Everything you need to know to increase efficiency and reduce stress. Stress: how to reduce stress in everyday life Learn healthier ways to manage stress

They, accumulating, lead either to neurosis, or to an inexplicable illness, or to unexpected death. Anyone who knows how to reduce stress levels is in good health and lives long.

Diagnosis: stage of exhaustion

Not everything in life goes the way we want. The emotional memory of each such failure remains in the form of repressed emotions. They keep the body under stress even when there is no real danger. The nervous system is depleted - mental deviations occur; energy resources are depleted - endless headaches, toothaches, indigestion, intestines are haunted, pressure rises. Doctors shrug: there are no reasons for illness!

Determining the level of stress

To get to the bottom of the cause will help measure the level of stress. If it is above the norm, you need to pull yourself together and pull out of the swamp of negative experiences. There are many methods that measure the acceptable level of stress, let's get acquainted with some of them.

The method of Holmes and Raz identifies about 50 negative situations, the experience of which gives long-term, constant stress. Each of them has a certain number of points according to the severity. Here are some of these situations and the strength of their effect on the psyche (in points):

• death of the closest person (spouse, child, parent) - 100;
• divorce, death of a relative, serious illness, prison - 73 - 53;
• marriage, job loss, retirement, illness of relatives - 50 - 40;
• problems at work and in intimate life, a large loan - 39 - 29;
• problems of children, change of housing, change in household habits - 28 - 15.

Analyzing his life over the past year, a person notes similar situations and summarizes their scores.

• Low level of stress (How are you? - Normal!) - 150 points. A person copes with life's problems while maintaining mental health.
• Average level (How are you? - So-so ...) - 150 - 300 points. The possibilities of the body are on the verge of exhaustion, on the horizon - a disease or a nervous breakdown.
• High level (How are you? - Worse than ever) - 300 - 400 points. Serious anti-stress treatment and restoration of already deteriorating health are needed.

The Lemur-Tessier PSM technique suggests assessing the state of one's psyche. It contains a description of over 20 stressful experiences, the frequency of which must be assessed on an 8-point system (1 - never; 2 - very rarely; 3 - quite rarely; 4 - rarely; 5 - from time to time; 6 - often; 7 - very often ; 8 - daily).

How to determine the level of stress

It is proposed to analyze how often such conditions occur:

• The sum of points 155 is a signal of mental illness; need medical help.
• Up to 100 points - the average level - something needs to be done;
• If you scored less than 100 points - everything is in order, adaptation to life is successful.

Methodology "Stress FIE" A.E. Ivanova consists of 35 similar questions that allow you to determine the physical, intellectual, emotional state. According to a five-point system, the frequency of listed events is estimated: 1 - never; 2 - rarely; 3 - sometimes; 4 - often; 5 - constantly.

Diagnosis of the level of anxiety and stress

All three methods are designed for the fact that a person himself diagnoses his condition. With indicators of "average" or "high" level, we must look for a way out of the dangerous situation into which stress drives us.

I take the blame

And there is only one way out: to admit your guilt for the inability to cope with negative emotions. Reducing stress levels must begin with work on emotional intelligence. The brain perceives information already processed by our senses, i.e. thinking is always emotionally colored. The habit of negative emotions (resentment, condemnation, contempt, irritation) generates negative thinking and behavior. Emotional intelligence is the ability to:

• regulate emotions; block negative ones and replace them with neutral or positive ones. This is a conscious volitional action, which at first occurs with effort, and over time turns into a habit. If from childhood it is not brought up, you will have to re-educate yourself.
• Understanding your own and other people's emotions means understanding the reasons for your feelings and foreseeing what a person like you can experience from a certain situation. High emotional intelligence is always a breakthrough from the narrow circle of one's selfishness to empathy and sympathy.

So, only two skills need to be mastered in order to increase your EQ - emotional intelligence. The first is control and management of emotions. Here it is necessary to carve out half an hour of quiet time in order to analyze which situations most often lead to inappropriate behavior. Let it be at first 1-2 annoying factors.

• Having written them out on paper, one should try to determine the bodily and emotional reaction to conflict situations (with sharp remarks from the wife, for example, blood rushes to the head, anger bursts and itching to hit her);
• Then we write down what we think at this time: “When she shuts up (again about my wife), now I’ll slam the door, leave and get drunk”;
• The third step is a description of my actions in this conflict: I smoke a pack of cigarettes, turn on the TV at full volume and fall asleep under it, lonely and unwanted.
• Finally, we write how we would like to resolve this conflict: for example, remembering something good, say calmly: “Well, why are you like this? Do you remember how we took care of each other?

Now, when the goal is defined, and you know how you want to behave, you should try to act in this situation in accordance with this goal. At first it will be difficult and unusual; with the first success, strength will be added for further work on oneself.

Stress at the level of the body exercise

The second sign of high EQ is the habit of accepting people as they are, recognizing their right to do things that we don’t like, forgiving and forgetting insults, and coming to the aid of everyone who asks for it. You need to start with the ability to listen and hear.

Listening means not being distracted by your own thoughts and not interrupting with your remarks while the interlocutor is sharing something with us. To hear is to try to understand what feelings and motives are behind the words, so as not to tactlessly touch the painful strings of the soul of another person.

All these qualities do not come by themselves, but are acquired through purposeful action. And again: with each victory over oneself, strength is added and painful reactions go away.

What is an anti-stress formula

Whether we like it or not, our body reacts to negative emotions and memories as if they were real stressful situations. Hormones are released, fats are burned, the amount of sugar increases, blood pressure rises - a state of constant alert. With proper nutrition, the costs of the body for an emergency are replenished, and a person is able to withstand stress for many years without compromising health. The anti-stress formula is vitamins for stress and foods that reduce arousal. They allow you to stay afloat in difficult times.

