Frazzled Coping with Job Stress

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Frazzled? Coping with Job Stress

• Find a job you love and you will never work
  another day in your life.
• (what does that mean?)

Employee On Line Stress
Susan E. Barbour, Ed.D., Director University of
Wisconsin Oshkosh
Return to EAP Homepage
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How Do you Manage Job Stress?

• Is your answer Not very easily?
• No one handles stress easily. You cant love your
  job when you are stressed!
• However, stress is very common!
• One-fourth of employees view their jobs as the
  number one stressor in their lives.

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• In what follows you will review
• What is job stress?
• The effects of job stress.
• Climate factors that contribute to stress.
• What you can do for yourself.

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So What is Job Stress?

• Job stress is The harmful physical and
  emotional responses that occur when the
  requirements of the job do not match the
  capabilities, resources, or needs of the
  workers.
• That means when YOU and the JOB dont fit very
  well.

(National Institute of Occupational Safety and
Health)
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Do many people experience job stress?

• YOU BET!
• At some time in their lives most employees do.

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What Workers Say About Stress on the Job

• extremely stressful
• often burned out or stressed
• quite a bit or extremely stressed

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40
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Source Stress at Work. National Institute of
Occupational Safety and Health Pub. No. 99-101.
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But, I like challenge and keeping
busy!Stress is different than Challenge
Challenge
Stress
energizing
shock
goal oriented
fight or flight
satisfying
exhaustion
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Researchers link stress with harmful physical
problems.

• stress produces metabolic reactions
• These reactions can affect thoughts, behaviors
  and feelings.
• the mind-body connection breaks down over
  prolonged periods of stress.

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Pathways From Stress to Illness

• Stress can lead to unhealthy behaviors
• Stress triggers the release of hormones that
  suppress immune system activity

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Some stress is good, but when is stress too much?
Optimal arousal for peak performance Varies from
person to person!
Optimal
Performance
Too
Too
High
Low
Arousal
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There are Climate Factors that may Contribute to
Work-Place Stress

• Such as
• Feeling pressured and devalued
• When words do not coincide with actions
  (especially your bosses)
• When superiors are not role models

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And When

• you have less control, less social support and
  more demands
• tasks are boring
• the supervisor is very authoritarian

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There are also Climate Factors that Lower Work
Stress, such as when you

• have opportunities to grow and be involved
• can use develop your skills interests
• are able to built your career
• can move around and have some flexibility

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And when

• there are equal opportunities for men women.
• someone notices (and comments) that youve done a
  good job
• you are valued
• and lastly, when management actions are
  consistent with organizational values

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SO if climate factors are so important isnt it
up to them (not me) to reduce my job stress?

• Not really! It takes both!
• Research indicates that prevention is the best
  cure.
• Work settings need to take more interest in
  climate factors by sponsoring preventative
  programs and being proactive to reduce systemic
  stresses,
• But, bottom line ---
• It is up to you, to take care of you!

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I get it, I have to get Hardy Whats involved
in building Resilience?

• Commitment
• (for instance, a sense of purpose in work,
  family, and life)
• Challenge
• (openness to new experiences and change, and no
  one likes change!)
• Control
• (a belief that one has the power to influence
  important future outcomes

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OK. Are You Frazzled Here are the Body Signs?

• Body Signs
• tense
• racing heart
• irritability
• neck/back pain
• tired
• headaches
• poor appetite
• increase substance use

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How about Emotionally Frazzled?

• Persistent low mood
• Anxious
• Sleepless
• Hopeless that it will change
• Disempowered
• Feeling put upon
• Lack of enjoyment in things you
  previously enjoyed.
• Learn to take a breather from stress -----

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Take A Breather From StressWith Relaxation or
Yoga

• Sit in a comfortable position
• Close Your Eyes
• Deeply relax all your muscles and keep them
  relaxed
• Breathe deeply through your nose, inhale/exhale
• Count to 5
• Continue for twenty minutes.

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What Can I Do about Stress?Here are some things
you can do

• At-Work Suggestions
• Practice relaxation techniques. Use the EAP
  relaxation room!
• Set limits
• Learn to negotiate
• Take your lunch vacation time
• Talk to you supervisor
• See an EAP Counselor

• At Home Suggestions
• Get plenty of rest
• Eat healthy foods with some of your favorites!
• Exercise/Be active
• Seek support from family, friends, support
• Laugh
• Submerge yourself in hobbies
• Seek spiritual purpose

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Talk with my supervisor? How?

• Define when to meet and what you want to say
• Tackle your fear.
• Ask yourself what is intimidating?
• Define the problems and obstacles?
• Address those obstacles
• Make a plan
• EAP Can help you at any step along the way.

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Talking with your supervisor

• Plan in advance
• Use your performance appraisal as an opportunity
  or set a specific time.
• Know what you want to say.
• Dont expect the whole ball of wax.
• Be grateful for step-by-step successes! AND

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How about going to EAP? (Because they can
help with this) (Oh, Id never do that! Im
afraid that would jeopardize my potential for
promotion!)

• Not true! Employee Assistance is CONFIDENTIAL.
  Within state and federal law you must provide
  written permission for an EAP counselor to
  discuss your meeting with anyone not your
  supervisor, human resources or your spouse!
• Read Confidentiality On-Line

Go here to read Confidentiality On-Line
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Call to set up a time to meet with an EAP
Counselor

• Phone [phone]
• You must either have supervisor permission to
  leave your job, or schedule an appointment that
  does not interfere with your work schedule.
• We will work with you to find a suitable time.

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For More Information on Job Stress

• National Institute for Occupational Safety and
  Health (NIOSH)
• 1-800-35-NIOSH
• 4676 Columbia Parkway
• Cincinnati, Ohio 45226-1998
• http//www.cdc.gov/niosh/jobstress

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And

• Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety
• 4th Edition
• (ISBN 92-2-109203-8)
• (Vol. 1, Chapter 5, Mental Health
• Vol. 2, Chapter 34, Psychosocial and
  Organizational Factors). (Found at the UW Oshkosh
  Polk Library and elsewhere)

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Frazzled? Coping with Job Stress

• life is too short
• relax

Susan E. Barbour, Ed.D., Director University of
Wisconsin Oshkosh