Stress Management for Professionals

The primary goal of every organization is to create surplus profit. Profit is a measure of surplus of amount incurred over income over expense. To accomplish this goal effectively the management must establish an environment in which people can work productively. Productivity is an output-input ratio within a time period with due consideration for quality. In can be expressed as follows, Productivity=outputs/inputs (within a time period, quality considered) The formula indicates that productivity can be improved By increasing outputs with the same inputs. By decreasing inputs, but maintaining the same outputs By increasing outputs and decreasing inputs to change the ratio favorably Organizations use several kinds of inputs such as manpower, materials and capital. The greatest opportunity for increasing productivity is surely to be found in knowledge work itself and especially in management. In general, productivity improvement programs are mostly aimed at the worker level. Motivation and stress management play a vital role in productivity.

What is Stress?
People get sick from stress at work and the cost associated with stress is hence significant to the employer. Han Salye, probably the leading authority on the concept of stress described stress as, the role of all wear and tear caused by life. stress is associated with constraints and demands. Constraints prevent the person from doing things what he or she desires. Demand refers to the loss of something desired. Stress is the highest for the individuals who perceive they are uncertain as to whether they will win or lose and lowest for those who think that winning or losing is a certainty. if winning or losing is an unimportant outcome, there is no stress. For example, if retaining the job or earning a promotion does not hold any importance for the person, the person has no reason to feel stress over having to undergo a performance review. In short, we can define the stress as a dynamic condition in which a person deals with a situation or constraint

or demand related to his/her desire for which the outcome perceives to be both important and uncertain.

Effect of Stress
Stress affects a persons performance on different level but few important effects for a professional is as follows:

Stress Vs Performance
Stress can have various effects on the individual as well as on the organization. Clearly not only the individual suffers but the organization may also be affected by absenteeism, work related accidents, decreased creativity, performance and impaired decision making. While stress is typically discussed in a negative context, it also has positive value. It offers potential gain, for example, the superior performance that an ophthalmologist gives during a complicated surgery. Such individuals often use stress positively to rise to the occasion and perform to their maximum. And hence the productivity rises. The relationship between pressure and performance is explained in one of the oldest and most important idea is stress management, the Inverted-U relationship between pressure and performance. The invertedU relationship focuses on peoples performance of a task. The left hand side of the graph is easy to explain for pragmatic reasons. When there is very little pressure on us to carry out an important task, there is little incentive for us to focus energy and attention on it. This is particularly the case when there may be other, more urgent, or more interesting, tasks competing for attention.

From the organizations stand point, management may not be concerned when employee experience low to moderate level of stress. Such levels may lead to higher employee performance. But high levels of stress or even low levels sustained over a long period of time, can lead to reduced employee performance and thus require action by management. From the individuals standpoint even low levels of stress are likely to be perceived as undesirable. What management may consider as a positive stimulus that keeps the adrenaline running is a very likely to be seen as excessive pressure by the employee. Stress has an emotional impact on all type of organizations, regardless of whether it is a manufacturing industry or a service organization. In context of an actor, it is a major problem because it affects his performance also.

Stress affects the Brain

During the stress condition the level of glucocorticoids get increase in the blood. It impairs the hippocampus by preventing one from being able to form a new memory and retrieving an existing memory. It hinders the hippocampus by diverting the glucose levels to surrounding muscles. The hypothalamus releases a chemical messenger into the blood flowing directly

to the pituitary gland. This chemical messenger stimulates the pituitary gland to produce adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). ACTH is then released into the blood stream, where it reaches the adrenal glands. ACTH stimulates the outer layer (cortex) of adrenal glands to produce chemicals called corticoids. And corticoids help the body to acquire energy from energy stores in the body. The hypothalamus also activates the inner core (medulla) of the adrenal gland, through the sympathetic nervous system (a branch of the body's autonomic nervous system). This results in the production of epinephrine (known as adrenalin). It is epinephrine which causes most of the physiological changes that occur in the body to produce fast, short term high energy levels required in the presence of stressor.