Vitamins. They must be taken frequently (every 3-4 hours) to ensure a constant presence in the body, preferably with milk, thereby replenishing protein reserves. In the most difficult time, you need to use:

• Ascorbic acid - 500 mg at a time. It speeds up the production of the stress hormone cortisone, which triggers protective reactions in a situation of danger. Vitamin C also removes all decay products from the body. The need for it during stress increases several tens of times!
• Vitamins B2 and B6 - 2 mg each at a time. They protect the cortisone-producing adrenal glands from exhaustion.
• Pantothenic acid - 100 mg per dose. This acid is involved in the work of the adrenal glands, pituitary gland; its deficiency is a real disaster for the body under stress.
• Vitamins A, D, E - according to the instructions for use.

Anti-stress foods help to restore strength during a period of exhaustion. These include:

• pork liver,
• wheat bran,
• yeast,
• kidney,
• leafy greens.

Instrument stress level

So, in order to live freely and joyfully, have a low level of stress and be healthy, you need to change your attitude towards people, yourself and your body.

Stages of stress: how do they manifest themselves?

Absolutely all people, regardless of age, gender and professional activity, are subject to stress. It flows the same for everyone. Therefore, speaking in general terms, we can distinguish 3 stages of stress. This:

The main cause of psychological stress is the frequent impact of negative factors on the body, which are perceived by a person as dangerous and he cannot adequately respond to them. In this case, “negative factors” mean any actions of people around, unforeseen circumstances (illness, DPT, etc.), mental and physical overwork, etc.

The fight against stress should begin at the first stage. Since frequent emotional stress can affect all processes in the body, which leads to the development of various diseases.

When a person is stressed, his blood pressure begins to rise, his heart rate increases, and there are problems with digestion and sexual life. Therefore, it is very important to know at what stage stress begins and how it manifests itself.

Stage I - anxiety

The first stage in the development of stress is anxiety. It is characterized by the production of specific hormones by the adrenal glands (adrenaline and norepinephrine), which prepare the body for the upcoming defense or flight. They greatly affect the functioning of the digestive and immune systems, as a result of which a person during this period becomes more vulnerable to diseases of various kinds.

Most often, during the development of the first stage of emotional stress, it is the digestive system that suffers, since a person experiencing anxiety either begins to constantly eat or refuses to eat food at all. In the first case, the walls of the stomach are stretched, the pancreas and duodenum experience a strong load. As a result of this, malfunctions occur in their work, which leads to an increased production of digestive enzymes by them, which “corrode” them from the inside.

In the second case (when a person refuses food), the stomach itself suffers greatly, since the “material” for processing does not get into it, and the production of gastric juice continues. It also leads to damage to the mucous membranes of the organ, which contributes to the development of peptic ulcers.

The main symptoms of the development of this stage of stress are as follows:

• depression;
• aggressiveness;
• irritability;
• sleep disturbance;
• the constant presence of a feeling of anxiety;
• weight loss or gain.

If situations leading to stress are quickly resolved during this period, then the first stage passes on its own. But if it drags on for a long time, the body "turns on the mode" of resistance, after which it is exhausted.

II stage - resistance

After the first phase of stress, stage II of the emotional state begins - resistance or resistance. In other words, the body begins to adapt to environmental conditions. A person has strength, depression disappears and he is again ready for exploits. And speaking in general terms, at this stage in the development of stress, it may seem that a person is absolutely healthy, his body continues to function normally, and his behavior is no different from normal.

During the period of body resistance, almost all signs of psychological stress disappear.

However, it is worth noting that the possibilities of the body are not endless. Sooner or later, prolonged exposure to a stressor will make itself felt.

III stage - exhaustion

In the event that the stressful effect on the body lasts for a very long time, after the second stage of stress development, phase III begins - exhaustion.

In its clinical picture, it is similar to the first stage. However, in this case, further mobilization of the body's reserves is impossible. Therefore, we can say that the main manifestation of the “exhaustion” phase is actually a cry for help.

Somatic diseases begin to develop in the body, all signs of a psychological disorder appear. With further exposure to a stressor, decompensation occurs and severe diseases develop, which can even cause death.

Decompensation in this case manifests itself in the form of a deep depression or a nervous breakdown. Unfortunately, the dynamics of stress at the stage of "exhaustion" is already irreversible. A person can get out of it only with the help of outside help (medical). The patient needs to take sedatives, as well as the help of a psychologist who will help him overcome difficulties and find a way out of this situation.

Stress is a dangerous thing that can lead to the development of severe psychological diseases. Therefore, it is very important even at the initial stages of its manifestation, to learn how to deal with it on your own.

1. Death of loved ones.

3. Dismissal from work.

4. Failures of loved ones.

5. Getting married.

7. Retirement and others.

4. Causes of stress and its reduction

4. Causes of stress and its reduction

In addition to unmanageable conflicts, excessive stress negatively affects the organization. The leader must learn to neutralize them. Stress (from the English stress - “stress”) is a state of stress that occurs under the influence of strong influences. This is a non-specific reaction of the body to the demands placed on it. Stress is an adaptive response mediated individual differences and (or) psychological processes, which occurs as a result of the influence of the environment, circumstances or events that place excessive psychological and (or) physical demands on a person.

People vary greatly in their tolerance for stress. The most vulnerable are the strongest and the weakest. The reaction of the former is dominated by anger, the reaction of the latter by fear, and both of these emotions are destructive to health. People of the so-called intermediate types are better equipped to withstand stress. Their reactions are more healthy, they are able to dose stress, accepting the inevitable and avoiding the excess.

