the body more vulnerable to all sorts of harmful things.
At the same time, the body mobilizes all its resources so powerfully that
ordinary "peaceful" diseases do not take it
CONCLUSION
As it has already become known, stress is a general non-specific reaction of the body in response to any external influence or internal experience. After studying the problem of stress in human life, we can conclude that our life is impossible without stress, because personal development each person happens only because of them. The founder of the doctrine of stress, Hans Selye, wrote: “We should not be afraid of stress. It doesn't happen only to the dead. Stress must be managed. Managed stress brings the flavor and taste of life!”. Stress is inherently necessary for a person and does not carry destructive consequences if used following methods on his management.
These are psychological methods that contain the following elements:
changing the environment in which stress exists;
change in the cognitive assessment of the environment;
changing behavior to change the environment.
Here consultations and psychotherapy, development of social support, planning of one's life. You can also use relaxation, meditation and self-regulation in the fight against stress.
There are also physiological methods for managing stress, which are based on improving physical condition human in order to improve the effectiveness of stress management.
The role of the organization in managing stress is also important. Here are wellness programs for employees and, changing the working environment, conducting trainings on stress management.
Well, if everything is very bad and it’s impossible to cope on your own, then you can’t do without the help of professionals. After all, it is possible to overcome a stressful situation and see your resource in it only thanks to a comprehensive psychological approach to solve this difficult problem. Only a professional can help with this.
Thus, we can conclude that the goal of this course work has been achieved and it is possible and necessary to manage stress.
REFERENCES
1. Zhirikov E.S. "Psychology of management. A book for the head and the personnel manager "- M.: Ed. ICFER, 2002
2. Siegert W., Lang L. "Leading without conflicts" - M.: Ed. "Eklnomics", 1990
3. Rozanova V.A. "Psychology of Management" Textbook, ed. 2nd revision and additional - M .: CJSC Business School "Intel - Synthesis", 2000
4. Meskon M.Kh., Albert M., Khedouri F. "Fundamentals of Management" - M.: Ed. Case, 1998
5. "Conflictology" / ed. V.P. Ratnikova - M.: Ed. UNITY - Dana, 2002
6. "Management" / ed. MM. Maksimtsova - M.: Ed. Banks and Exchanges, UNITI, 1998
7. "Management" / ed. F.M. Rusinova - M.: Ed. FBK - PRESS, 1998
8. "Management of personnel of the organization" / ed. AND I. Kibanova - M.: Ed. INFRA-M, 1998
9. "Models and methods of personnel management" / ed. Morgunov.
10. Ozhegov S.I. and Shvedova N.Yu. Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. Russian Cultural Foundation; - 2nd ed., corrected. and additional - M.: AZ, 1995.
11. Modern Philosophy: Dictionary and reader. Rostov-on-Don. Phoenix, 1995
12. // "Personnel Management" No. 22/2005
13. // "Personnel Management" No. 8/2006
14. // "Personnel Service" No. 2/2003
15. // "Personnel Service" No. 5/2005
Ozhegov S.I. and Shvedova N.Yu. Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. Russian Cultural Foundation; - 2nd ed., corrected. and additional – M.: AZ, 1995
Siegert W., Lang L. "Lead without conflict" - M .: Ed. "Economics", 1990 - S. 238-239.
Modern Philosophy: Dictionary and reader. Rostov-on-Don. Phoenix, 1995
4Meskon M.Kh., Albert M., Khedouri F. "Fundamentals of Management" - M.: Ed. Case, 1998, p. 550.
Cm.: Rotenberg B.C., Arshavsky V.V. Search activity and adaptation. - M.
