Stress management. Ways to manage stress

Even in an organization with well-established coordination and control, it cannot be avoided. Exceeding the voltage level negatively affects the morale of personnel, psychological climate in a team, performance indicators suffer. To work effectively, it is necessary to develop a stress management system in the management of the organization.

The need for stress management

What is stress management in an organization? This is a process in which direct influence is carried out on personnel in order to eliminate negative factors. During the process, a person adapts to stressful situations and is eliminated. An important point is training in methods of exiting a critical state.

Organizational management should work to reduce stress factors in two directions:

voltage management at the level of the entire company structure;
an individual.

Why is it necessary to reduce stress factors? Professional activity It becomes more complicated every year, the pace of work and its intensity increase, and new technologies are regularly introduced. All this leads to the fact that specialists and management team work under constant pressure, circumstances impose restrictions on all sides. Constant psychological pressure leads to decreased performance. Unable to cope with stress, a person does not adhere to quality standards, takes sick leave more often, and avoids completing tasks.

In the West they have long been introducing special programs. For example, the head of the London Underground sent the company's top management to multi-day stress management training. A year later, an analysis was carried out and it turned out that the decision was productive. Reduced payment costs sick leave, productivity increased, new projects were introduced, the implementation of which previously tired employees did not undertake.

For Russian business, stress management is still new, but many managers, including senior management, are working in this direction.

Causes of stress in an organization

What is the source of tension in the company and in production? Experts identify several reasons:

The organization's management is ineffective. At all levels, there is inconsistency in tasks, authority is not delegated, employees are overloaded or not busy. The reboot affects emotional well-being; emergency situations regularly occur in the company.
Employees are presented with conflicting demands, and sometimes management's tasks go beyond the responsibilities of employees. For example, a supply manager performs the functions of an operator or merchandiser.
Standard instructions are not followed. Job responsibilities are not defined, it is unclear to whom the employee reports, what he is responsible for and what rights he has. Employees are not familiar with job descriptions.
The work process is oversaturated with meetings, planning meetings, and gatherings.
The employee is instilled with strong responsibility in carrying out a particular task, although the timing of the project is vague, and the organization needs to carry out the work not in practice, but in theory.
Innovations and changes are regularly introduced into the company; frequent employee training and advanced training are required.
The manager does not know how to build relationships with subordinates; there are many dissatisfied with the authorities in the team. The manager and employees are at different poles and do not understand each other.
Poor relationships in the team. The staff is intriguing, unhealthy competition reigns, the team is divided into warring groups, and mobbing is practiced.
Instability of the company, precarious position of jobs. There is a fear of imminent dismissal, salary cuts, and job elimination.
Lack of prospects, inability to move up the career ladder.
Personal difficulties and due to constant workload, the so-called pressure from external influences - family, close relatives, unresolved problems with health.

The reasons may be acute, affect the activities of the entire organization, or affect only an individual. Sometimes stress mobilizes a person, it gives strength to achieve a goal.

Critical situations in an organization are inevitable; stress management includes methods for managing tension and transferring it into a constructive direction. These are the main tasks of stress management in an organization.

Task one – reducing the level of a stressful situation

Determining the level of tension in a situation can be determined by the presence of various stress factors. To effectively manage stress, the following factors need to be assessed:

Identifying the voltage source.
Ability to assess the intensity of stress.
Possession of effective techniques for reducing stress in work reality.

In stress management, there are six sources of stress:

the significance of the situation;
risk;
time trouble.

Experts believe that it is most effective to reduce significance. For example, ask yourself the question: “What will I lose if I refuse to complete this task or postpone it to another time?” Another way to deal with pressure and workload is to act as if everything bad has already happened. Then it will decrease psychological pressure, and the strength will appear to complete the project.

The voltage reduction circuit looks like this:

Assess the sources of difficulties and the strength of their influence on the work process.
Describe and evaluate the pros and cons as a result of the negative development of the situation. For example, if I tell my manager that I’m very busy, what will happen next?
Developing a plan to reduce stress factors.
Using time management and various practices to relieve stress.

Task two – working with mental states

The emotion scale will allow you to effectively recognize your states.

Stress management allows a person to learn methods of self-regulation. The general algorithm looks like this:

Systematization of known states, designation of their manifestations and basic experiences.
It is important to learn to recognize emerging mental states in a certain period of time and to distinguish between them.
Learning involves moving from one state to another.
The use of indirect techniques - movement, breathing, external influence.

Task three - self-healing

Need to replenish supplies vital energy Therefore, stress management includes the need for such a section as recovery.

The main means of recovery include:

Muscular, hypnosis, autogenic training, that is psychological methods recovery.
Psychohygiene. It includes a variety of leisure activities, outdoor recreation, comfortable conditions work and residence, social communication.
Maintaining a daily routine, the ability to plan activities, combine periods of work and rest.
Connection of therapeutic and biological methods. These include massage, sauna, healthy eating, water procedures.
Medicinal methods on a natural basis. This group includes vitamins, herbs, and aromatic oils.

What can a leader do?

Full-fledged management is impossible without the participation of the manager. Senior management can include efforts to reduce risks from stress. It includes:

Adequate assessment of employee abilities and skills. For some, expanding responsibilities will be a strong motivating factor, while others, on the contrary, will receive severe stress from this.
Strict compliance with the functions and powers of employees. The written rules work to prevent conflicts and minor troubles in the team.
It is important to develop an appropriate leadership style that suits the company and takes into account the characteristics of the team.
Criticism of employees must be ethical and not affect the personal qualities of the person.
It is necessary to give employees emotional release. This could be corporate holidays, team building, or an unusual birthday greeting to each member of the staff.

Important: a leader must be able to cope with his own stress, and then transmit the behavior to his subordinates.

Video: Natalya Samukina. Stress management course

What can an employee do?

Trainings allow you to learn many ways to manage in situations of tension. But you can familiarize yourself with some recommendations.

You should not rely on your memory; you need to write down the necessary information.
It is not recommended to leave small tasks for another day. As a result, the burden and stress associated with emergency situations cannot be avoided.
Count your successes and achievements. It stimulates, relieves irritation and fatigue.
If there is an employee on staff who constantly criticizes the company and its conditions, then you should limit communication with him. Dissatisfaction can be transmitted very quickly and it is not always reliable.
Industrial gymnastics and relaxing five-minute exercises are effective.
Breathing techniques are effective when tissues lack oxygen and muscle tension begins.

Video:"Stress management: the art of managing emotions"

Bottom line

Stress management allows you to reduce stress, achieve peace of mind and get job satisfaction. Ability to manage stress – necessary resource in work activities. Avoid completely critical situations impossible, they occur regularly in life. But techniques and techniques help to benefit even from crisis events.

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Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation

Federal state budget educational

Institution of higher professional education

"Tula State University"

TEST

"Stress Management"

Completed

Savelyeva Alexandra Alexandrovna

Supervisor

Mikhaleva Elena Petrovna

Introduction

1. General concept of stress

1.1 Concept of stress

1.2 Types and phases of stress

1.4 Methods of dealing with stress

2. Stress management

2.1 Stress in the workplace

2.2 Methods for coping with stress

2.3 Prevention of stress in work situations

Conclusion

List of used literature

Introduction

The many conflicts that accompany our lives often lead to nervous stress on a person, stressful situations, and the need to manage stress.

The concept of "stress" was borrowed from the field of technology, where it means the ability different bodies and structures to withstand the load. Any structure has a strength limit, exceeding which leads to its destruction. Transferred to area social psychology The concept of “stress” includes a whole range of personal states caused by a variety of events: from defeats or victories to creative experiences and doubts. Some experts believe that stress is the pressure in the world that leads to a state of emotional discomfort. Others believe that emotional discomfort is stress caused by pressures or conditions called stressors.

