Posts Tagged ‘stress’

Physical Impact of Stress

Stress is a physical reality and something that affects our emotions. It is much more than the kind of “it’s all in your mind” issue we often think it might be. Stress is something that, no matter how clever, resourceful or amazing we are, will affect us in some way because it is part of being alive. But what kind of problems can stress actually cause?

The problems caused by stress all stem from the fact that our stress system was actually designed to response to short-term stress, these are actually stress symptoms. Our bodies were simply not designed to operate with the levels of these hormones becoming raised over long period of times. This is why chronic stress causes so many problems. It affects a vast array of different body systems and actions, with an impact that is often very complex and different for every individual.

Chronic stress can affect a bewildering range of physical functions and has been linked to all kinds of illnesses, syndromes, signs and symptoms.

Physical issues related to Stress

In some ways, the most serious physical results of stress are those that build up over time.

The system that is most affected is the cardiovascular system – the heart and all the arteries and veins that carry blood to and from the muscles and organs that the heart supplies with blood. Stress stimulates the body to supply more blood to major muscles, while organs – for example, those responsible for digestion – receives less blood. All this involves changes to the blood vessels themselves.

The bad news is that long-term stress simulation of this system causes our blood pressure to rise as the vessels struggle to cope with the extra blood rushing through. It triggers changes in the way the heart muscles works, meaning that there is an increased risk of unusual or irregular beats. As if that weren’t enough, chronic stress can also increase the risk of developing narrowing arteries.

Chronic stress has, therefore , been linked to an increased risk of developing cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks and stroke. Acute stress can also trigger symptoms in these areas, bringing on conditions such as angina and chest pain.

Meanwhile, of courses, as can worsen illnesses related to poor circulation such as Reynaud’s phenomenon, where people find that the blood supply to fingers and toes actually cuts of in cold weather, leaving their digits white, pale and painful.

Most of the problems stress causes in the cardiovascular system are related to constant simulation it receives. But remember that while the sympathetic system is overactive, it also effectively turns out the system that controls digestion. This means that stress very often causes some kind of digestive symptoms – from mild problems with indigestion to more serious problems that require investigation and treatment.

-Excerpt form Dr.Middleton’s book Stress

Stress and Stressful Features in a Job

Some jobs are more stressful than others. Certain features associated with particular jobs are stressful. For example, the greater the extent to which the job requires decision- making , constant monitoring of materials or machinery, in poor conditions, with repeated exchange information or unstructured job, the greater the degree of stress.

There are also other stressful features in a job, such as the following:

• * Role Conflict. Stress resulting from conflicting demands, from boos to friends, teacher to pastoral role law enforcer to father confessor. This is a common practice among working mother’s human resources personnel and teachers. The adverse effects of role conflict may be less pronounced in work settings are in excluded.

• * Role Ambiguity. Stress resulting from uncertainty, often as a result of employees being unaware of what is expected of them through a lack of a job description or specified responsibilities. They may be unaware of several aspects of their job or how to divide their time between various tasks. Ambiguity also results from changes in the organization send the profession.

• Over-and-Underload Stress. Stress resulting from having too little or too much to do. Work overload can be quantitative or qualitative. The former is where the work required is too much within the given time. The latter is when employees feel that they do not posses sufficient resources, skills or ability to do the job. Quantitative underload leads to boredom when employee have too little to do, whereas qualitative underload is a result of the tasks being repetitive and without mental stimulation.

• Responsibility for Others. Many employees are responsible for others, needing to motivate and reward, punish and correct and, most importantly communicate. This often causes considerable stress when facing human aspects such as dealing with organizational policies, complaints and exercising leadership.

• Lack of Social Support. This is the stress caused by being isolated and ignored. Having friends and supporters in times of difficulty, helps employees and managers see threatening events as more controllable. They may also suggest strategies for dealing with situation and coping techniques. This is the type of support with situation and coping techniques. The former being the more beneficial although copious amount of both is ideal.

• Lack of Participation in Decisions. Many people in junior and middle management feel isolated because they are not involved in a decision making process that may directly affect their jobs

• Poor Performance Appraisal. Stress from little or no feedback or from a biased report. the problem in a minimal appraisal system affect is that staff do not know how they are doing or should be doing. a negative appraisal without being told how to improve also increases stress levels.

• Working Conditions. Some jobs have to be done in poor and often difficult conditions. these include jobs in extreme temperatures such as mining, or with loud noise, such as road digging.

• Organizational Change. This is the stress that comes from adapting to new technique and methods of work . As the speed type and amount of organizational change occur, so the level of stress increases. Change in policy, recognizing and mergers all lead to uncertainly and consequently, stress.

• Career Development. Many people at work live in the hope of advancement based on seniourity and performance. Staff build up thier hopes and expectations and performance, if these are thwarted, this raises levels of stress.

• Home / Work Interface. Traditionally associated with women, this conflict of home and work demands may result in divided loyalties this is most serious when neither environment is tolerant or supportive.