Causes and effects of stress in project management

Developed by Casper Stenbæk

Notes for the reviewer: Figures and formatting will be done later, as the initial article is written in Word for the word counter and backup reasons. Areas to cover:

• Managing your own stress.
• Managing a stressed team member.
• Project stressors.
• External vs Internal stressors.

Introduction/Abstract

This article will describe the causes and effects of stress in project management. The hope is that this article will be a starting point to understanding both how to manage the stress of team members, and how to prevent the stress from forming in the first place. The article will not be considering communication strategies although communication is a critical part of stress management. To frontload the information, tangible tools are first described, providing quick access for urgent situations. The starting point will be a short description of stress as a physiological process, what the mechanisms are, and how it affects the persons experiencing it. The article will also cover some of the important models around stress in workplaces. After a thorough description of the mechanics of stress, the article will list the common causes of stress. It is currently uncertain whether it is feasible to write a management strategy for each cause, or if a general management technique should be provided instead, this will be clearer after more research. In any case, the article will then provide techniques and strategies for managing this stress. The techniques will mainly be from the managers perspective, but methods should also be relevant for general workers.

What you can do as a manager

In order to help the reader of this article, here are the fundamental things you can do to help your team in terms of stress. This is both for managing existing stress, as well as preventative measures, to ensure that stress does not form in the first place.

For your team members

• Encourage getting enough, good quality sleep. When it comes to stress, the number one factor in processing stress is getting enough sleep. For most adults this ranges between 7-9 hours, although a few can function fine with 6, and some others need upwards of 10. Whatever the stressor may be, having a robust sleep schedule is key to processing and overcoming it. The quality of sleep can be improved by reducing interruptions, lowering the amount of blue light in the evening (reducing screen-time is most effective), and by having a consistent schedule.
• Ensure proper distribution of workload. Taking care to make sure that employees are only given tasks they can realistically handle is key. If you notice a stressed team member, reducing their workload temporarily can help them immensely in overcoming stress.
• Provide resources for managing stress. Some employees may not be aware of how to handle their stress. In this case, resources or education should be provided, such that they are able to handle their own stress. Examples of resources could be:
  • Training on prioritisation, delegation, and time-management.
  • Access to personal stress management (meditation techniques, self-help book etc.).
  • In more extreme cases, help them to get in contact with a mental health professional.

For yourself

• Getting enough, good quality sleep. No matter if you’re a PM or an employee, you’re still a human being. Therefore, getting sleep applies to you as well.
• Relaxation, meditation, and mindfulness exercises.
• Social safety net. Friends, family,
• Physical activity.
• Avoid alcohol and drugs

[1] [2] [3]

The physiological processes of stress

The physiological processes behind stress are key to understanding the causes and effects. Here, the overall response is covered including topics such as, fight-or-flight, alarm, resistance, and exhaustion/rest. To make this matter easier to understand, an example is provided.

The General Adaption Syndrome (GAS)

The General Adaption Syndrome, developed by Hans Selye in the 1950s is the medical term for what a living organism, such as humans, does when exposed to any kind of stress, positive or negative. This syndrome explains the changes in the body’s chemistry that happen over the process of responding to the stress. GAS has three distinct phases, an initial phase where the sympathetic nervous system (Fight-or-flight system) activates, a following phase where the organism makes efforts to cope with the stress, and a third and final stage of either exhaustion or recovery which happens when the organism fails or succeeds in overcoming the stressor and either depletes its physiological resources or recovers the spent energy over a resting period.

Alarm phase

The first phase when encountering stress is the alarm phase. This phase consists of two parts, a shock part where the body endures/becomes aware of the stressor, and a second, anti-shock part in which the body responds by producing chemicals that heighten awareness and response time, adrenaline, and numbs pain, cortisol (aka the stress-hormone). The second part is what is more commonly known as the fight-or-flight response. EXAMPLE: An employee learns that they are falling behind in terms of productivity, and if they don’t increase their productivity they will be fired. Although the body is not in any physical danger, it reacts in the same way, as if a dangerous animal was just sighted in close proximity to a campsite. This activates the alarm phase, where the fight-or-flight response shuts down digestion, increases heart rate and generally makes the body ready for action.