In general, stress is a common phenomenon. Minor stress is inevitable and harmless, but excessive stress creates problems for both individuals and organizations, difficulty in completing assigned tasks. Topic of this course work is relevant for modern society, because people constantly face stress at work, on the street and at home.

This topic is especially significant for managers, because the stress experienced by employees can have a destructive impact on both themselves and the organization as a whole.

The purpose of the work is to identify the meaning of stress in modern society, its impact on a person in various areas of life, and also to learn how to manage stress in order to learn how to reduce the inevitable harm that they cause.

eustress distress management

1. General concepts of stress

1.1 Concept of stress

Stress (from the English “stress” - tension) is a nonspecific (general) reaction of the body to a very strong impact, be it physical or psychological, as well as the corresponding state of the nervous system of the body (or the body as a whole). Nervous and the immune system. People under stress are more likely to become victims of infection, since the production of immune cells drops markedly during periods of physical or mental stress.

To the number the most important concepts, entered into science and everyday vocabulary in the 20th century, such as nuclear energy, the genome, the computer and the Internet, the word “stress” can also be attributed. The discovery of this phenomenon is associated with the name of the outstanding Canadian researcher Hans Selye.

Even as a medical student, G. Selye drew attention to the fact that the symptoms of many diseases fall into two parts - specific, characteristic of a given disease, and nonspecific, the same for various diseases. So, with almost all diseases, fever appears, loss of appetite, and weakness are observed.

Later, having engaged in scientific research in the field of physiology, G. Selye began to study the most general physiological reactions, which are a generalized reaction of the body to a strong external influence. He found that in response to it, the body mobilizes its forces, if necessary, turns on reserves, trying to adapt to the action of unfavorable factors and resist them. G. Selye called this adaptive reaction of the body to external influences the general adaptation syndrome, or stress. Adaptation syndrome was named because, according to the scientist, it led to the stimulation of the body's capabilities for the purpose of protection, in order to combat adverse effects, stressors. Indicating that this reaction is a syndrome emphasizes that it involves different organs or even the organism as a whole, manifesting itself in a complex reaction.

The process of responding to unfavorable external conditions unfolds over time.

Three stages of stress have been identified:

Anxiety, during which in response to an action unfavorable factor the body is mobilized;

Resistance, when due to the mobilization of the body’s capabilities, adaptation to the stressor occurs.

Exhaustion is a stage that occurs if the stressor is strong and lasts for a long time, when the body’s strength is depleted and the level of resistance drops below normal levels.

Each stage is characterized by corresponding changes in neuroendocrine functioning. In medicine, physiology, psychology, positive (Eustress) and negative (Distress) forms of stress are distinguished. Neuropsychic, heat or cold, light, anthropogenic and other stresses, as well as other forms, are possible.

Eustress. The concept has two meanings - “stress caused by positive emotions” and “mild stress that mobilizes the body.”

Distress. A negative type of stress that the human body is unable to cope with. It destroys a person’s moral health and can even lead to severe mental illness.

Symptoms of Distress:

1. Headache;

2. Loss of strength; reluctance to do anything.

3. Loss of faith that the situation will improve in the future;

4. Excited state, desire to take risks;

5. Absent-mindedness, memory impairment;

6. Reluctance to think and analyze the situation that led to a stressful state;

7. Changeable mood; fatigue, lethargy.

What can be a source of stress:

1. Psychological trauma or crisis situation (loss of loved ones, separation from a loved one)

2. Minor daily troubles;

3. Conflicts or communication with unpleasant people;

4. Obstacles that prevent you from achieving your goals;

5. Feeling of constant pressure;

6. Pipe dreams are either too much high requirements to yourself;

8. Monotonous work;

9. Constant accusation, reproaching yourself for not achieving something or missing something;

10. Blaming yourself for everything bad that happened, even if it was not your fault;

12. Financial difficulties;

13. Strong positive emotions;

14. Quarrels with people and especially with relatives (observation of quarrels in the family can also lead to stress);

Risk group:

1. Women, because they are more emotional than men;

2. Elderly people and children;

3. People with low self-esteem;

4. Extroverts;

5. Neurotics;

6. People who abuse alcohol;

7. People with a genetic predisposition to stress.

The results of studies on stress conducted in the United States show that the annual costs associated with its consequences - absenteeism (unreasonable absence from work), decreased productivity, increased costs health insurance, amount to a huge amount - about 300 billion dollars. Moreover, they are constantly increasing.

This and many other examples show that stress can not only be dangerous for everyone specific person, but also have a destructive impact on the organization's performance. Therefore, the study of stress and its causes, as well as its consequences, is an important problem in organizational behavior.

The word “stress” has acquired a pronounced negative meaning in everyday life. However, G. Selye repeatedly emphasized that stress is not only natural, but also absolutely normal reaction of the human body and psyche to difficult circumstances, therefore, its complete absence is like death. It is not stress itself that has negative consequences, but the reactions associated with it. Therefore, when organizing work to reduce the influence of factors that can cause stress, it should be taken into account that not only high, but also too low levels of stress lead to a decrease in productivity.

These circumstances force management to deeply analyze the causes of stress in employees and develop measures to regulate its level.

1.2 Types and phases of stress

In everyday life, there are two types of stress: eustress and distress.

Eustress presupposes the occurrence of the desired, i.e. positive effect, and distress - negative. Typically, stress is associated with pleasant and unpleasant experiences. Pleasant and unpleasant emotional arousal is accompanied by an increase in physiological stress.

According to the hypothesis of the world famous Canadian physiologist G. Selye, the absence of irritants (deprivation), as well as excess irritation in equally accompanied by increased stress. The absence of stress, from the point of view of G. Selye, means death. It is not possible to avoid it.

According to Selye, “to give meaning to our lives, we must set ourselves a complex and long-term task. We should strive for a goal that requires hard work to achieve. The absence of such a goal is one of the most severe stresses, causing stomach ulcers, heart attacks, hypertension, or simply dooming a person to joyless vegetation.” G. Selye noted another important point regarding stress: the same stress can cause different reactions in people.

He called them "conditional factors." They can be external or internal. Under the influence of these factors, a normally tolerated degree of stress can become pathogenic and a disease of “adaptation.” The same stimulus affects different people differently, depending on the individual external and internal conditions that determine the reactivity of each person. Various psychological manifestations of stress are reflected in physiological reactions.

The presence of a direct correlation between the physiological reactions of the body and psychological characteristics stress allows you to use changes in physiological reactions as an objective indicator of psychological (emotional) stress. Stress can arise as a result of certain social influences. A means of protection against stress in this case can be social transformations and the restructuring of human relationships. Stressful conditions are a consequence of certain demands and restrictions imposed on a person by work, family relations etc. At the same time, stress can have internal causes and arise as a result of the inability to satisfy urgent needs.

Stress is characterized by three phases: anxiety, resistance and exhaustion. People with a stable emotional psyche are able to overcome the anxiety phase. Emotionally unstable people are immediately seized by anxiety, which then turns into fear. Then such people experience exhaustion, taking the form of doom and despair.

Resistance to stress factors can be ensured in two ways: emotional training and careful training using the use of playing out difficult situations, etc. People’s psychological reserves lie in their psyche and, above all, in the emotional sphere. Emotion is understood as a person’s experience of his personal relationship to the actions of other people and to himself. A person lives in a world of positive and negative emotions, depending on life situations. In life, emotions are created various shapes emotional states that differ in duration and intensity.

They are moods, passions and affects. The mood is characterized by sufficient intensity, duration of occurrence, as well as ambiguity and “unaccountability” of experiences. Unlike mood, passion is a stronger, deeper and longer-lasting emotional state. Passion mobilizes a person to achieve his goals. It can have a positive effect on the human personality, but it can also destroy the personality.