Physiological signs of stress are ulcers, hypertension, migraine, heart pain, heart attack. Psychological signs: depression, irritability, loss of appetite.

Stress reduces the quality of life of workers and the efficiency of their work, therefore, it is costly for the organization. Different factors can cause stress, they can be combined into two groups: organizational factors that are associated with work in an organization, and personal factors associated with a person’s personal life, his characteristics.

1. Overload or underload of an employee, which leads to the accumulation of physical and mental fatigue, increased dissatisfaction, and a sense of material loss.

2. The dynamism of events, the need for quick decision-making.

3. Critical circumstances or risk in decision making.

4. Constant rush. There is no time to stop, to delve deeply into the problem, to make an informed decision so as not to return to the same issue. Hence - dissatisfaction with oneself, irritation.

5. Contradictory or vague demands from the manager or different managers.

6. Inconsistency of the norms and values ​​of the individual with the norms and values ​​of the group, the realization of one's insolvency.

7. Uninteresting, routine work, lack of prospects. Hence - the feeling of uselessness, the inability to realize their production and creative potential.

8. Major changes at work, in the organization.

9. Poor working conditions: noise, low lighting, stuffiness, deviations in temperature.

1. Death of loved ones.

3. Dismissal from work.

4. Failures of loved ones.

5. Getting married.

6. The appearance of a new family member.

7. Retirement and others.

So, the level of excessive stress must be reduced. This process should be managed by both managers and employees themselves.

Self-management, the rational use of your time, helps to avoid or reduce the level of stress. For example, setting personal and professional goals, prioritizing work, delegating tasks. In addition, you need the ability to prove to the manager your opinion regarding your workload, conflicting requirements, and the content of the work. And, of course, you need to be able to relax, recuperate, lead healthy lifestyle life, keep fit. The body's resistance to stress increases regular and nutritious nutrition, vitamins, herbal remedies, nutritional supplements, sports, breathing exercises, meditation.

Stress in organizations: its nature and causes, methods of reducing stress in modern organizations

Characteristics, essence of stress, its occurrence and types. Causes of stress, the impact of stress on the performance of staff. Prevention of stress at work. Short-term (acute) and long-term (chronic) stress, their prevention.

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On the topic: "Stress in organizations: its nature and causes, methods of reducing stress in modern organizations"

Chapter 1. Characteristics of stress, its occurrence and types

1.1 Essence and types of stress

Chapter 2

On the threshold of the XXI century. humanity is actively developing the World Ocean, the polar regions of the planet, mountains, often encountering the impact of extreme conditions of life, i.e. with stress. It is known that in this case, both psychological stresses and the requirements of the physiological stability of a person increase sharply. Almost everyone has experienced stress in their lives, and stress is often talked about these days.

The increased (especially in the second half of the 20th century) urgency of the problem of protecting a person from the effects of adverse environmental factors can be considered a prerequisite for the emergence and wide spread of the doctrine in stress.

Stress is multifaceted in its manifestations. It plays an important role in the occurrence of not only mental disorders of a person or a number of diseases of internal organs. It is known that stress can provoke almost any disease. In this regard, there is now a growing need to learn as much as possible about stress and how to prevent and overcome it.

However, this does not mean that stress is only evil, a disaster, but also the most important tool for training and hardening, because stress helps to increase the body's resistance, trains its forbidden mechanisms. Stress is our true ally in the ongoing adaptation of the body to any changes in our environment.

In this regard, the study of the biological foundations of stress and the elucidation of the mechanisms of its occurrence and development is of paramount importance. - Stress causes changes in the physiological reactions of the body, which may not go beyond normal conditions, but in some cases become quite strong and even damaging. Therefore, a correct understanding of the positive and negative aspects of stress, their adequate use or prevention play an important role in maintaining human health, creating conditions for the manifestation of its creative capabilities, fruitful and effective distribution in everyday life and work of a person makes it advisable to familiarize a wide range of people with various aspects of the problem of stress

1. Characteristics of stress, its occurrence and types

1.1 Essence and types of stress

Stress is a psychological state of a person in which he feels intense tension and suffering. Stress significantly reduces the efficiency of a person’s work, so it is important for a manager to create such working conditions in which his employees will feel calm and confident. Stress directly or indirectly increases the cost of achieving business goals.

The phenomenon of "stress" last years so firmly settled in people's lives that, unfortunately, for many it has become almost a habit. Stress at home, at work, at home, in communication with others, etc. Any changes in life (holidays, marriage, divorce, dismissal, job change), emotional conflict, fear, fatigue, physical trauma, diseases and surgeries can act as stress factors. Such events in life (even positive ones) force us to adapt to new circumstances and, accordingly, can threaten with stress. The effect of these phenomena (stressors) is gradually summed up and accumulated, the greater their number at a certain point in time, the higher the level of stress.

Whatever the stressors, almost all of them lead to the same response - the general adaptation syndrome, which, in turn, includes 3 stages: mobilization, resistance and exhaustion. What does each of them represent?

Anxiety occurs in response to a stressor. This reaction prepares the body for immediate action. As a result, the heart rate increases, blood pressure rises, and digestion slows down. When the immediate danger has passed, the stage of resistance begins.

During the resistance stage, stress is reduced to a lower but more sustainable level. During this period, we have an increased and long-lasting ability to endure the effects of stressors. However, if the stress level stays high enough for too long, the exhaustion stage sets in.

Severe stress causes a significant loss of energy and creates physiological conditions under which the ability to resist stressors is reduced. At the stage of exhaustion, the immune system weakens, and various diseases may occur during this period.