11.2. Causes and sources of stress
The list of causes of stress is endless. As stressors international conflicts, and the instability of the political situation in the country, and socio-economic crises can act. A significant part of the stress-provoking factors is related to the performance of our professional duties. There are organizational factors that can cause stress:
overload or too little workload;
conflict of roles (occurs if the employee is presented with conflicting requirements);
uncertainty of roles (the employee is not sure what is expected of him);
uninteresting work (a survey of 2,000 male workers in 23 occupations showed that those who have more interesting jobs show less anxiety and are less prone to physical ailments than those engaged in uninteresting work for them);
poor physical conditions (noise, cold, etc.);
wrong balance between authority and responsibility;
poor communication channels in the organization, etc.
Another group of stress factors could be called organizational and personal, since they express a person's subjective-anxious attitude to their professional activities. German psychologists W. Siegert and L. Lang identify several typical “fears” of workers:
fear of not being able to do the job;
fear of making a mistake;
fear of being bypassed by others;
fear of losing a job;
fear of losing one's self.
stressogens also unfavorable moral and psychological climate in the team, unresolved conflicts, lack of social support, etc.
To this "bouquet" of stressors of an organizational and production nature can be added and personal life problems of a person, providing many reasons for unfavorable emotions. Trouble in the family, health problems, "mid-life crisis" and other similar irritants are usually acutely experienced by a person and cause significant damage to his stress resistance.
Thus, the causes of stress are not a special secret. The problem is how to prevent stress by acting on the causes that cause it. The basic rule here suggests itself: you need to clearly differ stressful events that we can somehow influence, from those that are clearly not in our power. It is clear that an individual person, if he can influence the crisis situation in the country or in the world, the inevitable approaching retirement age, is very insignificant. Therefore, such events should be left alone and focus on those stressors that we can actually change.
11.3. Prevention of stress in work situations
We get a significant part of stress as a result of conflicts generated by various production situations. At the same time, in any case, the "vertical" of business relations is affected: the head - the subordinate. After all, even if ordinary employees are in conflict with each other, the manager cannot but interfere in the course of resolving the conflict. Therefore, the recommendations for the prevention of stress, formulated by management psychology, are deployed, as it were, on two “fronts”: managers, whose duties are charged with reducing the level of stress among employees, and subordinates, who are invited to protect themselves from stress and not serve as stress givers for others.
To minimize the level of stress in the team, without reducing productivity, the leader should heed the following recommendations.
Think often about the accuracy of assessing the abilities and inclinations of your employees. Compliance with these qualities
the volume and complexity of assigned tasks is an important condition for the prevention of stress among subordinates.
Do not neglect the "bureaucracy", that is, a clear definition of the functions, powers and limits of responsibility of employees. This way you will prevent a lot of small conflicts and mutual insults.
Do not get annoyed if the employee refuses the assignment, it is better to discuss with him the validity of the refusal.
Show your trust and support to your subordinates as often as possible. (According to one American study, employees who experienced significant stress, but felt the support of their boss, fell ill during the year by half as much as those who did not notice such support.)
Use a leadership style that is appropriate for the specific work situation and the characteristics of the composition of employees.
In case of failures of employees, first of all, evaluate the circumstances in which the person acted, and not his personal qualities.
Do not exclude compromises, concessions, apologies from the arsenal of means of communication with subordinates.
Forbid yourself to use sarcasm, irony, humor directed at a subordinate.
If there is a need to criticize someone, do not lose sight of the rules of constructive and ethical criticism.
Periodically think about ways to relieve stress already accumulated by subordinates. Keep in mind the problems of rest of employees, the possibility of their emotional release, entertainment, etc.
The implementation by managers of these simple recommendations in principle can have a very significant impact on the level of stress in the team.
At the same time, for the same purposes, a step towards the bosses is proposed to be taken by subordinates. People suffering from stress at work are usually offered something like this list of methods to minimize stress.
If you are not satisfied with the conditions and content of work, wages, promotion opportunities and other organizational factors, try to carefully analyze how realistic your organization's ability to improve these parameters is (that is, first find out if there is something to fight for).
Discuss your problems with colleagues, with management. Take care not to sound accusatory or complaining - you just want to solve a work problem that may not only concern you.