Affect is a peculiar emotional state that occurs with great and pronounced intensity. The peculiarities of his condition are that the affect has a violent external manifestation, is characterized by short duration, and the behavior is unconscious in nature. Any emotion can, under certain conditions, reach the point of passion. Negative affective states usually lead to adverse consequences for the human body. According to available scientific data, the negative effects of stress are claiming more and more lives these days.

It is now customary to divide stress into emotional and informational. Information stress associated with the inability to cope with an avalanche-like flow of information. Stress can arise not only under the influence of one strong irritant, but during the manifestation of small constant negative influences that cause a person to feel threatened, anxious, resentful, or dangerous. The effect of stress is accompanied by various reactions: from a state of increased activity to depression. People's personalities matter in the manifestation of stress.

No two people have exactly the same response to stress. Most stress in a person's life is initiated and reproduced by himself. Even G. Selye noted that what happens to you, but how you perceive it. This directly relates to stress.

Even in ancient times, the philosopher Epictetus said that “people are not upset by events, but by the way they look at them.

Stimulus-related cognitive and affective reactions play a role in turning most stimuli into stressors. If the stimulus is not interpreted as a threat or challenge towards the individual, then stress reaction does not arise at all.

1.3 Stress and life expectancy

Stress is considered today to be the most important reason for shortening life expectancy. In turn, the level of stress depends on many factors that increase stress or, conversely, increase stress resistance.

According to scientific observations, factors that cause and increase stress include:

*high level of aspirations (the desire to achieve a goal that slightly exceeds capabilities, an unbearable workload);

*envy;

*pessimism;

*suspicion;

*loss of loved ones or valuables;

*anticipation of threat (failure);

*constant exposure to risky situations;

*trauma from betrayal;

*diseases;

*insomnia;

*greed, greed;

*vanity;

*hiddenness;

*fussiness;

*sullenness;

*sarcasm, anger and conflict;

* suspiciousness;

*vindictiveness, ill will;

*fast rhythm of life or its sudden change;

*experience of major defeat, collapse, failure.

High resistance to stress depends on factors such as:

*passion;

*ability to tame claims;

*ability to cope with stressful (stress-causing) factors;

*optimism;

*modesty;

*high intellectual abilities;

*tolerance;

*good nature;

*calm;

*restraint;

*communication skills;

*benevolence;

* composure;

*condescension.

Among these numerous factors that determine the level of stress, the main ones are the following eight: level of aspirations, envy, irritability, greed, passion, endurance, tolerance, intelligence.

Individuals with high level The first four indicators do not live long, and those with the last four high indicators live longer.

If we leave only one most important factor in each group, then the main indicator that reduces life expectancy will be the level of aspirations (according to Ozhegov, aspiration is the desire to achieve recognition of something in the absence of grounds for such recognition), and the main factor that increases resistance to stress and life expectancy, there will be passion (according to Ozhegov - strong, great interest in something).

Depending on the combination of these two factors - the level of aspirations and passion - the average life expectancy of a person can vary significantly. A very low level of passion and a very high level of aspiration lead to extremely low resistance to stress and shorten life to an average of 50 years. The opposite options - a very high level of passion and a very low level of aspiration - increase resistance to stress and increase life expectancy to 100 years or more.

1.4 Methods of dealing with stress

It was said above that stress has not only negative, but also positive side. Moreover, it is obvious that it is impossible to completely rid a person of it. Therefore, when developing and implementing measures to combat stress, the manager must focus on those aspects of employees' stress conditions that directly and directly have a negative impact on production behavior and the effectiveness of their work activities. The fight against excessive stress is, first of all, identifying and eliminating stressors - the factors that cause it. They can be identified at two main levels: at the individual level - identification of factors that cause stress in a particular employee and require changes in the organization and his working conditions; at the organizational level - identification of factors that negatively affect a significant group of employees and require changes in the activities of the entire organization. There are several methods of working aimed at reducing stress in an organization.

Firstly, these are measures related to changing working conditions and including the placement of workers, their training, planning and distribution of work. They should be carried out already at the selection stage, selecting people who meet the requirements of work assignments and are able to cope with the assigned work without internal stress.

Secondly, these are changes in the attitude of employees, their perception and assessment of certain processes and events. For example, employees may experience stress due to ongoing reorganization, clarification of company policies, engagement large number workers to this process will help relieve tension and the stress caused by it.

Thirdly, activities directly aimed at combating stress - physical training breaks, provision, provision good rest employees, creating psychological relief rooms and the like.

When developing methods to combat stress, one should take into account the individual psychological characteristics of people. Those measures that will have a positive effect on some employees may be ineffective or even harmful for others. For example, manuals on organizational behavior and personnel management often say that it is necessary to diversify and enrich the content of employees’ work.

Many consider this a universal means of combating stress. However, such a recommendation should be used taking into account the individual characteristics of workers. Thus, for some, variety of work is optimal, while for others, consistency and familiar forms of work are optimal.

You should not spare money and effort spent on preventing stress and combating its consequences; you can lose much more.

2. Stress management

2.1 Stress in the workplace

By reducing individual performance and well-being, excessive stress comes at a cost to organizations. Many employee problems that affect both their earnings and performance, as well as the health and well-being of employees, are rooted in psychological stress. Stress directly and indirectly increases the costs of achieving organizational goals and reduces the quality of life for large numbers of workers.

Stress arises under the influence of stressors - these are unfavorable external and internal influences of significant strength and duration, leading to the occurrence of stressful conditions. Any event, fact or message can cause stress, i.e. become a stressor. The following classification of stressors can be given:

1) By nature:

a) physiological (these are extreme environmental influences - unacceptable levels of temperature, lighting, pressure for the body, painful sensations, excessive physical activity, etc.);

b) psychological (psychological stress, negative emotions, conflict situations etc.).

a) organizational (overload or underworking of an employee, conflict or uncertainty of roles, incorrect relationship between authority and responsibility, etc.);

b) personal (events personal life negative or positive).

3) By source:

a) external (located outside the organization - international events, economic and political instability, social problems, tension in society, etc.);

b) internal (related to the organization and the employee himself - imperfect organizational structure and management style, specific perceptions, differences in experience, etc.).

4) According to the specifics of the impact:

a) general (characteristic of typical situations - chronic, frequently recurring problems);

b) specific (related to the characteristics of the individual, situation).

Factors that cause stress, or so-called stressors, affecting workers today include:

1) stress factors outside the organization;

2) group stress factors;

3) stress factors associated with the organization;

Take a closer look at them.

3) Stress factors outside the organization.

Stress at work should not be limited to events and conditions that occur in the workplace. Any organization is open social system, and its elements - workers - are naturally influenced external factors such as changes in problems, aging, death close relative, birth of a child, etc.).

So, we can say that unsatisfactory financial position can encourage people to take extra work, resulting in reduced rest time and increased stress. A serious factor Workers' stress includes family crises. There is also evidence that in families where both spouses work, a stressed husband can “transmit” his stress to his wife.

2) Group stress factors.

Group stress factors include the following:

1. lack of group cohesion - the lack of opportunity for an employee to feel like a member of the team due to the specifics of the workplace, due to the fact that the manager does not allow or limits this opportunity, or because other group members do not accept him into their ranks, can be a source severe stress, especially for workers with a high desire for affiliation;

2. the presence of intrapersonal, interpersonal and intragroup conflicts - the presence of serious contradictions or incompatibility individual characteristics The employee’s personality, for example, his personal goals, needs, values, with those socially approved in the group where he works, which means he is forced to constantly be, communicate, interact, is also a serious stress factor.

3) Stress factors related to the organization.