As you know, stress does not always bring only harm. Under moderate stress, the human mind and body function most efficiently. In science, there is even a term "eustress" (translated from Greek - "good" or "real"). It makes the body ready for the optimal mode of operation. Meanwhile, a high level of stress can remain a positive factor only for a very short time. The most striking example of eustress is the state of an athlete before a competition or an artist before going on stage.

But the very phenomenon that has a harmful effect on our body is called distress. Its essence is as follows: when the stress of the same athletes or artists reaches such a high level that their performance suffers as a result, then it is he who is to blame. At least once in a lifetime, each of us had to be his hostage. For example, a school or student exam or the state before it, when it seems that you don’t remember anything, you don’t know and absolutely everything that was known before was forgotten. After the stressful situation is over, thoughts return to their places again, and you involuntarily have to be surprised, it turns out that we all know, we can and we can.

Each of us has its own optimal level of stress, which is determined by hereditary and other factors. Different people react to stress in their own way: someone absorbs an incredible amount of food, others lose their appetite, others suffer from insomnia, and some, on the contrary, fall asleep on the go. Severe stress necessarily signals us with some sensations. The only problem is that sometimes we do not want or do not notice these very signals and, alas, do not do anything that could help us overcome the crisis situation and prevent another blow to our health.

Stress can be divided into:

emotionally positive and emotionally negative;

· short-term and long-term or, in other words, acute and chronic;

Physiological and psychological. The latter, in turn, are divided into informational and emotional.

Stress can be emotionally negative and emotionally positive. For example, such joyful events as a wedding or the victory of your favorite team are also, in fact, stress factors that cause a storm of emotions and an adrenaline rush. In the case of emotionally positive stress, the stressful situation is short-lived and can be controlled, usually in these cases there is nothing to fear: your body will be able to quickly rest and recover after an explosion in the activity of all systems. True, there are facts when strong positive emotions in people with poor health led to serious consequences, up to strokes and heart attacks, but these are still unique cases and we will not discuss them. Speaking of "fighting stress", "consequences of stress", we mean the emotionally negative type of stress.

Distinguish between short-term (acute) and long-term (chronic) stress. They affect health in different ways. Long-term has more severe consequences.

Acute stress is characterized by the speed and suddenness with which it occurs. The extreme degree of acute stress is shock. In the life of every person there were shocking situations.

Shock, acute stress almost always turn into chronic, long-term stress. The shock situation has passed, but the memories of the experience come back again and again.

Long-term stress is not necessarily the result of acute stress, it often arises due to seemingly insignificant factors, but constantly acting and numerous (for example, job dissatisfaction, strained relationships with colleagues and relatives, etc.).

Physiological stress occurs as a result of direct impact on the body of various negative factors (pain, cold, heat, hunger, thirst, physical overload, etc.)

Psychological stress is caused by factors that act by their signal value: deceit, resentment, threat, danger, information overload, etc.

Emotional stress takes place in situations that threaten human security (crimes, accidents, wars, serious illnesses, etc.), his social status, economic well-being, interpersonal relationships (loss of work, family problems, etc.).

Information stress occurs during information overload, when a person who bears great responsibility for the consequences of his actions does not have time to make the right decisions. Informational stresses are very frequent in the work of dispatchers, operators of technical control systems.

1.2 Causes of stress

There are various theories regarding the causes of stress. Change is the main cause of stress. Any change, even positive, upsets the balance; which we support in our environment. In this regard, some employees find themselves in such a stressful situation that they are even forced to leave their jobs.

Sources of stress are both external and internal.

External sources of stress and anxiety include: moving to a new place of residence, changing jobs, death of a loved one, divorce, everyday troubles associated with money problems, fulfilling obligations by a certain date, disputes, family relationships, lack of sleep.

Internal sources of stress and anxiety include: life values ​​and beliefs, loyalty to a given word, self-esteem.

Symptoms may gradually increase or appear suddenly, within a few minutes. Panic attacks are usually short-lived, occurring in the form of emotional outbursts, accompanied by feelings of terror and bodily reactions such as increased heart rate and sweating. Generalized anxiety usually develops gradually and is usually not the direct result of any particular causeless fear (phobia). The two main signs of stress and anxiety are uncontrollable anxiety and restlessness. Symptoms may also include muscle tension, fatigue, irritability, impatience, insomnia or sleep disturbances, and difficulty concentrating. Stress and anxiety can lead to panic attacks, which are characterized by pain or discomfort in the chest, rapid heartbeat, labored, shallow breathing, feeling short of breath, choking, chills or fever, trembling, nausea, abdominal pain, numbness, or tingling sensation in the limbs.

Here are the main symptoms:

loss of sense of humor

a sharp increase in the number of cigarettes smoked,

with a simultaneous addiction to alcoholic beverages,

Loss of sleep and appetite

- sometimes possible, the so-called "psychosomatic" pain in the head, back, stomach,

- complete absence of sources of joy.

If a person is in a state of extreme stress, then he will react to the situation on the basis of "fight or flight". The "flight" syndrome manifests itself when a person tries to get away from a threatening situation. The "battle" response allows you to adapt to the new environment.

Not a single person manages to avoid stress, so they become dangerous only if they turn out to be too long.

Some management professionals believe that stress can also have a positive connotation, since it can be caused by a difficult new situation that will give impetus to mobilize all forces to solve it or open new stage in human development.

In a stressful state, a person shows signs of anxiety and confusion, but then his behavior becomes either defensive in relation to the causes of stress, or attacking.

There are several signs of stress that are common to most people:

inability to concentrate on work;

Unnaturally fast or slow speech

frequent headaches, pain in the stomach, which do not have an organic cause;

Increased excitability and resentment;

abuse of bad habits;

Loss of sense of humor

Constant feeling of hunger or its absence.

