STRESS
& RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT WORKSHOPS
Q. Why is managing stress so important?
A. In the UK the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) state that
around 5 million people in the UK feel “very” or “extremely”
stressed with around half a million people a year suffering from work related
stress. The cost can be staggering, in 1995 it was calculated that around 6.5
million working days in the UK were lost due to stress related conditions with
a cost to society of around 3.8 billion pounds.
Why do we suffer stress?. When we feel threatened our bodies prepare us for
the “fight or flight” response, which, thousands of years ago, our
ancestors used as a defense mechanism. By pressing a panic button within us
and triggering the release of chemicals, including adrenaline, it meant that
our bodies could suddenly find extra strength to either fight a woolly mammoth
or run away from it.
Today, we do not have woolly mammoths roaming our streets yet when we become
stressed, by today’s hectic life-style, (for example, waiting in traffic
and being late getting to work, excessive or conflicting workloads, problems
in relationships etc), our body’s still interprets this as a threat and
pushes our panic button.
Many factors today can lead to stress, such as being constantly pressurized
into meeting demanding deadlines and achieving targets at work, together with
juggling family life and social commitments and coping with a variety of different
relationships both at home and at work.
Some stress can be useful at times, providing the drive for us to meet those
important deadlines, undertake exams, and perhaps be more competitive at sports.
Constant stress on our body though, can cause a variety of ailments from minor
conditions, such as aches and pains and rapid breathing, though to higher blood
pressure levels and potentially devastating conditions such as heart related
problems. Constant, long-term stress could also trigger anxiety and depression.
Poor sleeping patterns, not taking regular exercise, smoking or drinking excessively
together with not having a healthy well balanced diet can exacerbate stress
related conditions.
How we
interpret and react to the “stressors”, (i.e. those things around
us that cause us stress), will differ from person to person. We all have different
personal coping resources, (shaped by our child-hood experiences and character,
together with our outlook on life), and our unique internal needs and values,
(our self-esteem together with those attributes and values that we feel important).
This means that our perception of the “stressors” are unique to
each individual. Indeed things that might not cause us stress on one day could,
for example due to lack of sleep, stress us on another day. Higher levels
of external support, such as a close friend to talk to and confide in, are
also a useful mechanism for ensuring we stay within our stress management
zone. The effectiveness of combating stress by having a close friend is reflected
in the “Mental Well-Being in the Workplace Manual” compiled by
Doherty and Tyson (Cranfield School of Management) who state that “someone
in a supportive relationship may be more able to cope than someone who does
not have a close supportive relationship”. In the workplace it is essential
that Team Leaders and Managers provide a supportive and empathetic environment
for their people.
There are many things that we can do to reduce the stress in our lives, both
at work and at home. Strees Management Zone can help you and your organization
to identify and plan your stress management zone by embracing a number of
stress reduction techniques including:
-
Improving
workplace conditions by supporting the implementing of a stress management
policy covering areas such as ensuring processes are clear, unambiguous
job profiles creating higher levels of autonomy, improving communications,
encouraging problem solving, time management and planning, identifying
clear objectives and measures, developing processes for tackling work
place harassment and bullying.
-
Improving managing relationships including diversity training - utilizing
Strength Deployment Inventory (SDI)™ to identify Motivational Value
System™
-
Improving
Team Work - utilizing SDI™, Belbin Team Roles, Myers Brigg Type
Indicator and NLP techniques such as rapport building.
-
Relaxation
- utilizing Hypnosis and Indian Head Massage techniques for both the office
and at home.
-
Analyzing
diet and exercise
In addition
to providing workshops and training on holistic Stress Management we also
provide workshops on Managing Relationships, encompassing communications and
listening skills together with rapport building and utilizing the Strength
Deployment Inventory™. Please click
here to see content of our Workshops.
For further
information on our Stress Management or Relationship Management Workshops,
please email: info@stressmanegmenzone.com
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