The causes of work-related stress have been studied for a long time, and the list of potential stressors is long. In it you can find physical factors, transforming workplace into a hostile environment (high temperature, noise, crowds, etc.), as well as a lot of psychosocial factors caused by a specific combination of labor, organizational and social features workplace. The most well-established stressors associated with the work environment include:

1. uncertainty about the future - for many workers, a constant stressor is the fear of losing their job due to layoffs, inadequate performance indicators, age or for another reason;

2. inability to influence one’s work - as many researchers note, the extent to which a person influences one’s work may be associated with a stressful state. Monotonous mechanical work and responsibility for things that people cannot influence are especially stress factors for some workers;

The nature of the work performed - the complexity of the tasks performed, independence in work, degree of responsibility, working conditions: degree of danger when performing work, noise level, etc., as the results of numerous studies show, can also be attributed to factors that often provoke stress among workers ;

Role ambiguity and role conflict are both conditions that are perceived as stressors in most cases. Here, role ambiguity means uncertainty in relations with the person playing a particular role, and by role conflict- various incompatible expectations regarding significant people at work;

A specific organizational structure - for example, a matrix structure of an organization that involves double subordination - is often a source of stress for an employee who is forced to simultaneously carry out the orders of two managers;

Stressful management style - frequent use of methods of unjustified pressure and threats is one of the strongest stress factors for subordinates;

Work schedule pressure - shift work, and especially flexible work, often creates the need for a number of psychological and non-work life changes that are potential stressors. On the other hand, very busy work schedules that make it difficult or impossible to simultaneously meet work and personal needs can also be a significant stressor for people in a variety of work situations.

All of the above conditions are potential stressors, not factors that automatically cause stress. Reactions to these stressors vary from person to person. Sensitivity or resilience to stress is influenced by a number of situational and personality variables.

Conventionally, three groups of symptoms are distinguished ( external signs) stress:

1. Physiological - negative effects on all vital functions and human health (neurological, endocrine disorders, cardiovascular diseases, digestive disorders, etc.)

2. Psychological - negative psychological states (fatigue, restlessness, anxiety, fear, melancholy, irritability, etc.)

3. Behavioral - negative changes in human behavior (decrease in labor productivity, violation of discipline, conflict, antisocial behavior, alcohol abuse, etc.)

The mental states of personnel as a result of stress appear in three main forms: fatigue, monotony and mental tension.

1. Fatigue - a temporary decrease in performance under the influence of stress loads. Fatigue manifests itself in violations of basic functions and processes, transformation of motives for activity, and a decline in the quality of work.

2. Monotonia - a temporary decrease in performance as a result monotonous activity. The forms of manifestation of monotony are similar, but performance does not progressively decrease, but fluctuates. The onset of monotony is largely individual in nature.

3. Mental tension - a state of excitement due to the expectation of an unfavorable development of events, which quickly leads to fatigue.

To reduce the negative impact mental states impact on the organizational behavior of personnel, the manager needs to implement effective measures to prevent them.

2.2 Prevention of stress in work situations

We receive a significant part of stress as a result of conflicts generated by various production situations.

In this case, in any case, the “vertical” of business relations is affected: manager - subordinate. After all, even if ordinary employees are in conflict with each other, the manager cannot help but interfere in the process of resolving the conflict. Therefore, recommendations for stress prevention formulated managerial psychology, are deployed, as it were, on two “fronts”: managers, whose responsibilities include reducing the level of stress among employees, and subordinates, who are asked to protect themselves from stress and not serve as stressors for others. Anti-stress guide. To minimize the level of stress in the team without reducing productivity, the manager should listen to the following recommendations:

- “Think more often about the accuracy of assessing the abilities and inclinations of your employees. Compliance with these qualities in the volume and complexity of assigned tasks is an important condition for the prevention of stress among subordinates.”

- “Do not neglect “bureaucracy,” that is, a clear definition of the functions, powers and limits of responsibility of employees. This will prevent a lot of minor conflicts and mutual grievances.”

- “Do not be annoyed if an employee refuses a given task; it is better to discuss with him the validity of the refusal.

- “Demonstrate your trust and support to your subordinates as often as possible. (According to one of American Studies, employees who experienced significant stress, but felt supported by their boss, were half as sick during the year than those who did not notice such support).”

- “Use a leadership style that is appropriate to the specific production situation and the characteristics of the staff.”

- “When employees fail, evaluate first of all the circumstances in which the person acted, and not his personal qualities.”

- “Do not exclude compromises, concessions, apologies from your arsenal of means of communication with subordinates.”

- “Forbid yourself from using sarcasm, irony, humor aimed at a subordinate. If there is a need to criticize in some way, do not lose sight of the rules of constructive and ethical criticism."

- “Periodically think about ways to relieve the stress already accumulated by your subordinates. Keep in mind the problems of employee rest, the possibility of their emotional release, entertainment, etc.”

The implementation of these simple recommendations by managers can have a very significant impact on the level of stress in the team. At the same time, for the same purposes, it is proposed that superiors and subordinates do the same. People suffering from stress at work are usually offered the following list of ways to minimize stress at work:

If you are not satisfied with the working conditions and content, wage, promotion opportunities and other organizational factors, try to carefully analyze how feasible your organization is to improve these parameters.

Discuss your problems with colleagues and management. Take care not to appear blaming or complaining - you just want to solve a work problem that may not only affect you. ь Try to establish effective business relationship with your supervisor. Assess the scale of his problems and help him understand yours. Managers, as a rule, need feedback, but are not always able to provide it.

If you feel that the amount of work assigned to you is clearly beyond your capabilities, find the strength to say “no.” Take care to provide a balanced and thorough justification for your refusal. But don’t “slam the door”: explain that you are not at all against new tasks... if only you are allowed to free yourself from some of the old ones.

Do not hesitate to demand complete clarity and certainty from management and colleagues about the essence of the tasks assigned to you. If a production “role conflict” arises, that is, a deliberate contradiction in the requirements, do not bring the matter to a sad conclusion when you have to justify yourself for not completing one or another task.

Bring up for discussion the problem of incompatibility of the tasks assigned to you right away, focusing management’s attention on the fact that in the end it will be the business that will suffer, and not you personally.

When working hard, look for opportunities to briefly disconnect and rest. Experience shows that two 10-15 minute periods of relaxation per day are quite enough to maintain a high degree of performance. It is also useful to remember that failures at work are rarely fatal. When analyzing their reasons, it is better to compare yourself not with a tightrope walker, who has no right to make mistakes, but with a football forward, in whom, out of dozens of attempts to beat defenders, at most one or two are successful, but even that number is sometimes enough.

Gaining experience from one's own mistakes is the natural right of any person. Be sure to discharge your negative emotions, but in socially acceptable forms. Socially approved management of one's emotions does not consist in suppressing them, but in the ability to find suitable channels for their diversion or release. If you are very irritated, do not slam the door or shout at your colleagues, but find ways to take out your anger on something neutral: break a couple of pencils or start tearing up old papers, which, as a rule, are available in considerable quantities in any organization. Wait until the evening or weekend and give yourself any physical activity- better is one where you have to hit something (football, volleyball, tennis; at worst, beating carpets will do).

Try not to mix personal and professional relationships, etc.

Among such recommendations for reducing stress levels, formulated by modern managerial and psychological thought, there are also quite unexpected ones that go against generally accepted ideas. For example, there is a widespread belief that a fairly reliable protection against stress at work is a strong family, a “strong rear” in which an employee attacked by work stress finds consolation and support. However, everything is not so simple. American researchers Susan W. Kobasa and Mark K. Pusetti, who examined about two hundred workers at middle management level and above in one of the large companies, recorded a strange phenomenon. It turned out that workers who perceived their family as their greatest support had the highest rates of stress-related illnesses. This fact was confirmed even in relation to those who had such a social asset as a large salary or a high position. The essence of this situation was interpreted to mean that the families of workers do not provide them with the support that is required to overcome stress at work. While the work situation requires discipline from them or the mobilization of all forces, the family may support qualities that are not the most appropriate at such a moment - resentment towards colleagues and management, self-pity, shifting the blame to others or circumstances, etc.

