10-09-2013, 12:24 PM
Executives and the Stress Factor
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Introduction
We all experience stress at some point of time or the other. When we cannot manage our physical, psychological and sociological demands, we are said to be under stress. Factors that make us stressed are usually known as stressors. Because of the fact that we generally tend to misuse terms and use them loosely, the word stress rings a bell in our minds and associates it with negativity. Technically speaking, stress is necessarily neither negative nor positive. It becomes negative or positive depending on how we perceive it and how much it effects us.
For example, the pressure of a deadline can make an executive excited. While on the one hand, he or she may take it up as a challenge and work hard to achieve the goal, on the other hand, the same deadline may appear frustrating to somebody else and the person might break down. Hence, neither stress nor a stressor is either good or bad. It all depends on how we react to it. When a stress becomes `too much' for us and we cannot cope with it, we experience the state of `distress'. Distress is unhealthy and a continuation of it can affect the mind and the body negatively. Again, when we experience some stress which we consider to be within a limit and can be sorted out, it becomes a positive stress. We feel satisfted and happy at being able to cope up with it. This helps us in motivating ourselves and in integrating our personality in a better way. This is the state of `eustress'.
It has been observed by psychologists that it is our perception that decides whether a stress is distress or eustress, and that the degree of intensity of a stress is also a matter of our own perspective.
We generally tend to think that stress is caused by external stimuli. But this is not the fact. It is not the stimuli that causes stress, but our interpretation of it. A same event can cause distress in somebody and eustress in somebody else. For example, speaking in public may appear stressful to some and motivating to others. It is also true that mild forms of stress can act as motivators and can energize a person to do something.
Stress, which is a part of our day-to-day life, has also become a part of our working life. Stress is not always apparent, and is often subtly present without causing much harm. Much of such stress arises from conflicts, contradicting values, cognitive dissonance and too much of pressure. Many a time these stresses harm our performance because we stress ourselves out in our efforts to cope up with them. The degree of stress a person feels under a particular situation depends on how much harm the person thinks the situation can do to him/her. Many a time it has been found that some stressors can also be imaginary. Some past incidents might have depressed us leading us to apprehend a similar situation in the future. This causes anxiety and poses a threat to mental peace.
In today's era of globalization, contradiction, complication and stress have become an integral part of our existence. No one happens to be an exception to this, not in the least the executives.
Signs of Exhaustion
• Continual fatigue, exhaustion and a sense of being physically drained out
• Cynicism
• Showing anger at the persons making demands
• Cynicism towards self
• Persecution complex
• Losing temper on fine trigger
• Frequent gastrointestinal disturbances
• Frequent headaches
• Losing or gaining weight
• Depression
• Distrust
• Shortness of breath
• Feelings of helplessness
• Increased degree of recklessness
• Feeling anxious and scared
• Susceptibility to illness
• Feeling irritable
• Feeling moody
• Low self-esteem
How to Manage Stress?
It is very essential that executives who are practically perpetually stressed, learn to take rest and relax. It is good for all us that we learn to manage stress.
There are essentially two main ways to manage stress:
1. To learn how to switch off sensors which detect stressors, through various relaxation techniques.
2. To learn how not to unconsciously turn them on in the very first place.
Here are some basic strategies culled from management coaches, counselors and consultants who work regularly with executives under high-pressure:
• Relaxing: It helps in reducing the physical effects of stress resulting in better thinking, better feeling and better performance. Taking a deep breath can do wonders in eradicating stress.
Conclusion
Corporate executives in today's business environment face constant change and the stress that comes with it. Their mental robustness and emotional well-being can make a real difference, not just to their health, but also to their levels of achievement.