Do not hesitate to demand complete clarity and certainty from the management and colleagues in the essence of the tasks assigned to you.
If a production “role conflict” arises, that is, a deliberate inconsistency of the requirements (for example, you were assigned to write an important report, but you were not relieved of the obligation to answer the incessant phone calls of customers), do not bring the matter to a sad ending when you have to make excuses for non-compliance one task or another. Bring up the problem of incompatibility of the cases assigned to you right away, focusing the attention of management on the fact that the business will suffer in the end, and not you personally.
When you're working hard, look for opportunities to take a short break and rest. Experience shows that two 10-15 minute periods of relaxation per day are enough to maintain a high degree of performance.
It is also helpful to remember that failures at work are rarely fatal. When analyzing their reasons, it is better to compare yourself not with a tightrope walker who does not have the right to make a mistake, but with a football forward who, out of dozens of attempts to beat defenders, turns out to be successful only one or two. but even this number is sometimes enough. To gain experience from your own mistakes is your natural right (although not written in the constitution).
Be sure to discharge your negative emotions, but in socially acceptable ways. Socially approved management of one's emotions does not consist in suppressing them, but in the ability to find suitable channels for their withdrawal or release. When in a strong annoyance, do not slam the door and do not yell at colleagues, but find ways to take out your anger on something neutral: break a couple of pencils or start tearing up old papers, which, as a rule, are available in any organization in considerable quantities. Finally, wait for the evening or the weekend and give yourself any physical activity - preferably one where you need to hit something (football, volleyball, tennis, at worst, beating carpets will do).
Try not to mix personal and business relationships, etc.
Among such recommendations for reducing the level of stress, formulated by modern managerial and psychological thought, there are quite unexpected ones that run counter to generally accepted ideas. So, for example, it is widely believed that a strong family, a “strong rear”, in which an employee attacked by work stresses, finds comfort and support, is a fairly reliable protection against stresses received at work. However, everything is not so simple. American researchers Susan W. Kobasa and Mark K. Pyusetti, who examined about two hundred employees of middle management and above in one of the large companies, recorded a strange phenomenon. It turned out that workers who perceived their families as the biggest support had the highest rates of stress-related illnesses. This fact was confirmed even in relation to those who had such a social asset as a large salary or a high position. The essence of this situation was interpreted in such a way that the families of workers do not provide them with the kind of support that is required to overcome the stresses at work. While the production situation requires them, say, discipline or mobilization of all forces, the family may maintain qualities that are not the most appropriate at such a moment - resentment towards colleagues and management, self-pity, shifting the blame onto others or circumstances, etc. . The conclusion is probably obvious: not all family support can serve as a reliable refuge from stress.
The recommendations listed above for the prevention of stress in involuntary working groups are of a fairly general nature. A specific stressful situation is always unique, since not least is determined by the individuality of the stressed person (his temperament, character, style of behavior, etc.). In addition, our susceptibility to stress at work to a large extent depends on the general life background, that is, on how successfully we are able to get out of stressful situations generated by general social, family, age and other factors. In fact, professional stress is just one of many types of stress that overcomes us. It certainly has its own specifics. But the physiological nature of stress is the same. Therefore, a person who is hardened in overcoming various life barriers and troubles must obviously cope with professional stressful situations more successfully than others.
Thus, one of the keys to success in overcoming work stress lies in general life strategy of the individual, based on the chosen basic values and taking into account the peculiarities of his personality. Since this issue is very serious, let's talk about it in more detail.
The word "stress" came into Russian from English and in translation means action, tension, effort, external influence. Stress Ozhegov S.I. and Shvedova N.Yu. Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. Russian Cultural Foundation; - 2nd ed., corrected. and additional - M .: AZ, 1995 - this is a state of increased nervous tension, overstrain caused by some strong influence. The doctrine of stress first appeared in connection with the work of the world famous Canadian physiologist G. Selye (1907 - 1982). He formulated the universal concept of stress.