The conclusion is obvious: not all family support can serve as a reliable refuge from stress. The recommendations listed above for preventing stress in work groups are inevitably quite general nature. A specific stressful situation is always unique because it is not last resort is determined by the individuality of a person exposed to stress (his temperament, character, communication style, etc.).

In addition, our susceptibility to stress at work depends in no small part on our general life background, that is, on how successfully we are able to get out of stressful situations generated by general social, family, age and other factors. In fact, professional stress- this is just one of the many types of stress that overcomes us. It, of course, has its own specifics. But the physiological nature of stress is the same. Therefore, a person who is seasoned in overcoming various life barriers and troubles should obviously cope more successfully than others with professional stressful situations.

Thus, one of the keys to success in overcoming work stress lies in the general life strategy of the individual, based on selected basic values and taking into account the characteristics of his personality.

2.3 Methods for coping with stress

Every day a person has to deal with various kinds stressful situations, all this, one way or another, affects psychological and physical health. But there are ways to help protect against the adverse effects of stress or even “prepare” for it. According to the famous West German specialist, doctor of medicine, who deals with stress problems Hannes Lindemann, a balanced change of tension and relaxation is decisive factor, which determines our well-being. What kills us is the lack of unloading and the inability to relax. Which ultimately leads to nervous exhaustion, insomnia and cardiovascular diseases.

The ability to relax is a natural reflex process, which is beyond the capabilities of many in our time of “crazy” rhythm and lightning-fast flow of information, when one overload is superimposed on another, one stress replaces another. However, this valuable skill can be learned by using the SPS - H. Lindemann's system of psychophysiological self-regulation. SPS consists of a set of exercises that teach psychophysical relaxation. Let's look at some of these exercises.

In the coachman's position. To take it, you need to sit straight on a chair, straighten your back, and then relax all your muscles. Don't lean forward too much. The eyes are half closed. The head is lowered to the chest, the legs are slightly apart and bent under obtuse angle, hands lie on the knees, not touching each other, elbows are slightly rounded - in a word, the characteristic pose of a cab driver dozing while waiting for the rider.

Passive pose. In a passive pose, the back and back of the head rest on the back of the chair or a head bolster, and the arms rest relaxed on the armrests. Otherwise, the passive pose is the same as the active one: legs slightly apart, toes slightly apart. The arms are slightly bent at the elbows and do not touch the legs. If the coachman's pose can be taken at work, for example, during a work break, then other exercises require not only a special place, but also additional time for their training.

Relaxation exercises for “heaviness and warmth.” This is an exercise for alternate tension or relaxation of one organ, which leads to the transfer of this state to others. Yes, relaxation right hand automatically leads to relaxation of the left. Relaxing the legs stimulates relaxation of the legs, which in turn leads to general muscle relaxation. Mastering these exercises, in addition to eliminating many functional disorders, also leads to normalization of heart function.

The feeling of warmth in the left hand reflexively spreads to the entire left half of the chest and expands the coronary vessels of the heart, which receive additional blood flow, and with it oxygen. Frequent exposure to exercises with heaviness and heat is enough to relieve neurological pain in the heart and regulate the rhythm and strength of its pulsation. "My right / left hand heavy…” The “heavy” formula allows you to quickly relax your muscles. You need to imagine it clearly: the muscles of the arms are relaxing - the fingers, the hand, the whole arm has become heavy. But this is a pleasant weakness: let it be the state that is experienced after a long and pleasant walk in the fresh air in the forest, after swimming in the river, or playing sports.

“My right/left hand is warm...” The “warmth” formula dilates blood vessels. In order to perform it, you need to mentally imagine a light down blanket that envelops your hand, or a stream of warm July air that warms your fingers... It should be noted that in the first and second cases, left-handers will begin practicing these exercises with their left hand, since she's in to a greater extent subject to suggestion. After each exercise, you must use the formula for getting out of the immersion state: Arms are tense Deep breathing I open my eyes and relax my hands. H. Lindeman recommends exercising “heaviness” and “heat” at least a few minutes a day, constantly increasing their duration.

Autotraining (a method of psychotherapy based on self-hypnosis): goal formula SPS exercises increase concentration, especially if the goal formula is introduced into the exercise system: Work brings joy. It's easy for me to work. I'm getting the job done. Everything is working out well. I am attentive, my thoughts are focused.

The train of thought is stable. These formulas relieve internal stress, increase motivation and are a kind of antidepressants. Intention (goal) formulas can also help with insomnia: The head is free from thoughts. I am indifferent to the worries and impressions of the day. I feel peace of mind.

I want to relax. Sleep sets in. But we must not forget that each person may have their own goal formulas. According to the recommendation of H. Lindeman, they cannot be numerous, since in each specific stressful situation they will mobilize a person in a certain way.

Psychophysical relaxation and auto-training will be more effective with the additional use of so-called “unconscious” methods of dealing with stress, which include color and aromatherapy.

Color therapy. Psychologists studying the influence of color on human perception have found that color, or rather the physical wave emanating from it, in a certain way affects a person’s well-being and even has a healing effect. So, red color increases internal energy, sexuality, normalizes blood circulation and metabolism.

Orange - helps relieve fatigue, blues, depression, uncertainty and fear.

This color helps to induce a surge of vitality. It is no coincidence that the ancients considered it the color of health and well-being. Yellow - increases concentration, improves mood and memory. Its effect is very beneficial for liver disorders. Green - promotes the rhythmic functioning of the heart, drainage of the eyes, has a moderate anti-inflammatory and antiallergic effect, is useful for reduced kidney function, dizziness, and nervousness.

Blue - calms, improves immunity, relieves inflammation and burning sensation, for example with sunburn, has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the thyroid gland. Blue - helps with insomnia, causes a feeling of comfort and peace, relieves tension, reduces arterial pressure, calms breathing. Purple - develops intuition, normalizes the state lymphatic system, helps with migraines. Those.

By choosing one color or another, you can not only cheer yourself up, but also adjust your physical condition. Aromatherapy. Since ancient times, the method of treatment with “aromas” has been one of the main methods of combating ailments. Even before the advent of medicines, people learned to use the healing properties of plants in the treatment of various diseases. They have not lost their relevance even today.

On the contrary, after a certain period of oblivion, herbal and aromatherapy again received their second wind. And they began to be actively and successfully used not only in medicine, but also in psychotherapy. Especially when working with clients who are in the stage of “deep” stress. It has been established that lavender essential oil reduces the excitability of the central nervous system, helps normalize the function of the autonomic nervous system, acting as a phytovegetative regulator. Essential oils of pine, spruce and basil are used for nervous exhaustion, insomnia, and nervous overload.

Essential oils that “create a mood” are orange, grapefruit, tangerine, lilac. Jasmine essential oil has an anti-stress and relaxing effect. Sage essential oil strengthens the nervous system. As has already become clear, there is the whole system preventive measures - ATP, auto-training, color and aromatherapy, which will help prevent the negative effects of stress on the body. There is, however, another effective means of “fighting stress”, it lies in the following golden rule: “If you cannot change the situation, try to change your attitude towards it.”

Conclusion

After studying the problem of stress in human life, we can conclude that our life is impossible without stress, because personal development each person happens only thanks to them. The founder of the doctrine of stress, Hans Selye, wrote: “You should not be afraid of stress. Only the dead do not have it. Stress must be managed.

Stress is inherently necessary for a person and does not have destructive consequences if you use methods to manage it. You can also use relaxation, meditation and self-regulation to combat stress. There are also physiological methods for stress management, which are based on improving a person’s physical condition in order to increase the effectiveness of dealing with stress. The role of the organization in stress management is also important. Here, there are wellness programs for employees, changes in the work environment, and training on stress management. Well, if everything is very bad and it is impossible to cope on your own, then you cannot do without the help of professionals.