These symptoms may appear individually, but their appearance can lead to serious problems (nervous breakdown) that can permanently put an employee out of working condition. The manager should be attentive to his immediate subordinates in order to prevent undesirable consequences.

Recently, stress in the workplace has been increasingly associated with performance and productivity. The American National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) defines work-related stress as "harmful emotional and physical responses resulting from work that does not match the abilities, resources, or needs of workers." NIOSH estimates that 75% of workers perceive their work as stressful and 25% as the most stressful factor in their lives.

Recent studies have shown that work-related stress leads to a dramatic increase in diseases such as coronary insufficiency and a host of mental and physical impairments. and their risk of developing cardiovascular disease. After studying 7,000 civil servants, both male and female, the researchers concluded that employees at the middle and lower levels of the hierarchy are more likely to develop feelings of helplessness in combination with heart disease. They concluded that “greater attention to the design of the work environment could be one important way to reduce health impairments.” Other studies have linked workplace stress to a weakened immune system, high blood pressure, hormonal imbalances, mood swings, severe depression, insomnia, indigestion, excessive anxiety, frustration and anger, as well as workplace violence and accidents. drug or alcohol abuse and "burnout". It is clear that any of these violations or a combination of them can lead to poor work quality and, as a result, to a decrease in labor productivity.

Factors Contributing to Work-Related Stress Researchers group the causes of work-related stress as follows:

Exclusion from the decision-making process and hence the feeling of lack of control over work;

Poor communication with little or no feedback total absence in relation to the results of work;

• widespread ambiguity regarding the distribution of roles;

a feeling of unfairness of the reward system;

Lack of job security;

the difficulty of adapting to new technology;

chronic defect or processing;

an unpleasant or hostile work environment;

a negative social environment and

Responsibility for making decisions concerning life and death.

While each of these factors has received considerable attention in the stress management literature, it must be emphasized that individuals respond differently to the same stimuli or stress factors. It is the responsibility of management to be aware of these factors, to know if they exist within their own organizations and what impact they have on employees.

2. Work and stress and ways to reduce it

2.1 Impact of stress on performance

stress performance prevention chronic

At modern man stress occurs most of all due to overload at work, when he tries to do everything as best as possible, but then his strength dries up and despite his efforts, he works worse and worse.

Causes of stress at work:

There are many causes of occupational stress. These include both organizational factors and personal characteristics of each person.

In general, stress in organizations is directly related to activities at work. About 60% of people are afraid of their leaders, especially if their bosses are too authoritarian and do not give any support. Stress at work also occurs when you are overworked. For example, when two workers work hard for four. Or when too much information falls upon a person.

Lack of rewards, vague boundaries of duties and powers do not have very good imprints on the nervous system.

Another stressor is the level of engagement. If a person does not like his work, if it does not arouse interest, then this leads to constant dissatisfaction and the accumulation of negative experiences.

Routine work can also lead to stress, so you need to diversify it somehow.

Stress at work can also be related to communication. If someone does not get along well with other employees, this leads to discomfort and tension.

The following factors can also lead to stress in the organization:

Poor room lighting, noise, poor ventilation, uncomfortable workplace.

Of the personal factors, the most significant are the low level of stress resistance, perfectionism, choleric temperament, and poor adaptation. As well as problems in other areas of life that a person transfers to work.

Of course, work is stressful. Especially when you are working on a serious project, and suddenly the computer turns off when you stay after a working day, to finish the work for colleagues who have gone on vacation, when employees and the boss do not allow you to live in peace, and so on.

Not all stress is bad though. Positive stress improves work performance. Established project deadlines stimulate and organize. Adrenaline, released before the oral report, allows you to speak more emotionally, and the report sounds livelier. Positive stress provides a sense of satisfaction by making work fun.

The duration of stress should be taken into account. Too much stress leads to increased fatigue, depression and reduced productivity. Short-term stress, such as an interview, interview, report, or negotiation, improves presentability.

Thus, you need to find that comfortable individual level of stress, and not eliminate stress altogether. If there is no stress at all, interest in work will be lost, concentration will decrease and motivation will disappear. When the stress is very strong, there is no need to talk about the result. And so the optimal level of stress is individual for everyone.

A study by the insurance company St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Co., shows that problems at work are the main cause of health complaints. Even more than material problems or troubles in the family. Although stress is a normal part of any work activity, some people begin to associate the concepts of stress and work.

Based on data from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the first warning signs of work overload are: headaches, sleep disturbances, difficulty concentrating, short temper, indigestion, dissatisfaction with the work done, and a depressed mood.

There are several views on the root cause of stress.

One of the points of view highlights personal characteristics. Individuality of characters and, therefore, ways of coping with stress determines a person's susceptibility to stress. What causes great stress for one person may not even seem like a problem for another.

On the other side Scientific research prove that certain working conditions cause stress in almost all types of personalities. Among them: increased workload, long hours of work, infrequent and irregular breaks, routine work that does not contribute to the manifestation of the individual qualities of the employee; a certain style of personnel management, lack of friendly communication and a hostile atmosphere, lack of emotional support, conflicts, unjustified hopes, too much responsibility, uncertainty about the future, insufficient opportunities for promotion; uncomfortable and even dangerous environments, uncomfortable indoor temperature and humidity, air pollution, noise, crowds and ergonomic problems.

Thus, stress at work arises both from the personal characteristics of the employee and the working conditions provided.

Stress at work leads to a deterioration in the condition and well-being. In addition to sleep disturbances, mood swings, indigestion and headaches, problems communicating with your family and friends, constant stress worsens the course of chronic diseases such as peptic ulcer stomach and duodenum, diseases of the cardiovascular system, various hormonal disorders, psychological conditions.