At its core, stress is a way to achieve the stability of the body in response to the action of a negative factor. According to the classical definition of G. Selye, stress is a non-specific response of the organism to any demand presented to it, and this response is the tension of the organism, aimed at overcoming the difficulties that arise and adapting to the increased requirements. Modern life situations lead to a sharp increase in psychological stress on a person. An important prerequisite for the creation of the doctrine of stress was the need to solve the problem of protecting a person from the effects of adverse factors.
Further study of stress by the followers of G. Selye was devoted to the psychological mechanisms of manifestation of stress, as well as their role in the development of diseases resulting from emotional overstrain. In connection with the appearance of a large number of works on this topic, a new concept has come into science - "emotional or psychological stress".
However, stress is not just nervous tension. In humans, the most common stressor, i.e. The factor that causes stress is an emotional stimulus.
Causes of stress. The list of causes of stress is endless. International conflicts, instability of the political situation in the country, and socio-economic crises can act as stresses.
ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS. A significant part of the stress-provoking factors is related to the performance of our professional duties. We can distinguish the following organizational factors that can cause stress (see Appendix No. 1):
b overload or too little workload;
ь conflict of roles (occurs if the employee is presented with conflicting requirements);
ü uncertainty of roles (the employee is not sure what is expected of him);
ü uninteresting work (a survey of 2,000 male workers in 23 professions showed that those who have more interesting jobs show less anxiety and are less prone to physical ailments than those engaged in uninteresting work for them);
l bad physical conditions (noise, cold, etc.)
ü wrong balance between authority and responsibility;
l poor communication channels in the organization, etc.
Another group of stress factors could be called organizational and personal, since they express a person's subjective-anxious attitude to their professional activities. ORGANIZATIONAL AND PERSONAL FACTORS. German psychologists W. Siegert and L. Lang identify several typical "fears" of workers Siegert W., Lang L. "Lead without conflict" - M .: Ed. "Economics", 1990 - S. 238-239. :
fear of not being able to do the job;
o fear of making a mistake;
o fear of being passed over by others;
the fear of losing your job;
the fear of losing your own self.
ORGANIZATIONAL AND PRODUCTION FACTORS: Unfavorable moral and psychological climate in the team, unresolved conflicts, lack of social support, etc. are also stressors.
To all this "bouquet" of stresses of an organizational and production nature, problems of a person's personal life can also be added, which provide many reasons for unfavorable emotions. Trouble in the family, health problems, "mid-life crisis" and other similar irritants are usually acutely experienced by a person and cause significant damage to his stress resistance.
Thus, the causes of stress are not a special secret. The problem is how to prevent stress that affects the causes that cause it. The basic rule here suggests itself: we need to clearly distinguish stressful events that we can somehow influence, from those that are clearly not in our power. It is clear that even if an individual person can influence the crisis situation in the country or in the world, the inevitable approaching retirement age, it is very insignificant. Therefore, such events should be left alone and focus on those stressors that we can actually change.
Good day, dear readers!
In this article, we will take a look at such important questions on the topic of stress, such as: the concept of stress, causes, symptoms and development of stress, stressful situations, as well as how to relieve stress and prevent its manifestation. So…
The concept of stress
stress ( English stress)- a non-specific (abnormal) condition or reaction of the body to various adverse factors (stressors) that affect it. Among the most popular stressors are fears, conflicts, lack of funds.
Among the symptoms of stress, irritability, anger, insomnia, passivity, lethargy, dissatisfaction with the outside world and other signs are distinguished.
An interesting fact is that small stressful situations are necessary for a person, because. they are playing important role in further favorable changes in the life of the person himself. This is due to the release of adrenaline into the blood of a person during a stressful situation, as well as other biochemical reactions that help a person solve a particular task, which may last more than one year in a person’s life.