After all, you can overcome a stressful situation and see your resource in it only thanks to a comprehensive psychological approach to solve this difficult problem. Only a professional can help with this. Thus, we can conclude that the goal of this course work was achieved and stress can and should be managed.

List of used literature:

1. Tyurin A. M. “How to avoid stress in an enterprise.” Textbook for universities. - St. Petersburg : Peter, 2005, 352 pp.

2. Selye G. “Stress without distress.” Riga, 2007, 109 pp.

3. Gibson J. L., Ivantsevich D. M., Donnelly D. H. - Jr. "Organizational behavior, structure, processes." Per. from English - 8th ed. - M.: INFRA-M, 2007, 662 pp.

4. Greenber J. “Stress Management.” 7th ed. - St. Petersburg : Peter, 2002, 496 pp.

5. Newstrom D., Davis K. “Organizational Behavior.” Ed. Peter - South, 2000, 448 pp.

6. “Management” / ed. MM. Maksimtsova. Ed. “Banks and Exchanges”, UNITY, 2008, 84 pp.

7. “Management” / ed. F.M. Rusinova. Moscow, ed. "FBK - PRESS", 2008, 504 pp.

8. Zhirikov E.S. "Psychology of management. A book for managers and HR managers." Ed. ICFER, 2002, 512 pp.

9. Siegert W., Lang L. “Lead without conflict.” Ed. "Economics", 1990, 336 pp.

10. Rozanova V. A. “Psychology of Management” Textbook, ed. 2nd revised and expanded. JSC Business School "Intel - Synthesis", 2003, 384 pp.

11. Meskon M.H., Albert M., Khedouri F. “Fundamentals of Management.” 3rd ed. - M.: “Delo”, 2008, 704 pp.

12. “Organizational Personnel Management” / ed. AND I. Kibanova. Ed. "INFRA-M", 2006, 638 pp.

13 . “Models and methods of personnel management” Russian-British textbook / ed. Morgunova E. B. - M.: JSC “Business School “Intel-Sintez”, 2001, 464 pp.

14. Ozhegov S.I., Shvedova N.Yu. Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. Russian Cultural Foundation; 2nd ed., corrected and expanded. AZB, 2005, 956 pp.

15. Modern philosophy: Dictionary and reader. / Rep. ed. doc. Philosopher Sciences Kokhanovsky V.P. - Rostov-on-Don: Phoenix, 2005, 511 pp.

16. Article by T.E. Mirtskhulava “An attempt at an approximate assessment of life expectancy using the theory of fatigue failure” / T.E. Mirtskhulava // Ecological systems and devices. - 2004 - N 4. - p.

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Stress from a scientific point of view

When we perceive a situation as dangerous:

the adrenal glands release cartisol into our blood, giving the body a surge of energy and strength to help cope with the problem;

increases our tolerance to pain and improves memory;

Adrenaline and norepinephrine enhance the functioning of the endocrine glands and brain. This is why under stress a person makes decisions faster, but not better;

endurance increases.

Scientists call this type of stress “fight or flight.” It mobilizes us and gives us energy for immediate action.

Those. stress is a reaction of adaptation to a changing environment.

But if this is a coping mechanism, why do I feel bad while in this state? Why do scientists warn about the negative effects of excessive stress on human health? The fact is that in the modern world the “Fight or Flight” mechanism works too often, turning on not only in real dangers, but also in many “neutral” situations. We get nervous, stuck in traffic jams, getting reprimanded by our bosses, and not getting a promotion for a long time. And in every such situation, stress hormones negatively affect our health. And most importantly, they disorganize our activities, reducing its productivity.

This means that a modern person needs a special skill, the ability to regulate the level of stress in his life. We encourage you to learn stress management techniques.

The Fight or Flight Stress Mechanism

In our life there is stressors is an external environmental factor that you perceive as a threat. Everyone has their own attitude towards problematic situations, which is why stressors vary from person to person.

What is the right thing to do at the stage of acute stress? It is important to know that you can take control of your condition and influence it. How to do this, read further in the article. Now let's try to figure it out Does stress prevent you from thinking realistically? Yes. Learn to monitor the symptoms of stress in yourself and change negative thoughts (“I won’t succeed,” “I don’t know anything”) with positive ones that will help in situations that require stress.

Stress interferes with our ability to accept right decisions and narrows our vision of the situation.

The stress response is a series of interconnected events, each of which triggers the next. Physiological reaction stress leads to panic and negative emotions. This prevents you from correctly assessing the situation and making the best decision.

Is it possible to stop this increase and take control of the situation? Yes. The skill of stress resistance consists of the ability to take control of emotions, thoughts and one’s own perceptions and thereby change the course of stress and reduce it.

What factors lead to increased stress?

Perception of the situation as a stressor.
Emotional negative experiences: fear, uncertainty, anger.
Negative thoughts and expectations.
Lack of experience.

Considering these factors, how to stop the development of stress?

Perception of the situation as typical. Those. you have already encountered this before and now you can handle it without problems.
Control your emotions.
Positive thinking and attitude.
Developed communication skills: public speaking skills, working with people, ability to take criticism.

Personal and universal stress factors

How do each of us know when we are in a stressful situation? By internal tension which we experience in response to a situation or if we are under stress long time. This tension is a response to external causes.

How to meet and recognize your stressors? Previously, we determined that for tension to arise, an external stimulus is needed - a stressor. This is some source that frightens, threatens or annoys us. Any objects around you are just potential sources of stress. It all depends on how you yourself perceive these reasons, whether I consider them a reason for a response.

Your first reaction to stress is to redirect the stress energy in a positive direction.

Let's look at 2 facts about stressors that everyone should know:

Each person has his own personal TOP stressors, i.e. they are subjective. These are the stressors that have arisen in the course of our lives, depend on our personal history and are quite typical for us. On the other hand, these stressors cause tension right now if you think about them.

Eat universal stressors, which enhance the effect of our personal ones. These are the significance of the situation, its novelty, the level of workload, lack of time and uncertainty of the situation. Those. a range of conditions that are almost always perceived as stressors.

By being aware of personal and universal stressors, we can significantly reduce their impact on us. But how to deal with stressors?

Make your TOP stressors, be sure to take into account the effect of universal factors.
Determine the degree of your influence on the situation. Often we cannot change situations and we need to figure out what we can control and what we can only accept.
Divide the identified stressors into 3 baskets:

I can influence and I can overcome stress;

And I influence indirectly;

Outside my control. I can only accept reality and adapt to it.

Make an action plan in relation to stressors:

Take action in an area where you can make a difference right now;

Make a long-term plan to deal with stressors where you influence indirectly;

Accept stressors that are outside your control.

Thus, by being aware of our personal stressors and determining the extent of our influence on the situation, we take the first step towards reducing our stress. What if emotions run high and the stressor is universal and hard to control? Read more about this below.

How to deal with emotions?

When we are criticized or accused, what do we feel at that moment? We are overwhelmed by a wave of anger, irritation, anxiety, which does not allow us to concentrate on analyzing the situation sensibly. Our emotions in a stressful situation are regulated not by our intellect or our willpower, but by the primitive “Fight or Flight” response. That is why their effect on us is so total. Emotions literally overwhelm us. Under their influence, we act impulsively, and then regret it, reproaching ourselves for our intemperance.

When we are in a situation of stress, the situation seems more threatening and catastrophic than it really is. And knowing this, we must begin to influence our emotions, understanding that the decision made largely depends on them.

What to do? Calming scheme negative emotions might look like this:

Realize your emotion, take a break.
Take a breath to stop the build-up of negative feelings.
Recover from unpleasant experiences.

Let's take a closer look. The first step of emotional self-regulation is the need to get rid of the automated reaction to immediately respond to a stressor (criticize - immediately attack in response, accuse - immediately make excuses). The first reaction is not always the most appropriate. We need to learn how to shift the lever internal control from emotions to awareness of what is really happening. It takes effort, but if you practice as often as possible, you can develop a very important skill - switch from emotions to making thoughtful decisions.

