Managerial Effectiveness Managing the Self and Others

Chapter 2 : Stress Management

 Definition of Stress

+Sources of Stress

+Effects of Stress

+Strategies for Coping with Stress

+Maintaining Work-life Balance

+Spirituality and Stress Management

Chapter Summary

Stress is the body’s reaction to the external demands placed upon it by the environment. Stress can be either good or bad. Good stress creates the necessary excitement to perform an activity. This type of stress is temporary and has no long-term effects on the body. Bad stress creates an alarming reaction in the body. It affects the body’s immune system and has detrimental affects on the body over a period.

There are many sources of stress for an individual. It can be family, friends, workplace, superiors, and colleagues. The sources of stress for an individual should be identified. The effects of stress may include minor symptoms like headache, irritability, loss of concentration, loss of appetite to major symptoms like insomnia, amnesia, heart attack, ulcers etc. Stress should be identified and treated in the early stages or it could result in a burnout. A severe case or neglected case of stress leads to burnout.

Stress can be handled by practicing yoga, meditation, pranayama etc. In order to treat stress-related disorders, holistic therapies like aroma therapy, massage therapy, etc., can be very effective. Exercise, diet, and rest play a vital role in stress handling. A healthy person is better at handling stressful situations than an unhealthy person. A working person should learn to balance work and personal life to lead a happy life. This work- life balance can be achieved by giving importance to both work and personal life.

Organizations should help their employees achieve work-life balance, as this has an effect on the productivity of the organizations. Spirituality at the workplace has become a necessity in today’s world. The practice of spirituality at the workplace enables an individual to deal with stressful situations. It provides an individual with the strength to face unforeseen situations without panic. Spirituality helps a manager to deal with stress internally instead of looking for external solutions.

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