Managing stress
About Stress
Stress is a natural response to feeling threatened or fearful. When a stressful situation is encountered, the body reacts by releasing two hormones – adrenaline and cortisol – that work hard to prepare for an automatic reaction known as the fight-or-flight response.
Typical symptoms of these automated responses include heart palpitations, sweaty palms, elevated blood pressure, increased heart rate and stomach or chest pain. This is a normal physical reaction. For most, this moment will pass when the stressful situation has ended; those physical symptoms will stop.
Too much stress for too long can have a negative impact on our mental, emotional and physical health; therefore, it’s important to manage your stress levels before they harm your health long-term. It’s important to note that stress can impact all areas of your life; for instance, you may experience an ongoing stressful situation at home, and the effects of this stress might have knock-on effects on your work environment. There are ways we can influence stress levels, but it does take some focus and awareness of the situation.
Everyone experiences stress differently and the root cause of stress will vary from person to person. The following sources have been identified as stressors that may influence your everyday work-life balance:
- Physical stress: alcohol consumption, poor sleep, poor nutrition, long-term and temporary illness
- Environmental stress: poor housing or social isolation
- Emotional stress: relationship problems, peer pressure (work and social), highly expressed emotions within family home, conflicting cultural values and beliefs, leaving home, marriage or pregnancy
- Acute life events: bereavements, relationship break-ups, acute physical illness, physical violence and verbal abuse
- Chronic stress: malnutrition leading to ill health, loss of home or job, debt, prolonged use of alcohol and drugs
It is important to note that even positive events can be a source of stress, such as planning for a wedding or special birthday, having a baby, or a promotion.
Workplace Stressors
The working environment can create stressors that can be short and long term, such as: conflict with colleagues; bullying and harassment; lack of purpose or recognition; work overload; lack of resources (both human and material), lack of support and flexibility; difficult workplace relationships and office politics.
When explaining our response to stress, experts refer to our level of vulnerability to stress. Some people have a low vulnerability to stress and some people have a high vulnerability to stress. Vulnerability can be explained by factors such as coping styles, thinking style, genetics, environment, and social skills (adapted from Zubin & Spring, 1970). For example, two individuals with a similar role and similar personal situation might experience a change in job role and responsibilities differently. One person might enjoy the challenge, adapt quickly, and explore the benefits of this new change. The other person might find it more difficult to adapt; they might take longer to process the change, and see only the challenges they face.
It is important to know that people with low vulnerability to stress are not immune to stress and may experience stress at different levels.