Breathing under stress

Let's go even further and learn to influence our emotions before they ruin our relationship with our opponent. Psychologists have long established that the body and emotions mutually influence each other. And techniques for regulating emotional states rely primarily on working with breathing. When you breathe calmly and measuredly, signals are sent to your brain - everything is calm, there is no reason to worry. And you automatically take control of the Fight or Flight mechanism.

Most breathing techniques work during an unpleasant situation. They can be used in any situation where acute stress prevents us from thinking clearly.

The basis of any technique is to focus on inhalation and exhalation. Our goal is to make our breathing deep and calm.

Relaxation through breathing.

Inhale for 3 counts, pause for one count, exhale for 5 counts.

Sit in a comfortable position

Take a short, deep breath.

Exhale slowly.

The exhalation should be uniform and long. Keep your inhalation relatively short but calm.

The exhalation should be at least 2 times longer than the inhalation. The longer the exhalation, the greater fortune relaxation can be achieved.

Observe the feeling of relaxation. As your body begins to relax, you may feel a feeling of warmth and heaviness in your arms and legs.

When you can make the inhale shorter than the exhale without your control, you have learned the technique.

The transition to calm, slow breathing reduces emotional stress, the psyche and physiology begin to work normally.

I also offer you a visualization technique - imagining yourself in a pleasant, empowering place. This technique is suitable for restoring a normal emotional state.

How does visualization work? Our brain can respond to a picture in our minds in the same way as it does to a fact in real life. When using visualization as a relaxation technique, we include an imaginary picture in which we feel ourselves in a world free of tension and anxiety.

Find a quiet, peaceful place. Beginners sometimes fall asleep during visualization meditation, so you can try doing the exercise while sitting or standing.

Close your eyes and let all your daily worries fade away for a while. Imagine that you are in a calm place. And imagine it as vividly as you can. You must see, hear, smell and feel everything that is happening around you.

When visualizing, choose an image that you like, not one that someone else offers you or you think is more attractive. Let your images come and work with them.

If you think of a quiet mountain lake, for example:

Mentally walk along the shore of the lake, pay attention to the color and texture of the water and objects around you.

Spend some time exploring each of your feelings.

Watch the sun set over the water.

Listen to the birds singing.

Smell the pine needles.

Feel the cool water washing your feet.

Smell the fresh, clean mountain air.

Enjoy the feeling of deep relaxation. When the session ends, carefully open your eyes and return to reality.

Don't worry if extraneous thoughts, images appear during the session, or if you lose your controlled visual image. This is fine. You may experience a feeling of stiffness or heaviness in your limbs, small and involuntary muscle movements, coughing, or yawning. Again, this is a normal reaction.

You can incorporate these two relaxation techniques into your daily routine, practicing at your desk during lunch, during your bus ride to work, or to the office. This works not only to relieve stress, but also to restore our emotional strength and increase our resistance to stress.

But it is still impossible to avoid all negative experiences. And here the proverb “In healthy body - healthy mind". And here we can highlight the best means for recovery from stress: sleep and physical activity. These are the best ways to neutralize the negative effects of stress.

So let's do it Conclusions on working with emotions:

When you are overwhelmed, focus on your emotions and become aware of them, take a break.
Work with your breath in situations where you are anxious or irritable, using visualization techniques to restore a normal emotional state.
Support your body with sleep and physical activity.

About how to change our internal dialogue to a positive and creative one, later in our article.

Positive Thinking Techniques

Modern science has proven that the way we deal with stress matters greatly to our minds and health. Indoor installation the fact that the condition can be controlled and, therefore, reduce the level of anxiety, is a technique that increases stress resistance.

The scheme for working with thoughts looks like this:

Adjust your expectations from others.
Evaluate the situation.
Reformulate from a problem to a task.

One of the most common causes of stress is the contradiction between reality and a person’s ideas. Your reaction is equally triggered by both real events, and from those existing in your imagination. Therefore, stress-resistant thinking begins with realistic attitudes and expectations. Lowering expectations often leads to lower stress levels.

About 70% of all experiences occur about events that exist in a person’s imagination, and not in reality.

When you become aware of a stressful situation, ask yourself a few simple questions:

How dangerous is the situation?

How will it affect my life?

Can I change the situation?

Can I change my attitude towards the situation?

What will this situation give and teach me?

A sober assessment of the situation will help you get rid of catastrophic thinking, which can only increase stress. It is much easier to remain resilient in conditions of uncertainty if you treat problems as temporary difficulties that will sooner or later be resolved.

By changing your attitude towards the situation, you can look at the problem from a different angle and find a new solution.

Reframing from a problem to a task

Another positive thinking technique. Let's look at how the technique works in practice.

Problem: “I don’t know where to go.”

Task: “Figure out which direction we should move.”

Another example:

Problem: “I’m really annoyed by my boss’s criticism.”

Let's reformulate it into a task: “I want to learn to take criticism more calmly and constructively, this will help me improve my work.”

Positive thinking assumes that in our lives there are defeats, stress, and victories. The task of the individual is to learn to correctly perceive and explain these events. This is not a “everything is fine” mindset, it is a mindset that allows you to see what is working, what CAN go well.

Positive thinking is also related to our proactivity, i.e. the ability to take responsibility for your life.

Many people subconsciously ignore the difficulties that surround them and try not to notice them. Examples could be conflicts in a team, Boring job, low salary, bad relationship with management. Learn to be honest with yourself, admit the problem, realize its role in your life and your contribution to its development. Self-deception has never helped anyone. Assess the degree of your influence on it, think about how to get out of it with the least loss for yourself. And without delay, start taking action. Eliminate problems that are stressful for you.

Stress-resistant behavior

Analyze what knowledge and skills you lack to become more stress-resistant. These can be professional skills (the ability to speak in public, writing reports), universal ones (communication skills, accepting criticism), personal ones (the ability to build constructive relationships with people).

Let's talk about these skills and how they relate to increased resilience.

Time management skills. We often experience stress because we fail to meet deadlines for what needs to be done. The only solution is planning and proper time management. To do this, prioritize achieving your own goals. Identify what you are working on right now, such as 5 priority goals, and tackle them sequentially rather than simultaneously. The rest of the goals that are not included in the top five priorities, either complete or abandon them.

Compose detailed plan actions with timing of how you will realize the first goal. Monitor your progress towards your goal and reward yourself for following the plan.

Scientists have proven that if we keep several unfinished tasks in our heads, it prevents us from being productive in the current task.

Communication Skill. This skill includes the ability to logically and reasonably express one’s thoughts, the ability to listen and hear the interlocutor, the ability to build communication in such a way that communication brings benefit and pleasure to both parties.

If you have identified that your communication brings you unpleasant experiences and causes tension, then your stress resistance resource is developing its communication skills.

Skill in dealing with criticism is also very important for reducing tension. Nobody likes criticism, especially if it is unconstructive. But it is in your power to “pump up” this skill and begin to treat criticism as an opinion; start to perceive it less emotionally and more productively.

The skill of building constructive relationships. If relationships with others are harmonious, they fill us with energy and optimism. If a relationship with someone upsets us or is conflictual, we focus heavily on what the other person should do or not do in order to stop causing us problems. If we are unable to take a neutral position and have a positive attitude towards a person, we deprive ourselves of the opportunity to influence the situation.

To build constructive relationships, change your attitude towards your interlocutor, change your manner of speech, look for a competent approach to your interlocutor.

Work on your skills. This will help reduce stress in the long run.

Personal resources for coping with stress

Each of us has a fairly extensive set of external and internal resources. Man in different periods has access to a wide variety of resources in his or her life. However, we are not always aware of their presence, and sometimes we cannot access them due to some psychological barriers: the influence of your past negative experience, inadequacy of parental attitudes or negative thinking.