Deteriorating health leads to more sick leaves, so organizing working conditions with minimizing the effects of stress at work is the task of the employer. And each of the employees, in turn, assessing their capabilities, determines whether such work suits them or not. Favorable working conditions and good results this is mandatory: recognition of the merits of each employee individually, an opportunity for career growth, encouragement of initiative and worthy material remuneration of the employee.

Most companies in the US have stress management programs designed specifically for their employees. Improving working conditions along with individual programs on stress management are the basis for preventing the consequences of stress overload at work.

2.2 Prevention of stress at work

No matter how much a person loves his work, no matter how amazing diligence he possesses, he will still have to face chronic fatigue syndrome caused by stress. Most of the stress a person receives in the service. And even if outwardly everything points to a different reason for the uncomfortable state, one should not blame relatives and friends, as well as the weather and other circumstances. First you need to understand what stress is, what are its manifestations and how to deal with them.

Everyone in their workplace can experience professional stress. In some cases, it is even useful. Stress at work mobilizes the worker, increases his efficiency. But with severe or chronic stress, the consequences are not very favorable. Such an employee begins to experience constant tension, excitement, anxiety. And this is reflected not only in the level of his productivity, but also in his physical and emotional health. Therefore, it is important to learn how to manage stress at work.

Prevention of stress at work is essential. It is much easier to prevent stress than to work with the consequences of exposure to stressful situations in the future.

In order to withstand the psychological stress and not become a victim of professional stress (namely, this is what experts call the condition associated with situations that arise at work), it is necessary first of all to “know the enemy by sight”. After all, the consequences of stress can be very serious. The resulting tension spoils life and harms health, affects professional success and interpersonal relationships. Of course, you are unlikely to be able to completely avoid stressful influences, but you can minimize them, learn how to respond to them correctly and not allow them to significantly affect your life.

You can find out in advance that a stressful state is close. Stress warning signs include the following:

More often than usual, troubles follow, forgetfulness (in which pocket the keys were put), in transport it seems that there are more people than always, and the crush is especially unbearable. Getting to the place of work by car, the previously resourceful and dexterous driver begins to get lost in the traffic, and traffic jams seem to be simply never-ending. At work, he does not cope with tasks within the deadlines set by his superiors, because of this he is late for pre-arranged meetings, or even does not come to them at all. It becomes difficult to make a decision, and all colleagues become enemies. Plus, relatives note fatigue and a doomed look.

The approach of stress can be stopped.

The first steps to deal with stress are obvious. You need to relax, change the environment. First of all, stop staying at work longer than usual. Try to organize your working day so that there is enough time for everything. Today you need to deal only with those things that need to be completed on time. The rest of the cases can either not be started at all, or limited to developing a concept, outlining a plan for subsequent actions. Staying at work after a working day is not only seriously tiring, but, as a rule, drastically reduces performance. As a result, this not only does not change for the better, but rather worsens. After work, it’s better not to go home right away, but to meet with an old friend, talk somewhere over a cup of coffee. On weekends, it is most useful to go somewhere out of town to switch and get some fresh air. If you feel the need for specialist help, you can go to a counseling psychologist. Together with him try to find out the cause of stress. There are usually several reasons for these, and they are all related to work. The fear of losing her is very unnerving. Most often, such feelings appear due to age or due to the dissatisfaction of the authorities. Often the cause of stress is the monotony of work and the inability to change anything. Many people cannot properly combine work and personal life, completely devoting themselves to only one thing, more often the first. Experts sometimes advise changing jobs. But in today's circumstances, this is not an option. This means that we must try to correct the situation within the framework of the circumstances that life itself offers us.

You can consider several options for how you can cope with an increasingly deteriorating state of mind at work. As mentioned above, a lot depends on feeling unwell and how it is explained. For example, it seems to an employee that official duties are boring, that there are no career prospects, and he hardly forces himself to move towards the office every morning. In a word, "burned out". And this is the main reason for all the discomfort. What should be done in this case? And what if you try to find some new, interesting approach to your work. Maybe go to the authorities with some kind of non-standard proposal that will stir up the entire organization? There is one more aspect. Why not look at yourself with different eyes? Go to the gym, go shopping. This will return good health and self-confidence, and there, perhaps, the work will not seem so boring and tedious. Stop eating at lunchtime some dubious products from street stalls. It is better to keep dried fruits, bananas, apples, crispbread in the desktop drawer. Do not abuse coffee. It sucks all the energy and undermines the immune system. It would be nice to swap the terms of the working day. What he used to start with is better to “hide” somewhere in the middle of the day, and prepare some creative activity for the first half of the day.

Now let's turn to another stressful situation. The employee is really overworked. Little by little, panic begins to haunt him, fear that sooner or later he will not cope with it. What to do in this case? You can try to organize your work day in a different way. It is well known that 20% of efforts give 80% of results. The other 80% is just 20%. From this follows the first rule of the organization of the working day. To begin with, analyze the actions, and understand why there is not enough time. And there is enough time because a lot of it was spent on insignificant things. Therefore, the first step is to distribute tasks in order of importance. To do this, it would be good to know at what time human body the most active.

If a person is a "lark" and is not disposed to a long sleep, then one should use the time from 6 o'clock in the morning. This period is very suitable for vigorous activity. The next productive periods in the day are from 10 am to 11 am, from 2 pm to 4 pm and at 6 pm. At 9 a.m., the blood circulation peaks in the body, and at 11 a.m., the heart beats fastest. All this contributes to fruitful work. But at 12 o'clock it is best to have a second breakfast. From 2 to 4 pm, blood circulation again reaches its peak, and you can again set yourself the most difficult tasks. But at 17 o'clock, it is better to eat again, otherwise the state of health will begin to deteriorate sharply.