One example that vividly depicts this picture: In the 90s, one person went bankrupt in business, and in such a way that he also remained in large debts, about $ 1 million. This stressful situation forced a person to mobilize all his mental and other abilities to solve this issue. After some time, he decided to make several types of salads and offer them for sale in one of the capital's stores. His salads quickly sold out, and just a year later he supplied salads to many metropolitan supermarkets, which allowed him to repay the debt.
Another example, which is often called the "self-preservation instinct" - when a person is in mortal danger, he can solve this issue in a way that is simply impossible in a normal state.
Of course, the situations are different, and the solutions are the same, but I think, in general, you understand the picture.
In addition to the positive effects, stress can also have negative effects. When a person is constantly exposed to stressful situations, his body intensively wastes its strength (energy), which leads to its rapid exhaustion. Since all organs are in a tense state, they are more susceptible to secondary adverse factors, such as diseases.
A striking example is the situation when under stress a person falls ill, the speech apparatus is disturbed (), etc.
In addition, severe stress or a sudden stressful situation sometimes leads a person to.
Also, with strong, prolonged and frequent stress, a number of pathological changes develop, expressed in various diseases of the mental, nervous, cardiovascular, digestive, immune and other systems. The body is exhausted, weakens, loses the ability to decide or get out of a stressful situation.
Thus, scientists have established two main types of stress - eustress (positive stress) and distress ( negative stress) . We’ll talk about types later, but now let’s move on to considering the symptoms (reactions) of the body to stressful situations.
Some of the body's most common responses to stress include:
- causeless and frequent bouts of irritability, anger, dissatisfaction with the people around the person, the situation, the world;
- distrust of oneself and other people, fussiness;
- frequent desire to cry and sobs, longing, self-pity;
- lack of desire to eat, or vice versa, excessive desire to eat;
- nervous tic, non-specific desires for the patient to bite his nails, bite his lips;
- increased sweating, irritability, digestive system disorders (,), skin itching, heart palpitations, chest discomfort, breathing problems, feelings of suffocation, sharp, numbness or tingling in the limbs;
increased interest in alcohol, drugs, smoking, computer games and other things that previously people were not particularly interested.
Complications of stress
Among the complications are:
- constant insomnia and headaches;
- use of drugs, alcohol;
- disorders of the digestive system -,;
- cardiovascular diseases ( , );
- depression, hatred, suicidal desires.
There are a lot of reasons for stress, tk. each person has his own individual organism, psyche, lifestyle, therefore, one and the same factor may not affect one person at all, or have a slight effect, while another person literally becomes ill, for example, a conflict with another person. Therefore, consider the most popular causes and / or factors of stress:
— conflict situation with another person - at work, at home, with friends or even with strangers, a quarrel;
- dissatisfaction - with their appearance, the people around them, success at work, self-realization in the world, the environment (home, work), standard of living;
- a small living wage, lack of money, debts;
- a long absence of vacation and a good rest from everyday affairs, life;
- routine life with a lack or a small amount of positive emotions, changes;
- long-term chronic diseases, especially affecting the appearance, as well as diseases of relatives;
- overweight;
- the death of a relative or just a close or familiar person;
- deficiency in the body and trace elements;
- watching emotional films, or vice versa, horror films;
- problems in sexual life;
- frequent fears, especially of fatal diseases (), the opinions of other people, old age, a small pension;
- loneliness;
- excessive physical activity, or adverse environmental conditions (cold, heat, rainy weather, high or low atmospheric pressure);
- a sharp change in the environment - moving to another place of residence, changing jobs;
- hard music;
- other reasons or situations that can hook or annoy a person.
Types of stress
- By type of stimulus:
physical stress. It occurs as a result of exposure to the body of adverse environmental conditions - the sun, cold, heat, rain, radiation, etc.
biological stress. Occurs as a result of a malfunction in the work of various body systems, diseases, injuries, excessive physical activity on the body.
Psychological or mental (emotional, nervous) stress. It occurs as a result of exposure to a person of various positive or negative emotions / experiences. Most often due to social problems- money, quarrels, living conditions.
