Stress Management

Revision as of 11:04, 14 February 2022

New Title: Managing acute stress in the workplace.

Stress Management - "Stress management is a wide spectrum of techniques and psychotherapies aimed at controlling a person's level of stress, especially chronic stress, usually for the purpose of and for the motive of improving everyday functioning."

Table of Contents:

• Big idea: describe the tool, concept, or theory and explain its purpose. The section should reflect the current state of the art on the topic

• Application: provide guidance on how to use the tool, concept, or theory and when it is applicable

• Limitations: critically reflect on the tool/concept/theory. When possible, substantiate your claims with literature

• Annotated bibliography: Provide key references (3-10), where the reader can find additional information on the subject.

Areas to cover:

• Methods and techniques used to manage short-term stress.

• Internal causes and symptoms of stress within a project team.

• External causes of stress within a project team and/or workplace.

Introduction

According to The American Institute of Stress, work is the greatest source of stress within individuals, with 94% of American workers reporting having experienced work-related stress on a regular basis ^{[1] [2]}. In recent decades, the research performed on stress has intensified. Stress Management entails many different methods and techniques designed to alter self-behavior in order to better manage stress. There are three main types of stress: Individual, Organizational, and Societal. For the purpose of this article, we will focus on Individual stress, as this is most prominent within project groups and workplaces ^[3].

Chronic stress which is also known as long-term stress is not something that can be fixed overnight or even within a few days. Long-term stress is usually caused by chronic illnesses, traumatic events, and/or poor financial situations. It usually requires taking serious measures, consulting a psychologist, and sadly is hard to manage consistently ^[4]. Acute stress, on the other hand, which is also known as short-term stress, is characterized by behavioral symptoms that are affected by factors within a short period of time ^[5]. In other words, if proper techniques and methods are used, the causes and symptoms of acute stress can be properly managed. The issue is that, as mentioned before, the workplace is the largest source of stress within individuals. It is far too common for stress in the workplace to persistently reoccur, which can then have long-term effects. Acute stress can produce several physical and psychological symptoms for members of a team within a project's lifetime. These symptoms can severely affect their ability to work effectively as well as affect their colleagues ^[6]. The increasing drive to support individuals who suffer from stress-related issues is a clear sign of how important it is for project managers to address acute stress issues within their teams.

The purpose of this article is to provide a detailed explanation of the different internal and external causes of short-term (acute) stress in a project team, as well as describe the current methods and techniques used to manage short-term stress as an individual within a project team.

Internal Causes of Stress

Internal stress is stress that comes from within individuals and is said to be the most common cause of stress ^[7].

References

1. ↑ [42 Worrying Workplace Stress Statistics] https://www.stress.org/42-worrying-workplace-stress-statistics#:~:text=In%202019%2C%2094%25%20of%20American,experiencing%20stress%20at%20their%20workplace.&text=According%20to%20Wrike's%20United%20States,of%20stress%20were%20unreasonably%20high.
2. ↑ [Copying with stress at work.] https://www.apa.org/topics/healthy-workplaces/work-stress
3. ↑ [Stress Management in Research Papers] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267794226_Stress_Management_In_Research_Projects
4. ↑ [Long-term Stress Management] https://humanstress.ca/stress/trick-your-stress/stress-management-quick-fixes/
5. ↑ [Acute Stress Reaction.] https://patient.info/mental-health/stress-management/acute-stress-reaction#:~:text=An%20acute%20stress%20reaction%20occurs,after%20an%20unexpected%20life%20crisis.
6. ↑ [Stress Management and Innovation Interventions at Work] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/001872679604900205
7. ↑ [A Guide to Stress - First Psychology UK] https://www.firstpsychology-assistance.co.uk/resources-detail?URL=Stress-guide