Undoubtedly, all these parameters are conditional, and each organism also has individual characteristics that need to be noticed throughout life. But for almost all people it is useful to observe two rules: do not eat after 9 pm and do not work after one in the morning. It will not bring the body anything but harm.

By organizing the working day in accordance with the energy fluctuations of the body, it contributes to the easy fulfillment of the amount of work that seemed difficult before. And the ground for a stressful situation will disappear by itself. Instead of fatigue, work will bring satisfaction and contribute to a good mood.

Here are ways to prevent stress:

Attitude at work:

1. Seminars, trainings, role-playing games, which are aimed at increasing stress resistance, the ability to cope with unforeseen circumstances.

2. Trusting relations of employees with each other, a friendly team, the opportunity to talk with colleagues about what worries them.

3. Production gymnastics, musical break or tea drinking, as well as cooperative field trips.

4. The ability to tell the manager about what worries you.

Personal attitude to work:

1. Ability to plan activities.

It is very important in order not to waste your time, to plan it correctly, set priorities, and do only what is really important right now.

2. Work only during business hours

Work was created for work, and the house - for relaxation and communication with the family. following this important rule.

3. Ability to say no

If there are new assignments, but it’s hard to handle, it’s better to refuse. You should only do your job.

4. Search for your favorite thing

If you don't like the job, you can find a new one. It is worth understanding "What you really like."

5. Stop chasing money. Money is not an end, but a means. Better understand the true reason for the lack of finance. Engage in personal growth.

The state of stress in a person is as old as the person himself. Everyone is subject to stress - from a newborn to an infirm old man.

Stress is not only evil, not only trouble, but also a great blessing, because without stress of a different nature, our life would look like some kind of colorless and joyless vegetation.

Activity is the only way to end stress: you can’t sit it out and you won’t oversleep it.

A constant focus on the brighter sides of life and on actions that can improve the situation, not only preserves health, but also contributes to success. Nothing discourages more than failure, nothing encourages more than success.

You can cope with stress, you just need a desire and some free time for yourself. Another thing is that there is no desire - it’s just a pleasure for a person to realize that he is under stress, telling and “complaining” to everyone about how deep stress he is, probably looking for sympathy, understanding in this. If there is a desire and some free time, then the methods of overcoming stress described above are very effective. Starting with relaxation (2-3 times a day, remember), gradually he can master auto-training, meditation, which over time will enter your life as something integral. Go in for sports, hobbies, etc.

If there is a desire, but there is no time, among other things, self-hypnosis will help you - just think about the beautiful, that everything is fine with you ...

1. "Protection from stress. Work with the subconscious" Sandomirsky Mark Evgenievich, 2009.

2. Ababkov, V.A. Adaptation to stress / V.A. Ababkov, M. Perret. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 2009. - 210p.

In our age of high speeds and a large amount of information, stress becomes a commonplace for us and we no longer notice it. Sometimes we don’t even know that we are experiencing stress. The direct impact of stress on our psychological state has already been proven. In recent years, the number of people with psychological disorders has been rapidly increasing and already about 50% of the adult population suffers from one condition or another, and stress plays a direct role in this.

Stress is a state of emotional and physical tension that occurs in certain situations that are characterized as difficult and uncontrollable.

Stress, speaking scientific language, is the physical, mental, emotional and chemical reaction of the body to something that frightens a person, annoys him or threatens him.

Stress, in fact, for us can be any life situation that takes us out of balance. The causes of stress can be very different, from a not very pleasant conversation with a manager at work and an unsuccessful purchase to an immediate threat to the life and death of a loved one. Any changes in life to which we have to adapt are already immediate stress.

The inability to cope with stress, relax and switch leads to the fact that a person uses readily available methods to solve these problems, such as alcohol, junk food, cigarettes, etc. Stress has been proven to have a direct impact on our physiological health. In a state of stress, biochemical mechanisms are launched in our body, which include survival mode functions. For example,due to stress our body , which later can be used as a reserve force for survival, hormones such as stucco, cortisol and many others also begin to be released into the body.

Exposure to stress leads to a weakening of the body, making a person more vulnerable to disease.

How to reduce stress and make your life more peaceful and happy:

Acceptance and gratitude- we often do not accept what is happening to us, and resist change, it seems to us that life is an evil rock that haunts us. We do not see all sides of what is happening to us, and we are angry at our fate. It is worth considering that if you left 5 minutes late and are late for work, this is not the end of the world, but it is pointless to be nervous about what has already happened and what you cannot control. No matter how you hurry, you should find a crossing, and not run across the Moscow Ring Road. Accepting any situation and finding the positive in it will help you become more flexible and stable. Thank yourself and others for every day you live!

positive attitude- you often hear that thoughts are material and the more positive and better they are, the less stressful and pleasant our life becomes. Therefore, think positive, listen to pleasant music, sing your favorite songs, go to karaoke, read interesting books. Less negative news from TV and newspapers that push you to stress and negativity.

Doing what you love Find time for hobbies and everything that makes you happy. Switching and resting always helps in reducing stress. Or maybe you should think about whether your work brings you pleasure? After all, we spend a significant part of our lives on it.

Sports- physical exercises give our body a charge of vivacity and endorphins (hormone of joy) - this helps to reduce stress, it can also help with this cold and hot shower! Swimming, walking in the park, fitness - for all this Take the time to take care of yourself and your health.

Rest- take a short break, relax in silence, listen to relaxing music, and massage, yoga, and meditation are also perfect.

Proper nutrition - Food is an integral part of our life and our condition depends on its quality and quantity. Choose the most optimal nutrition for you, give up junk food and sugary drinks. By choosing healthier and more natural foods, you become healthier and more cheerful. And in this state, you easily adapt to stress.

