“Stress Management”

AFEC - 2014 “Stress Management” Facilitator: Adil Khan adil@accentzinc.com (303 )638 6487 TransPower Company Accentz, Inc. 6695 S. Quemoy Circle, Aurora, CO 80016  (303) 524-9664 Phone  (303) 648-6480 Fax  www.TransPowerco.com

Managing Stress • Definitions- • Stress is what you feel when you are not in control. • Stress is an uncomfortable situation. • Stress is family or work related - or both. • Stress can be an internal conflict. • Stress is a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that demand exceeds resources or your capability to do the job.

Managing Stress • Definitions (continued)- • Stress depends on your perception of a situation and real ability to cope with it. • A little knowledge & understanding of stress can reduce stress and turn unpleasant tasks into satisfying & rewarding tasks.

Managing Stress • Let’s use a questionnaire to determine your stress level. 1. ______ 2. ______ 3. ______ 4. ______ 5. ______ 6. ______ 7. ______ 8. ______ 9. ______ 10. _____

Managing Stress • Self-Assessment- • Let’s use a questionnaire to determine your stress level. • 1- What would you say your current experience with stress would be? • a. It is very unpleasant or uncomfortable • b. It is On & Off-intermittent • c. It is occasional • Answer: a, b or c

Managing Stress • Self-Assessment- • 2- When you have too much work, what do you do? • a. Worked late until it was complete. • b. I asked for help. • c. I make sure I get help when I need it. • Answer: a, b or c

Managing Stress • Self-Assessment- • 3- What was your workload over the past few weeks? • a. Worked late and still did not complete. • b. Put in a lot of overtime. • c. Work load has been under control. • Answer : a, b or c

Managing Stress • Self-Assessment- • 4- What do you do when you had a bad day? • a. I don’t sleep very well. • b. Find it difficult to relax. • c. At the end of the day, I can relax and let go. • Answer: a, b or c

Managing Stress • Self-Assessment- • 5- How do you approach challenging work? • a. I worry about everything. • b. I wish I could be more confident. • c. I am confident; I can handle it. • Answer: a, b or c

Managing Stress • Self-Assessment- • 6- How do you approach change? • a. Rush into things without much thought. • b. I hold myself back. • c. I think before I make commitments. • Answer: a, b or c

Managing Stress • Self-Assessment- • 7- How do you react when things are going badly? • a. I cut myself off from people to focus on the job. • b. Talk to my friends about the situation. • c. I know where to go for help. • Answer: a, b or c

Managing Stress • Self-Assessment- • 8- What do you do when you are upset? • a. I let people know. • b. I tend to keep quiet. • c. I control myself and deal with the causes. • Answer: a, b or c

Managing Stress • Self-Assessment- • 9- What happens when you make a presentation in front of an audience? • a. I get very nervous & don’t perform well. • b. I stay calm to do a reasonable presentation. • c. I use relaxation techniques before my presentation. • Answer: a, b or c

Managing Stress • Self-Assessment- • 10- How do you feel about your job? • a. I have lost my passion. • b. There are many irritations at work. • c. I am quite satisfied. • Answer: a, b or c

Managing Stress • Answers / Final Scores- • How many ‘a’s , ‘b’s and ‘c’s do you have? • a= _____ • b= _____ • c= _____

Managing Stress • Analysis- • If you mostly have ‘a’s- • You are very stressed • Life is difficult and unpleasant • You are feeling out-of-control • Life doesn’t look or feel very good • When you understand the causes of stress and learn the techniques to deal with stress in life, then you will find that life will get better, feel healthier and happier.

Managing Stress • Analysis- • If you mostly have ‘b’s- • There is some stress • Life is not really bad or unpleasant • You can handle stress • Stress exists even though it is mild • After you learn the techniques to deal with stress, you can minimize the stress level and life will get better.

Managing Stress • Analysis- • If you mostly have ‘c’s- • There is hardly any stress. • You are in a supportive environment. • You understand stress and you are using stress management techniques. • After this presentation, your confidence will increase to handle stress effectively. Stress is part of everyone’s life, in your case you are able to manage it.

