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Workplace Management

Management of Stress at WorkPlace

Workplace
Manangement

	Manage Stess at WorkPlace
	Commit mistakes and win

In today's fast moving and technologically advanced workplace, stress and tensions are some common problems encountered by employees. Stress relates to "physiological strain reactions in the organism when exposed to various environmental stimuli called stressors". Stress is not the same for all people at all times, and different people try to manage stress in various ways. The factors causing stress or stressors can be broadly categorized as

Task/Organizational Stressors
Personal Stressors

Task/Organizational Stressors

	Task Demands
	Role Demands
	Feeling of powerlessness
	Lack of Control
	Organizational
	Structure Policies Values
	Poor working conditions
	Conflicts with colleagues and management

Personal Stressors

	Personal Problems
	Personal Problems
	Relationships
	Life Changes
	Lifestyle
	Personality
	Gender
	Age

Consequences of stress
Following can be the consequences of stress:

Psychological Consequences
         Anxiety
         Boredom
         Low Self-Esteem
         Forgetfulness
         Depression
         Anger
         Apathy
         Worry

Physical Consequences (85% of all physical illness is stress related)
         Headache
         Diabetes
         Fatigue
         Hypertension
         Chest and Back Pain
         Ulcers
         Infectious Disease

Behavioral Consequences
         Overeating - Loss of Appetite
         Smoking
         Alcohol Abuse
         Sleeping Disorders
         Emotional Outbursts
         Violence and Aggression

Organizational Consequences
         Absenteeism
         Accidents
         Job Turnover
         Low Morale
         Poor Work Relations
         Poor Organizational Climate
         Reduced Productivity

How do you manage stress?

Following these steps would help you manage stress at workplace

1.Identify you symptoms of job stress

2. Identify the causes of job stress

3. Identify how you respond to your specific Job Stressors

4. Set goals to respond more effectively to your job stressors

5. Motivate yourself

6. Develop a positive outlook

7. Know what is expected of you

8. When in conflict, negotiate

9. Pace and balance yourself

10.Know when to quit. Explore your alternatives

1. Identify you symptoms of job stress
The first step is to identify the symptoms of stress. Thoroughly examine yourself whether you are showing any of the above-mentioned symptoms. If you are, then you must be under stress.

2. Identify the causes of job stress
Try to track the causes for the stress. Identify whether the stressors are personal or organizational. Then find out the exact cause for stress.

3. Identify how you respond to your specific Job Stressors
Once you identify the job stressors try to figure out how well you can tackle with the stressors, you need to investigate how to organize yourself to better control the ways you spend your time and energies.

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4. Set goals to respond more effectively to your job stressors
Set goals and time lines, control your tempo by planning ahead, predict the amount of work you can accomplish in a given time period, and stick with decisions once you make them.

5. Motivate yourself
If you feel that you lack motivation from others, you can manage your environment by controlling what and who is around you. If possible, avoid people who cause you stress, and gain support for yourself by ending old and starting new relationships.

6. Develop a positive outlook
If you seem to have a negative attitude about the things that cause you stress, a change in your outlook may be as easy as redefining a problem. By placing the problem in a broader context, you may be able to discover its positive aspects. Try to take the negative comments in the positive sense as a driving force to improve your work.

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7. Know what is expected of you
Speak to your boss occasionally and know what is expected of you. Discuss your work with your boss and find out what are their expectations about your work.

8. When in conflict, negotiate
If you are under frequent conflict with management or colleagues sort it out by speaking to them. Colleagues will be co-operative if you discuss your problem with them and sort out their help.

9. Pace and balance yourself
Pace your work based on your potential. Maintain a balance between your work and personal life. Apart from work you need to have recreation too.

10. Know when to quit. Explore your alternatives
As a final resort after trying all the stress management techniques, you are not able to overcome stress it would be better to leave the stressful environment. Under the following situations, you can decide to quit the job.

1.You have tried all the appropriate techniques but to no avail
2.Your boss is disrespectful, disgusting and demeaning
3. You are too bored with your job and do not have any upward growth potential in it.

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