Combat Occupational Stress

This article is prepared from the contents of paper presented by Shri.R Lakshminarayanan, Senior Administrative Officer, National Institute of Virology, Indian Council of Medical Research, Pune, at the International Conference and Case Colloquium as a part of the 11th Strategic Management Forum Convention held at IIT Kanpur in 8-10 May 2008.

Have you ever heard of a  cardiac arrest, blockage in angina, high cholesterol and high diabetic to an employee in the age group of 30 to 40, 20 years back ?  But, it is common nowadays due to stress we are experience in our official work.  Stress, in essence, is a feeling of doubt about being able to cope, a perception that the resources available do not match the demands made. When it persists, stress can cause physical and psychological ill-health and adversely affect social functioning.

Syndrome

Headache, loss of appetite, restless sleep, a complete sense of exhaustion, difficulty in concentrating, job dissatisfaction, low morale, alienation, short-temper and irritation are the symptoms of stress.  During stress, as a pre-programmed biological  system, brain activates hormone release, pulse, respiration, muscles (which is called  as flight response) to defend the alarming situation. Every person faces this situation, but repetition of the same in frequent intervals is a cause of concern. Continuing the body in such constant state of activation damages the biological systems. Such recurrent disbalance causes fatigue and curtails the bodily ability to defend.

What is the remedy to Stress?

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health  (NIOSH), part of the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, (NIOSH) research suggested examples of individual and situational factors that can help to
reduce the effects of stressful working conditions include the following:

• Balance between work and family or personal life
• Create support network of friends and coworkers and talk out openly
• Maintain relaxed and positive outlook/attitude
• Change the motto – No one is perfect – perform the best
• Have realistic expectations
• Have a balanced diet
• Practice relaxation and meditation
• Have thorough medical check up at frequent intervals

Tips for relaxation at Office (For detailed relaxation techniques refer the paper presented by the author)

• Right Posture
• Eye Exercise
• Neck Relaxation
• Shoulder Exercise
• Breathing Exercise

Stress Management through Promotion of Mental Health

M  -  Money Management, Minimize needs, Meditation
E  -  Earnest Expectations, Enjoy the work you do
N  -  Avoid Negative thinking
T  -  Try to be happy Today
A  -  Accept and Adopt Reality
L -  Avoid Loneliness
H  -  Develop good Hobbies
E  -  Live in good Environment. Express yourself clearly
A  -  Be Active and have positive Attitude
L  -  Try to Learn more and Manage Life
T  -  Have realistic Targets and Tackle one at a time
H  -  Maintain Healthy life style

Easiest Method to De-Stress

The full paper presented by Shri.Laksmi Narayanan could be downloaded from here

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and are not intended to represent the views of GConnect.