Managing Stress • Causes : • Financial Problems • Workplace Stress • Personal Relationship • Health • Irritants

Managing Stress • Causes: • 1. Financial Problems : • Research indicates that 80% of all stress is financial related. • You and your family are not be able to do what you want • due to lack of money. • Debts are piling up • Credit Card payments • Pending mortgage installments • Rising costs of education • Mounting expenditure on health concerns • Unforeseen Expenses • Marriage expenses • “Financial Matters” Top The List of STRESSORS

Managing Stress Causes: 2. Workplace Stress: (Stress at the workplace is another cause of stress) • Not knowing your job description or what your boss expects from you. • Lack of Training on how to do your job. • Lack of honest feedback about your performance. • You might be worried due to office politics. • No co-operation from your colleagues. • Unexpected transfers - Change of place – Change of work

Managing Stress Causes: 2. Workplace Stress-(continued) (Stress at the workplace is another cause of stress) • Meeting deadlines. • You may be worried about your next promotion. • You might be under stress because of the prospect of losing your job. • You might be facing the negative or bullying behavior of your boss/others. • You might not be reaching your well-deserved career goals; • You might be stressed about some major change that is taking place in the organization, or other walks of life.

Managing Stress • Causes: • 3. Personal Relationships: • Cost of children’s education • Attitude of relatives • Arguments with spouse or children • Disagreement with your best friend • Problem with your neighbors • Illness of a family member • Moving in of parents or when children leave home • Change of place due to requirements of your job

Managing Stress Causes: 4. Health: • Heart disease, hypertension / Blood Pressure. • Problems with eye sight / Diabetes. • Habits & Addictions (Smoking, Drinking, Drugs, etc.) • Maintaining good health. • Obesity - Reducing weight, increasing weight. Health is a cause of stress, but it is important to understand that stress itself leads to bad health.

Managing Stress Irritants in life: • Problems in commuting to workplace • Balance of work and family life • PTA’s at children’s schools - workload • Visit to the doctor • Not enough sleep • No time to relax • No time to discuss some nagging problems • Perceived threats

Managing Stress Irritants in life (continued): • Our “social standing” • Other peoples opinion about us • Our own deeply-held values • Comparisons

Managing Stress How to deal with and overcome STRESS • Financial Problems • Workplace Stress • Personal Relationship • Health • Irritants

Managing Stress How to deal with and overcome STRESS • Financial Problems : • Make a list of financial commitments: loans, normal living costs, and unforeseen costs. • Identify your greatest stressor or source of stress – seek help to manage it as a first-step. • Make sure you have an income to support the total cash outflow required each month. • NOTE: Making a budget is a great tool for managing finances/expenses. If you know where you are spending your money, then you can control your spending and also generate savings. This results in decrease of stress due to financial reasons.

Managing Stress How to deal with and overcome STRESS • Workplace Stress : • 1. Start a “Stress Journal” • A stress journal can help you identify the regular stressors in your life and the way you deal with them. • Each time you feel stressed, keep track of it in your journal. • As you keep a daily log, you will begin to see patterns and common themes.

Managing Stress How to deal with and overcome STRESS • Workplace Stress : • Start a “Stress Journal” (continued) • Write down: • What caused your stress (make a guess if you’re unsure)? • How did you feel, both physically and emotionally? • How did you react – what was your response? • What did you do to make yourself feel better?

Managing Stress How to deal with and overcome STRESS • Workplace Stress : • Dealing with Stressful Situations • The Four ‘A’s • Change the situation: Change your reaction: • Avoid the stressor Adapt to the stressor • Alter the stressor Accept the stressor

Managing Stress How to deal with and overcome STRESS • Workplace Stress : • Stress Management Strategy #1: “Avoid Unnecessary Stress” • Not all stress can be avoided, and it’s not healthy to avoid a situation that needs to be addressed. • You may be surprised, however, by the number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate.

Managing Stress How to deal with and overcome STRESS • Workplace Stress : • Stress Management Strategy #1: “Avoid Unnecessary Stress” • Learn To Say “NO” - • Know your limits and stick to them. Whether in your personal or professional life, refuse to accept added responsibilities when you’re close to reaching them. Taking on more than you can handle is a surefire recipe for stress.

Managing Stress How to deal with and overcome STRESS • Workplace Stress : • Take Control of Your Environment – • If the evening news makes you anxious, turn the TV off. If traffic’s got you tense, take a longer but less-traveled route. If leaving home is unpleasant, evaluate possibilities of doing your outside chores online or by phone.

Managing Stress How to deal with and overcome STRESS • Workplace Stress : • Avoid “hot-button” topics - • If you get upset over religion or politics, cross them off your conversation list. If you repeatedly argue about the same subject with the same people, stop bringing it up or excuse yourself when it’s the topic of discussion.