Stress affects the Creativity

Creative and innovative thought are is at the heart of the learning organization. An organization's ability to innovate is perhaps the most important source of competitive advantage. Organizations who know how to stimulate and leverage innovative thought are able to respond more rapidly and resourcefully to market changes and customer requirements than their slower, less innovative competitors. Despite the tremendous contribution innovative thought makes to organizational survival, most organizations don't realize how they prevent such thought from being exercised in their organization. The typical high stress workplace the physiological and psychological affects of stress on the human brain and mind compromises such creativity and innovation. Studies show that when people are under stress, their thought processes narrow. This narrowing of attention, by definition, prevents divergent thinking, which is the foundation of creativity. Divergent thinking is the ability to see connections between very distantly related ideas and context. It is an important component of "thinking outside the box." When people are stressed, they are able to perceive obvious connections and associations between ideas. When people are in a positive emotional state, their ability to make more distant, novel connections and associations get

increases. Thus, stress compromises, at the most fundamental neurological level, one of the foundational skills of creativity and innovation. Organization should try to decrease the stress level that perceived as being necessary, in the sense of adapting organizational energy and/or activity, and by doing so generate sufficient impetus for subordinates to fulfill their organizational tasks and positively accept the challenges imposed on them.

Cause of Stress
The cause of stress can be classified into two groups: a) External Cause b) Internal Cause

a) External Cause:
The common external causes of stress are as below: Major life changes. Work. Relationship difficulties. Financial Problems. Being to busy. Children and family.

b) Internal Cause:
The common internal causes of stress are as below: Inability to accept uncertainty. Pessimism. Negative self-talk. Unrealistic expectations. Perfectionism.

 Lack of assertiveness

Effect of stress
Stress affects each and every dimension of personality. It affects the person physically, psychologically, emotionally and socially.

Physical Effect: Stress creates a baseline for lots of chronic and acute diseases. The common major physiological effects of stress are as follows: Hypertension Coronary heart disease Migraine, tension headache Ulcers Asthmatic conditions Chronic backaches Arthritis Allergies Skin disorders Hyperthyroidism Vertigo More frequent infections Sexual dysfunctions

Psychological Effect:On psychological level it creates some major problems which are as follows: Depressed Bored Urge to cry Urge to hide Suspiciousness Negative attitude/thoughts Loneliness

Anxious Nervous Worry Nightmares Helplessness Confusion

Behavioral Effect:Stress affects on the level of behavior also and causes the following symptoms: Eating more or less Sleeping too much or too little Isolating yourself from others Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing)

Emotional Effect:Stress affects the emotions also. An actor is generally very emotional one. So he gets affected on this level very easily and shows the following symptoms: Moodiness Irritability or short temper Agitation, inability to relax Feeling overwhelmed Sense of loneliness and isolation Depression or general unhappiness

Role of Yoga for Stress Management:Yoga is the oldest Indian science, recommended to the people to live a healthy life peacefully.

Yoga is the only science which affects all the dimensions of a personality. It affects physically, psychologically, emotionally and socially and teaches the art of living a beautiful pleasurable life. Yoga practice is basically way of living which includes the practice of psychosomatic exercises which keep the body fit and mind calm. So it proves very helpful for reducing the stress level on all the dimensions. Except reducing the stress, yoga may prove helpful for the professionals in such a ways: Increase sensibility. Increase creativity. Increase learning power. Increase Immunity. Increase concentration power & focus. Increase Physical strength & endurance. Increases the brain efficiency and creativity. Helps in buoyancy & agility. Improves strength & flexibility. Help to increase the feeling of Coordination. Help to reduce the fear & anxiety.

Amit Khanna
(M.A. in Human Consciousness & Yogic Science, P.G. Diploma in Yoga & Naturopathic Science, Expert in Acupuncture, Aromatherapy & other Alternative Medicines)

Mob-9235291945, e-mail- godsangelforuonly@gmail.com