Divorce Remedy Workshop
Stress no longer stressful!
Stress is a feeling that's created when we react to particular events. It is the body's way of rising to a challenge and preparing to meet a tough situation with focus, strength, stamina and heightened alertness. The events that provoke stress are called stressors, and they cover a whole range of situations.
Today, the impact of stress is being felt by one and all, especially by the student and working population. While lots have been said about the ways to avoid stress, the fact remains that stress, at best, can be coped with and not avoided. Be it for those engaged in education or those who are working, it is important to know the ways of handling stress in order to survive in this cut-throat competitive world.
The stress response (also called the fight or flight response) is critical in emergency situations, such as when a driver has to slam the brakes to avoid an accident. It can also be felt in long-term events, like coping with a divorce or shifting to a new neighbourhood or school that can produce a long lasting effect.
On the other hand, feeling a little stress about an examination that is coming up can motivate one to study hard. But stressing out too much over the exam can make it hard to concentrate on the material one needs to learn. Some stressful situations can have extreme impact and require special attention and care like post-traumatic stress disorder that can develop in people who have lived through an extremely traumatic event (as for example, a serious car accident, a natural disaster like an earthquake, or an assault like rape). Some people get angry and act out their stress on others, some internalise it and develop eating disorders, while some suffer from chronic illness.
Stressed out corporate sector
Moreover, jobs in corporate sectors like the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) or IT industry undoubtedly involve high levels of stress in the form of strict target deadlines, monotonous nature of job and night shifts. In order to get rid of the situation, many people take the help of the cafeteria to enjoy some beverage and snacks with their colleagues.
The physical health of IT employees is increasingly getting affected due to heavy work pressure, long hours in front of the computer and a fast-paced lifestyle. They are falling prey to depression because of high level of stress. It is estimated that 30-40% of IT professionals in Bengaluru suffer from depression and psychiatric problems and in worst cases become panicky and extremely paranoid in nature. All this happens due to the pressure to perform better than their colleagues and to meet the tight deadlines. As their work is generally target-oriented, failing on the same leads to anxiety.
Sometimes the feeling of job insecurity also leads to depression. Since IT professionals are more achievement-oriented, their social and family life often takes a backseat. There is also lack of recreational opportunities required for relaxation, which also adds up to their frustration and eventually leads to depression. However, one can avoid getting into such situations by taking out adequate time from their busy schedule to relax, to participate in recreational activities and by ensuring better sleep and a good diet.
Over the last decade or so, the corporate arena has undergone a major change. Fat pay packages, great perks, world class professional set-ups and higher job satisfaction are playing a key role in decreasing the level of stress among employees. But all this comes with an extra topping of stress, increased work pressure, and an unstable personal life. The number of lifestyle diseases and mental-health disorders among those whose lives run on deadlines is on the rise. But the corporate sector has been quick on the uptake, and an increasing number of companies are now offering psychological help to their employees in the form of counselling, workshops etc.
A survey carried out among 300 corporate workers in Delhi revealed that majority of them encounters mild to moderate stress at work. According to the employees, stress not only affects physical health, but also causes emotional disturbances, which in turn takes a toll on the overall lifestyle and social life of an individual. The prime factors for the high stress level, as pointed out by the employees, are improper lifestyle, irregular food habits, inadequate rest and lack of exercises. These factors indicate that they do not pay enough attention to their health, which leads to stress in the course of time.
Coping with stress in relationships
Relationship problems comprise another type of ‘hidden stress' that we all experience from time to time. Conflicts can arise with our spouse, parents, children, friends, co-workers, employees, bosses, and even with strangers. As common as our relationship problems are, we often misunderstand what causes them to occur. Mostly, they arise from hidden conversations and action patterns within us, and not from the behaviour or attitude of others. The problem is that we often do not notice the role we play.
In addition, most people are confused about what it takes to create happy, successful and long-term interpersonal relationships. To succeed in our relationships, we must learn to recognise and cope with the hidden relationship-destroying patterns within us. Besides, we need to know the ways to deal with similar patterns in other people as well.
Stress often affects a relationship without the people involved being aware of it. Some people like solitude when they are stressed out, but this separation can be taken as a lack of desire to socialise. Stress is one of the unspoken leading causes of relationship failures.
Few things that may unwind stress are sound sleep, regular exercise, a well balanced diet, spending time with friends and family, relaxing and massaging.
Stress on other professionals
The impact of moral stress for professions like nursing when analysed indicated some independent specific preconditions: (1) nurses are morally sensitive to the patient's vulnerability; (2) they are bound by some external factors that sometimes prevent them from doing what is best for the patient; and (3) often they feel that they have no control over the specific situation.
Stress also has its impact on those in the academic field. Teachers are usually uncomfortable to associate stress with personal weakness and professional incompetence. Admitting classroom difficulties is like admitting that they are bad teachers. They do not disclose the professional problems to their colleagues apprehending that this would be considered as an indication of their failure.
Stress levels among construction professionals are also on the rise, which is evident from their unsafe working practices, low morale and declining performance. However, no research has been done on the influence of gender on stress levels in the construction industry. This is of the fact that under representation of women here produces higher levels of stress. Moreover, it has been found although there are common sources of stress for both genders, men usually experience slightly higher levels of stress than women. Men particularly appear to suffer from stress in relation to risk taking, disciplinary matters, implications of mistakes, redundancy and career progression. For women, the factors leading to stress are opportunities for personal development, pay packages, staying updated with new ideas, business travel and the accumulative effect of minor tasks. These differences reflect women's traditional and continued subjugation in the construction industry.
Dr. Marios Kyriazis, a general physician and an expert in geriatric medicine, is among a growing number of health professionals claiming that stress is not the one-way road to illness and an early grave that most of us assume. In fact, provided it is relatively short-term, it appears that stress can do wonders for the immune system and ageing process, not to mention keeping the likes of Alzheimer's, arthritis and certain cancers at bay.
The degree of stress is a crucial factor. According to Dr Kyriazis, a lot of research has been carried out in this regard and it all points to mild and moderate stress working in the body's favour by increasing the production of regenerative proteins that nourish brain cells, enabling them to function at peak capacity. These cells reinforce the neural connections and physical repair pathways that usually deteriorate with age.
Stress, which is a part of everyone's life, helps to motivate and enhances an individual's efficiency. This is certainly a good sign. However, too much stress can be harmful. As stress factor differs from person to person, its remedy also varies for everyone. The various ways to cope with stress involves making certain changes in the lifestyle. Managing stress can help one to avoid pain and feel better and healthier.
To overcome stress, it is important to look at the brighter side of life and ideally, develop a sense of humour. One can also practice relaxation methods and be engaged in hobbies and simple pleasures that give happiness and ensure smooth running of life.
About the Author
Punyarupa Bhadury is a Lecturer at the Department of Sociology, Women's College, Calcutta.
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