Resistance Phase

Body attempts to cope in productive (solving the problem) or non-productive (avoiding the problem) ways. In addition to the adrenaline produced in the Alarm phase, another chemical is produced, noradrenaline, which has similar, but less intense effects, and focuses more on the blood vessels where adrenaline focuses on the heart. [4] EXAMPLE: The employee now begins to feel normal again, the noradrenaline helping them to stay focused on their work and dealing with the immediate problem. Here, the body is burning some of its limited chemical resources to help deal with the stressor.

Exhaustion/Recovery Phase

Prolonged exposure to stress eventually drains the body’s chemical arsenal, and the person experiencing the stress will then enter the last phase, exhaustion. Here, the body is unable to maintain normal function and symptoms that appeared in the first stage may reappear (sweating, heart rate increase, etc.). As such the body is now no longer equipped to fight stress and may begin to experience tiredness, depression, anxiety, and feelings of hopelessness. If the stressor is overcome during the resistance phase, then the body uses the third phase to rebuild the chemical resources that were used. This requires a safe and comfortable environment where the natural counterpoint to fight-or-flight: the rest-and-digest process, can begin. Here, the body uses the nutrients gained through eating and drinking to synthesise the chemicals needed for the next time a stressor presents itself. This is why eating healthy and nourishing food is also vital in handling and recovering from stress. EXAMPLE (Exhaustion): Even though the employee has been hard at work for a prolonged time now, he is still nowhere close to finishing the work (or the workload has been repeatedly increased), with the cost of failure still being the loss of the job. Now the chemical resources of the body are used up, causing the employee to have low amounts of energy, as well as a weakened immune system. In this example, this manifests in a sense of hopelessness, and depression. EXAMPLE (Recovery): If the employee manages to finish his work, or the stressor is otherwise removed (completed by someone else, no longer necessary to avoid loss of job, etc.) then the employee can begin the recovery process, where the body replenishes the resources spent in handling the stress. This is done in periods where there are no active stressors for the body to handle, and the normal processes of digesting food and conserving energy are possible (e.g., going to a comfortable and safe environment such as home).

Physical and psychological effects of prolonged stress

• Increased susceptibility to illness
• Increased susceptibility to mental stuff
• lower productivity

Causes of stress

The causes of stress are numerous, and many different models [Refer to them] have been proposed to try to explain the occurrence of workplace stress. One of the most influential models is the Demand-Control-Support model [possible link], in which stress is caused by high demands, low control and/or lack of support from the environment (team, management etc.). [source] This model is mainly analytical and will therefore recommend general solutions that are not based on the individuals needs. [pulled out of my ass]. Because of the complexity of the causes of occupational stress, it is often helpful to divide the causes into two categories: external and internal. By doing this, it is possible to distinguish between factors that might be affecting the entire team, such as the general working conditions of the workplace, and more individual focused factors, such as workplace bullying or sexual harassment.

External (General (affects whole team))

Working conditions (volatility of workplace), workload, long hours, salary,

Internal (Personal (affects select individuals))

Status (and occupational group), workplace bullying, narcissism and psychopathy, sexual harassment, work-life balance, major life events

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Personal differences (limitations)

A lot of the things mentioned here are general concepts that don’t necessarily apply to everyone equally. As a PM, this can be frustrating, as some of the measures taken to prevent or intervene during stressful situations may not have the desired effect. To get the full effect of the measures mentioned below, it is therefore critical that the PM understands and cares about the members of their team. Understanding and caring helps the PM to select and use the tools provided in this article more accurately.

Preventative measures and intervention

What to look for

To deduce whether an individual is experiencing stress, the following factors could be indicators of excessive stress.

• Anxiety
• Depressed mood
• Irritability
• Apathy, loss of interest in work
• Complaints of lack of sleep (sleeping problems)
• Fatigue
• Trouble concentrating
• Muscle tension (complaints or anxious body language)
• Headaches (complaints or body language)
• Stomach problems (complaints or sudden increase in bathroom breaks)
• Social withdrawal
• Excessive use of drugs or alcohol

Most of these indicators will be observable through body language or general behaviour, but most can be deduced through a quick question such as “Are you getting enough sleep?” or “Are you feeling ok?”. In general, being observant and noticing behavioural changes will help you as a PM notice an overly stressed team member.