- According to the type of body reaction to a stressful situation:
Eustress. Provoked by positive emotions, experiences.
Distress. A negative form of stress, in which the body finds it difficult to cope with the problem. It is a common cause of various diseases, sometimes even fatal, such as cancer.
- By time:
short term stress. It emerges and develops rapidly. It also disappears very quickly after removal of the stressor (pathogenic factor).
chronic stress. This type of stress attacks a person from day to day, accustoming the body to being under it in such a way that the patient almost begins to believe that this is his reality, not seeing a way out. A chronic form of stress often leads a person to various complex diseases, phobias, and suicide.
Phases of stress
The development of stress occurs in three phases:
1. Mobilization. The body reacts to the stressor with anxiety and mobilizes its defenses and resources to resist the stressor.
2. Confrontation. The body resists a stressful situation, a person is actively looking for a way out of it.
3. Exhaustion. With a long duration of influence of a stress factor on a person, the body begins to deplete and becomes vulnerable to secondary threats (various diseases).
stress treatment 
How to relieve stress? Stress management includes the following:
removal of the stressor (stress factor);
- physiological procedures;
- taking calming (sedative) drugs;
- psychological correction.
1. The first thing to do to relieve stress is to remove the irritating factor, if possible. For example, change jobs, stop communicating with a conflicting person, etc. Sometimes even the red walls of your bedroom or office space can be an irritant.
2. Physiological stress relief procedures include:
- healthy sleep;
— good rest, preferably in nature;
- eating food enriched with vitamins and;
— active image life - exercise, cycling, swimming;
- relaxing baths;
- relaxing music;
- a walk in the fresh air before going to bed;
- deep, calm breathing - inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth;
- relaxing massage.
3. Medicines against stress are divided into two groups - sedatives and tranquilizers (anxiolytics).
Sedatives or drugs are aimed at calming the mental system. Among them are:
- sedatives: "Barboval", "Valerian", "Melison".
- sedatives: tea with lemon balm, tinctures (, peony), decoctions (, oregano), relaxing baths (with pine needles).
Tranquilizers (anxiolytics): Adaptol, Noofen, Tenoten.
Important! Before using drugs and other anti-stress drugs, be sure to consult your doctor!
4. The intake of vitamins has a very beneficial effect on the body, this is especially true when eating monotonous and unhealthy food, or with constant physical and mental stress. Particular emphasis should be placed on the intake of B vitamins, which a large number of found in nuts, cereals (wheat, rice, barley), black seeds, dried apricots.
5. Psychological correction. A psychologist's consultation can help you rethink your life, change your daily priorities, change your attitude towards yourself and other people. Sometimes a professional, after listening to the patient, can help make the right decision in a given situation, or teach a person to solve stressful situations on his own. In all cases, everything is individual, as we said at the beginning of the article.
I can't help but mention about prayer, because turning to God and His solutions to certain issues, including stressful situations, often go beyond understanding, and the result usually exceeds all the expectations of the person who turns to Him. Who better than the Creator is able to solve the problems of His creation and understand all of its bitterness, despair, anguish and other human problems.
To minimize the development of stress, pay attention to the following recommendations:
- lead an active lifestyle;
- Eat food enriched;
- try to find a job that you like;
- get enough sleep;
- give up alcoholic beverages do not use drugs;
- spend more time outdoors, relax in nature, not at the computer;
- limit yourself in the use of caffeine (coffee, strong black tea);
- do not watch or listen to what is unpleasant for you (movies, music, news);
- watch your child - what he reads and watches, limit him from information of a violent, otherworldly and occult nature;
- share your experiences with friends or relatives you trust;
- if you feel that you cannot or do not know how to overcome stressful situations, contact a psychologist for advice;
- Turn to the Lord and ask Him to help you overcome stressful situations.
Which doctor should I contact for stress?
- Psychologist;
- Psychotherapist.
Video about stress
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