Relationships“When Bob has problems with everyone, the main problem is usually Bob himself.” (

How to lower stress levels? - this question is becoming more and more relevant at the present time. The constant tension from ongoing natural disasters, political instability, the maximum workload and the prevailing atmosphere of gadgets that never turn off, the people of Russia are feeling a greater level of tension now much more than in any other years of the last decades. These data have long been confirmed by numerous scientists.

One in three can say that they feel more stress than last year, and when assessing the level of stress, they can raise it to the number 8 when counting from 1 to 10. Our time can easily be called “one of the lowest points in the history of the country”, therefore, it becomes quite scary for the country to move forward with upcoming elections and the need for policy changes in many areas. The instability of international politics, health care, the economy - all these factors are quietly becoming the main sources of stress.

Scientists have noticed that stress has a powerful effect on health. Nearly 80 percent of women visiting doctors can be freely diagnosed initial stage stress. Worldwide, more people die each year from workplace stress than from diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and the flu combined.

However, on the positive side of this epidemic of anxiety is the possibility of easing the onset of the disease. Researchers say that proper nutrition, constant physical exercise and changing the way we think about stress itself can be an excellent buffer against many diseases in the human body.
Constantly avoiding things that can cause stress is impossible. But any person is quite capable of controlling how he reacts to stress before anxiety consumes his whole life.

The effect of stress on the brain.

Whether it's an emergency letter from your boss or just a rude driver who has created an unsafe driving situation for you, all of these stressful situations can trigger a physiological response very much like when a wild lion is chasing you.

At the deep level of the amygdala region of the brain lies the amygdala. It is here that the alarm is located, which notifies the release of hormones - adrenaline and cortisol, which increase the heart rate, give an additional rush of blood to the muscles, and speed up breathing. There is a splash of sugar into the blood, which helps to provide the body with more energy, to which the brain must respond.

Evolutionarily, such an organism's response was the key to the early survival of man, since he needed a charge of vigor for the necessary energetic flight from a predator. Even today, it performs much of the same function, so in the short term, stress can be quite interesting and even something useful, because you can channel the passion and energy that has arisen into other areas.

However, chronic excess stress can lead to high blood pressure and high blood sugar levels, inflammation, cognitive problems, and immediate reactions to stress. With such an inadequate reaction of the body, even a small level of stress can bring severe trouble. The researchers point out that aging is accelerating as protective caps on chromosomes called telomeres break down. Think of the stress response like a rubber band - if you pull it, it will immediately return to its normal position - this is quite natural. But if you pull the rubber band too hard or too often, the process will not reverse and there will be consequences.

How to make the body impervious to stress?!

Nutritionists constantly argue that proper nutrition can best protect the body. It is recommended to pay attention to foods rich in nutrients. They must contain a high level of fiber - these are green leafy vegetables, lentils and beans, nuts with seeds. If eaten during stressful situations, they can help slow down the rate of digestion and minimize unhealthy blood sugar spikes.

Help the level of stress resistance of the body and foods rich in beneficial bacteria - natural yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut. These are basic foods that reduce the level of bodily inflammation that comes from chronic stress. At the same time, they increase in the body such strains of bacteria as lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, which will decrease as a person goes beyond his strength and out of his comfort zone. An experiment was conducted confirming that those who ate lactobacillus yogurt daily for 2 months had much lower levels of stress markers in their blood.

Eating fermented milk products with prebiotics every day for at least 3 weeks, after exposing these people to anxiety, the brain will react much more calmly.

It's safe to say that the most important thing a person can do for resilience is to maintain a healthy bacterial ecosystem in the gut.

It is recommended to replace desserts in the diet with low-sugar yogurt and prebiotics, as well as permanently refrain from sweetened drinks with refined carbohydrates. Turmeric is also a good stress reliever due to its anti-inflammatory properties and ability to normalize blood sugar levels.
Despite a person's natural cravings for food, it's a good idea to eat less saturated fat right after a traumatic event, because stress greatly increases the absorption of fats.

Exercising can also help combat stress levels, especially those associated with illness. Moderate daily exercise (like light jogging) increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels. A critical level of brain protein reduces stress levels and eliminates sleep deprivation much better than strength training or intense exercise. They, in turn, can easily increase brain cell inflammation and exacerbate the physical effects of stress.

Therefore, it is best to keep the physical activity at a low intensity to lower the stress just experienced. If possible, exercise in the morning, as exercise can increase melatonin levels, which help you fall asleep more quickly at night.

Stress mentality test

Consistent exercise and proper nutrition can be an excellent buffer for the body against the effects of chronic stress. However, the first step is still to try to change the mindset. The goal is not to completely get rid of stress, but simply to put it in its place for use as an invigorating and motivating aspect to complete a difficult task, so that later you can relax and stop paying attention to it and simply forget it. To do this, it is imperative to remember what is happening at the present time.

When you feel that your heart begins to beat strongly at the sight of another urgent need that needs to be done at work or at home, then take a very deep breath and tune in to the internal processes of the body. When the amygdala, which is highly responsive, “takes over the brain,” a person often in the heat of the moment can say or do unpleasant things that you can later regret very much. Wait a minute, for example, count to 10 and let the more rational part of the brain take over - this will help you move from panic to composure.

Most often, any person feels much more stressed in those moments when a person feels out of control. When faced with a difficult task, it is important to have a list of things that you can control and those that you simply cannot control. This will help you make a plan, and then act on manageable cases, and simply leave the rest to go.

Mindfulness helps to maintain subjectivity and keep the mind in fear that the situation may repeat itself due to insufficient action. You should not listen to every thought that passes through your head, just ask yourself what is the most important here, and focus on them.