Managing Stress How to deal with and overcome STRESS • Workplace Stress : • Pare-Down Your “To-Do” List - • Analyze your schedule, responsibilities, and daily tasks. If you have too much on your plate, distinguish between the “shoulds” and the “musts.” Drop tasks that aren’t truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them entirely.

Managing Stress How to deal with and overcome STRESS • Workplace Stress : • Stress Management Strategy #2: “Alter The Situation” • If you can’t avoid a stressful situation, try to alter it. Figure out what you can do to change things so the problem doesn’t present itself in the future. Often, this involves changing the way you communicate and operate in your daily life.

Managing Stress How to deal with and overcome STRESS • Workplace Stress : • Express Your Feelings Instead Of Bottling Them Up - • If something or someone is bothering you, communicate your concerns in an open and respectful way. If you don’t voice your feelings, resentment will build and the situation will likely remain the same – or get worse. Bottling-up leads to blowing-up.

Managing Stress How to deal with and overcome STRESS • Workplace Stress : • Be Willing To Compromise • When you ask someone to change their behavior, be willing to do the same. If you both are willing to bend at least a little, you’ll have a good chance of finding a happy middle-ground.

Managing Stress How to deal with and overcome STRESS • Workplace Stress : • Be More Assertive • Don’t take a backseat in your own life. Deal with problems head-on, doing your best to anticipate and prevent them. If you’ve got an exam to study for and your chatty roommate just got home, be upfront and tell them that you only have five minutes to talk.

Managing Stress How to deal with and overcome STRESS • Workplace Stress : • Manage Your Time Better - • Poor time management can cause a lot of stress. When you are stretched too thin and running behind, it’s hard to stay calm and focused. But, if you plan ahead and make sure you don’t overextend yourself, you can alter the amount of stress you’re under.

Managing Stress How to deal with and overcome STRESS Stress Management Strategy #3: “Adapt To The Stressor” • If you can’t change the stressor, change yourself. • You can adapt to stressful situations and regain your sense of • control by changing your expectations and attitude.

Managing Stress How to deal with and overcome STRESS • Stress Management Strategy #3: “Adapt To The Stressor” • Re-examine problems – • Try to view stressful situations from a more positive perspective. • Rather than fuming about a traffic jam, look at it as an opportunity to pause and regroup, listen to your favorite radio station, or enjoy some alone time.

Managing Stress How to deal with and overcome STRESS Stress Management Strategy #3: “Adapt To The Stressor” • Look at the big picture - • Take perspective of the stressful situation. • Ask yourself how important it will be in the long run. • Will it matter in a month? A year? Is it really worth getting upset over? • If the answer is no, focus your time and energy elsewhere

Managing Stress How to deal with and overcome STRESS Stress Management Strategy #3: “Adapt To The Stressor” • Adjust your standards – • Perfectionism is a major source of avoidable stress. • Stop setting yourself up for failure by demanding perfection. • Set reasonable standards for yourself and others, and learn to be okay with “good enough” when there is limited time.

Managing Stress How to deal with and overcome STRESS Stress Management Strategy #3: “Adapt To The Stressor” • Focus on the positive – • When stress is getting you down, take a moment to reflect on all the things you appreciate in your life, including your own positive qualities and gifts. This simple strategy can help you keep things in perspective.

Managing Stress How to deal with and overcome STRESS Stress Management Strategy #3: “Adapt To The Stressor” Adjusting Your Attitude : • How you think can have a profound effect on your emotional and physical well-being. Each time you think a negative thought about yourself, your body reacts in a certain way. Each time you have a positive thought and think of good things about yourself, you are more likely to feel good; the reverse is also true. Eliminate words such as "always," "never," "should," and "must." These are telltale marks of self-defeating thoughts.

Managing Stress How to deal with and overcome STRESS Stress Management Strategy #4: “Accept The Things You Can’t Change” Some sources of stress are unavoidable. You can’t prevent or change stressors such as the : death of a loved one, a serious illness, or a national recession. In such cases, the best way to cope with stress is to accept things as they are. Acceptance may be difficult, but in the long run, it’s easier than losing sleep over a situation you can’t change.

Managing Stress How to deal with and overcome STRESS Stress Management Strategy #4: “Accept The Things You Can’t Change” • Don’t try to control the uncontrollable - • Many things in life are beyond our control— particularly the behavior of other people. Rather than stressing out over them, focus on the things you can control such as the way you choose to react to problems.

“Stress Management”