Stress Management

Introduction

Everyone faces the problem of stress in their daily life and hence people look for assistance to reduce them and to deal with the situations, circumstance and stressors that even impose a negative impact over them both physically and emotionally. Therefore, considering these issues in the present scenario, people have a facility to gather education and information thereby reducing their high level of pressure by using appropriate stress management techniques. Moreover, by gathering education and information on stress, people possess the potential to learn the manner, in which they can respond to stress using proactive and practical means. Thus, the major principle to facilitate stress management is to utilize the benefits of reducing tensions and pressures through relaxation techniques, which can be best observed after they have been experienced frequently over a particular time period (Klinic Community Health Centre, 2010).

Besides, stress management is one of the important requirements for dealing with the allocated tasks of one’s daily life in the present world of immense competition. The management technique hence includes psychological understanding behind the cause of stress and facilitates the strategies to handle or eradicate them in the long run. Moreover, due to stress people often find themselves in negative situations. However, stress management enables people to take actions for developing a plan and to find solution for living life happily. All these actions therefore assist people to experience control over the circumstances and their life as well (Jadoun, Kushwah, Barodiya & Holani, 2012). The primary objective of the paper is to highlight the importance of stress management and identify the manner, in which the Christians deal with stress related issues.

Definition of Stress Management

In today’s society, there are several definitions of stress that might be creating confusion in defining the exact meaning of stress. Although, it can be stated that stress occurs when peace of mind is broken and people are unable to handle them properly. This has the potential to destruct the normal functioning of mind and health. Moreover, due to stress people feel burdened, which in turn leads to frustration and nervousness within the individuals. At times, people also lose their control over their logical perceptions. Besides, it might not be important that only serious and critical problems are the cause of stress as at certain instances, even minute tensions can result in stressful situations in life (Olpin & Hesson, 2015).

Besides, stress is a consideration process under which stressors (demand) activate an effort to get adopted that might in turn be the result of individual’s sufferings. Moreover, stress takes place at behavioral, physiological and cognitive levels, which has a potential to create the most dangerous health problems (Linden, 2004). Moreover, stress can be defined through the following aspects:

• Stressor: Reason for which stress takes place within an individual such as job interview, conflict among family members and examination results
• Stress reactivity: Reaction of the individuals towards stressors
• Stress symptoms: The effect of stress on the individuals body such as irritation, headache and body pain

(Source: Tummers, 2013)

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However, using appropriate techniques such as mindfulness, walk meditation, body scan, relax in hurry and exercise among others by the individuals can reduce stress and effectively manage them in their everyday life (Klinic Community Health Centre, 2010).

Literature Review

Stress as a Process

Woolfolk, Lehrer & Allen (2007) highlight that stress originates from the Middle French word destresse (‘distress’) that in turn is obtained from the Latin word ‘strictus’ (‘compressed’). It states that “stress is sometimes used to refer to what was, at one time in psychology, called external stimuli” (Woolfolk, Lehrer & Allen, 2007, 9). Stress is a part of external world environment and it can be periodic or episodic, a challenge or a problem and even negative or positive in nature (Woolfolk, Lehrer & Allen, 2007). Besides, Mcvicar (2003) opined that stress is associated with the perceptions of the individuals on the stressors and their opinions regarding the capability to accomplish those demands. The stressful situation is mostly triggered when there is a mismatch evident between both the stated perceptions (Mcvicar, 2003). Moreover, based on the findings of Arora, Sevdalis, Nestel, Woloshynowych, Darzi & Kneebone (2010), stress can be referred as a bodily process that is a result of situation, circumstance and environment, laying psychological and physical stressor (demands) of the individuals (Arora, Sevdalis, Nestel, Woloshynowych, Darzi & Kneebone, 2010).

According to Woolfolk, Lehrer & Allen (2007), stress can be categorized under three main stages based on their response namely the alarm stage, the exhaustion stage and the adaptive-resistance stage. When stress response prepares an individual to react towards emergency, it falls under the alarm stage afterward. This is followed by the progression of the stressful condition towards adaptive-resistance stage, where they get adjusted to the conditions. Lastly, the stress response hits the final stage of homeostatic processes, where the body is forced to return to the original state, while in the exhaustion stage, the individual collapses due to stress (Woolfolk, Lehrer & Allen, 2007). Besides, Awa, Plaumann & Walter (2009) assert that burnout is a result of stress that hampers the social relationship between a help recipient and a helper. This in turn takes place in case of three dimensions namely exhaustion, decreasing personal accomplishment and depersonalization (Awa, Plaumann & Walter, 2009). Although, based on the findings of Sood, Prasad, Schroeder & Varkey (2011), it can be stated that stress is a combination of various factors such as loss of control, college loans, specialty choice, poor self-care, workload and maladaptive coping strategies. It further includes the fall in satisfaction level, poor mental health, loss of empathy and burnout. Moreover, stress related to various factors involves both personal as well as professional lives (Sood, Prasad, Schroeder & Varkey, 2001). 