Let's conduct an audit of what resources we have and which we need to receive or develop.

Our personality. Over the course of our lives, you and I have developed into bright individuals. And at the same time, having certain traits will help us cope with stress. It's never too late to change and develop if we see the meaning in it.

Psychologists have found that having the following qualities significantly improves our ability to cope with stress and remain productive:

Emotional stability of the individual;

The ability to take responsibility for what is happening in your life;

Positive thinking;

Confident behavior without aggression and avoidance of the situation;

A person’s willingness to turn to other people for support;

Having faith in one's own abilities;

Optimism.

Look at this list and compare which qualities you already have and which ones you would like to develop in yourself. We have already trained many of these qualities above in the article.

External conditions to improve stress resistance: a healthy lifestyle (proper nutrition and physical activity), time for rest and proper sleep, care for maintaining and strengthening health, favorite hobbies, communication with loved ones, optimal conditions work, caring for others.

Strategy for increasing stress resistance

And finally, let's build your personal strategy for increasing stress resistance:

Observe yourself for some time and figure out what your personal and universal stressors are.
Make a plan to deal with your stressors.
Learn to influence your emotional state - master techniques for rapid self-regulation using breathing and visualization.
Work with your thoughts - learn to assess the situation and train positive thinking, master the “From problem to task” technique.
Improve your skills, including communication skills - work to improve yourself and accept others for who they are.
Create a long-term stress reduction strategy and enjoy your life as much as possible.

In this article, we looked at how to work with perception, to separate personal stressors from universal ones, controllable from uncontrollable. How to work with emotions and learn to cope with them in a stressful situation and switch from emotions to solving a problem. We learned how to work with thoughts, learned to see a problem as a task, and practiced positive thinking. We developed a plan to increase stress resistance. We made a diagram of the necessary self-improvement to better cope with our typical stressors. How to recognize stressors, distinguish them from universal ones and reduce the impact of both.

Stress is an integral part of everyday reality. A person often faces emotional stress, which often leads to low mood, a feeling of depression, and a feeling of hopelessness. In such cases, it seems to people that the familiar world has been destroyed and nothing good will ever happen again. However, it is always worth remembering that these are only feelings, and not reality itself. Stress management will help restore peace of mind and return to the joys of life. When nervous shocks occur one after another, a period of recovery is necessary. At this point, it is extremely important to learn ways to manage stress. Let's take a closer look at them.

Ability to refuse

In life, it is extremely important to learn to say “no”. Unfortunately, not all people are friendly, and not everyone has enviable delicacy. It is important to be able to refuse offers that do not promise anything good. If a person is easy enough to manipulate, then someone will definitely be found who will skillfully take advantage of such a situation. The manipulator will begin to harm such a person, and the person himself will not notice how he begins to suffer. This is why it is so important to learn to refuse those who deliberately take energy and put you in a state of emotional powerlessness.

Switching attention

There are other methods of stress management. What is important to remember here? Switching attention has a very good effect on the emotional background. When a person gets hung up on a problem for a long time, he doesn’t really find a way out. He simply grinds the same emotions in himself day after day, which harms his physical and emotional state. Even in the most difficult cases you need to try to see something good in life, celebrate the bright moments.

Switching attention will help when a person is constantly fixated on some points and cannot accept the right decision. In this case, you need to start thinking about something else, direct your thoughts to something truly worthwhile and interesting. This approach has a relaxing effect. The person gradually calms down, as anxious thoughts stop, giving way to something truly good and bright. In some cases, to solve a sensitive problem, it is enough to approach it from a different angle. It is important to think about something good that will truly inspire and bring joy.

Avoiding Negative Communication

Some people tend to have a negative influence on others. It is advisable to stop all communication with such individuals. And if this is not possible, then it is better to reduce communication to a minimum. Can't be allowed in stressful state on its own, you can and should learn to manage it. A person must truly take true responsibility for everything that happens to him. Stress management starts with conscious choice.You need to try to make a decision that would allow you to feel at least satisfactory, and would not make you feel guilty and disappointed.

Refusal of negative communication in many ways allows you to protect yourself from stress and regain a state of mental balance. This technique can be mastered by every person who strives to harmonize his psychological state. Having learned to work on yourself and stay positive in almost any life circumstances, the personality becomes spiritually stronger and more resilient. Then comes the realization that every person has the power to control himself and manage his emotional state. There are ways and techniques that actually allow you to achieve a state of internal relaxation. This kind of relaxation won't hurt anyone.

Letting go of grievances

A very powerful method that has many advantages. The fact is that throughout one’s life a person faces injustice, the inattention of others, and various difficulties. Accumulating grievances does not bring anything good. The person becomes irritable and more susceptible to various physical ailments. Letting go of grievances allows you to cleanse yourself internally and regain your joy in life. Even the state of health will change, since the person will stop harming himself. Letting go of accumulated grievances consists of several stages. You need to do everything gradually, without trying to solve the problem entirely at once. At the first stage, you just need to learn to accept the inevitable. In relaxation practice, this period is called internal restoration. This is the moment when internal conflicts and disagreements within an individual are eliminated. Having taken the first step, you must definitely move forward.

The subsequent stages are associated with the formation of a positive attitude towards oneself. It is necessary to work on self-esteem, to strive to begin to understand and accept one’s own essence. Touchy man tends to withdraw into himself and not notice the good that exists in the world around him. This position inevitably leads to sad consequences. How to manage stress? You don't just need to learn to control own emotions, and also get rid of grievances. There is no point in constantly blaming yourself or others for something that has already happened. This way a person will definitely not improve his health. We must try with all our might to free ourselves from grievances, because they actually interfere with life and prevent us from achieving significant goals.

Future plans

This is a necessary aspect that allows you to control your internal state. You need to have plans for the future in order to understand what you need to strive for. If you live without focusing on your desires, without making any efforts, then at some point a person will simply find himself absorbed in his own experiences. You need to understand what to strive for, where to direct your efforts. Everyone has opportunities, but not everyone actually realizes them. If you have a detailed plan in your head for what needs to be done in life, there will be fewer useless days and despondency. After all, a busy person has absolutely no time to be bored and torment himself with unnecessary worries!

Implementation of plans

Whatever your plans, you must definitely move towards your goals. It is unacceptable to give up and constantly refuse new opportunities. You need to move towards your dream, be sure to strive to realize your goals. Only then will you find the strength to fully move forward, not forgetting about the emerging prospects. People should not dwell on failures, then they will stop repeating. The person himself often complicates the situation by trying in every possible way to isolate himself from his own essence. However, you cannot run away from yourself. You can achieve relaxation by calming your mind.

When the first real victories appear, it becomes much easier to believe in your own prospects. A person in his mind necessarily mentally notes any achievements. When enough of them accumulate, self-confidence is formed. With such confidence, you can never stop there and strive for ever greater achievements. You just need to continue to act, to actually move in the direction of what you want. If every person understood the importance of constantly working on themselves, the world would change.

Meditation

Any spiritual practice has a positive impact on the individual. A person thus gets the opportunity to work on himself and not dwell on previously achieved results. Meditation as a type of spiritual practice is highly effective and helps release large amounts of free energy. This gives a person a colossal emotional boost. Feeling in myself mental strength, you can truly achieve any goal. This is how a person gains self-confidence. He is already quite capable of managing his own emotional state. Stress will be avoided if you practice meditation daily. How more personality trains, the more results she can achieve.

Meditation is incredibly beneficial for any emotional disorder. All because self-confidence is gained. It helps even with physical ailments: it normalizes body temperature, relieves severe pain, and starts the healing process of the body. Support from people who practice meditation for a long time, may also be useful. Don't be shy about asking for help when you really need it. There is nothing stupider than trying to cope alone with many of life's difficulties.

Thus, anyone can learn to manage stress. You just need to constantly work on yourself.