Causes of Stress

According to Varvogli & Darvir (2017), stress is the second frequent health problem, which creates a huge impact on one third of employed population, thereby highlighting the factor of stress, which has become a major issue in the society. Hence, healthcare professionals need to work on the selection of stress management technique to deliver them to their patients to reduce their level of stress (Varvogli & Darvir, 2017). Additionally, Chiesa & Serretti (2009) state that continuous stress directs unproductive consideration that consumes an individual’s strength and energy, thereby challenging flexibility factors such as capacity to forgive and hope. However, sometimes stress is responsible for improvement in performance but higher level of stress can negatively affect the mental and physical health of the individuals (Chiesa & Serretti, 2009). Correspondingly, Donaldson & Ko (2010) suggested that stress occurs due to the negative reaction of stressors. It is hence a result of consideration, where stressors are supposed to be either harmful or threatening for the individuals’ personality. This is because stressors stand for psychological or physical stimuli, towards which individual’s react (Donaldson & Ko, 2010). Besides, Mcvicar (2003) highlights the fact that at times stress threshold depends upon individual’s experiences, characteristics and coping mechanisms as well as the circumstances, in which stressors (demands) are made. It is also opined that a single event cannot always be responsible for stress and then reducing it becomes an immensely difficult task in the professional domain of health care (Mcvicar, 2003). 

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Consequences of Stress

Based on the findings of Danna & Griffin (1999), work related stress leads to emotional and physical outcomes as a result of excess demand from the individuals’ end (Danna & Griffin, 1999). Simultaneously, Limm, Gundel, Heinmuller, Mittag, Nater, Siegrist & Angerer (2014) suggested that work related stress is a primary risk factor that is responsible for the higher range of health related outcomes, thereby resulting in absenteeism, low turnover, poor performance and morale. Therefore, health care sector needs to find out the techniques and strategies that can enable its employees as well as customers to reduce stress along with its negative impacts on the individual’s health (Limm, Gundel, Heinmuller, Mittag, Nater, Siegrist & Angerer, 2014). Besides, Sanches, Hook, Vaara, Weymann, Bylund, Ferreira, Peira & Sjolinder (2010) opined that stress can be regarded as one of the most common risks in the modern society and it can be described as an adaptation of the organization or body towards the changing environment. However, they also state that stress prepares individuals to handle the frequent changes as well as enable them to adapt to the changes effectively. Moreover, stress occurs when arousal reaction has not ended and stress hormones cortisol is released. If this stress hormone is not obstructed in time, it can hamper the capacity of the body to get cured, thereby increasing the level of illness (Sanches, Hook, Vaara, Weymann, Bylund, Ferreira, Peira & Sjolinder, 2010). 

Correspondingly, Olpin & Hesson (2015) highlight that people who faced moments of acute stress are mostly short-tempered, anxious, irritable, tensed and over-aroused. The acute stress symptoms are similar to that of extensive over-arousal including migraines, hypertension, heart disease and digestive problems. Besides, they also state that chronic stress is the result of the long-lasting health problems, unfulfilling demands and energy-draining jobs. Moreover, due to chronic stress, some people lose their hope as their mental and physical resources get exhausted. At times, they are even led towards negative consequences such as violence, heart-attack and suicide, thereby reducing the life quality (Olpin & Hesson, 2015). However, Tummers (2013) stated that it is difficult to define stress with a single definition because it has numerous theories that describe the reason behind its occurrence and the manner, in which it affects the individuals. It is also highly complex to identify the appropriate techniques that can be used by the individuals to cope with the stress as well as cultural and social factors. Besides, they also highlight the fact that in the present scenario, people can reduce their stress and move from emotional mode to the logical path with the guidance of stress management. Moreover, it allows the individuals to make them capable enough to give effective response to difficult situations and circumstances (Tummers, 2013). 

Worldview of Christianity on Stress Management

Considering the manner, in which the Christians deal with stress always helps others to get closer to the Lord. At the workplace, Christians always feel that their relationship with work is similar to the relationship they share with God. They always follow the path and words of Jesus, when they feel angry upon someone and immediately reduce their reaction, which further helps him to reduce their anger related stress. Moreover, Christians use appropriate techniques to deal with the stress related problems that are as follows:

• Be Spiritual: Christians believe that everyday spending few minutes in silence reduces the daily work stress. They believe that workplace is the best means of communicating with God asking for guidance during the stressful day at work. It will not only provide people with spiritual strength but will also help them to find the respective solution for their stress (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2017)
• Be Physically Fit: To deal with stress related issues, it is important to be physically fit, for which people need exercise, rest and good diet. Moreover, participating in outdoor games is an admirable mode to get relieved (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2017)
• Get Out of Debt: Christian church leaders suggest setting up a budget for everything related to financial stress that will in turn help them to come out from the debt and reduce their financial stress (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2017)
• Change Pace: To cope with the hectic schedule of one’s life, they can bring about a change in their pace by reading a book and doing anything that they enjoy (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2017)
• Share Problems: Sharing problems with someone not only reduces the level of stress but also procures the solutions to deal with the stressful situations (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2017)

Conclusions

Now-a-days, stress is considered as one of the major reasons for illness and has even become a primary problem in the domain of heath care. Everyone is facing problems such as headache, heart-attack and body pain among others due to stress and sometimes it even results in committing suicide, violence and murder. Therefore, reducing the level of stress in day-to-day life is a huge predicament for everyone as it creates physical as well as psychological issues in their lives. Besides, for maintaining a healthy and a happy life, it is important to reduce the stress, thereby allowing people to generate higher productivity in the workplace. Today, for reducing the level of stress, health care sector has brought into practice various techniques such as meditation, relax in hurry and exercise among others to reduce the stress in everyday life. Moreover, Christians suggest that people can reduce their stress by using numerous techniques, such as sharing problems, being spiritual, physically fit and by standing out of debt among others. Thus, stress management techniques are the requirement of the daily life for leading a happy life with lesser complications.