Why Stress Is Not Necessary
We are not designed for long term stress.
It causes us physical damage.
Coping mechanisms disguise the problem, they do not solve it.
If you broke a leg would you develop a coping strategy to continue to live with the broken leg, or would you get the leg repaired.
Stress
A good day can sometimes be characterised by an event that occurred. An order that was won or a singular success that has put everyone on a high.
But life is not about singular successes.
We don't get married because there was one singular event that turned into love, we don't support our football team because of one goal that they scored.
The quality of our lives, the way we feel about ourselves is about an ongoing repeated series of small events.
If these events are positive then we will feel good.
If the sum of these events is negative then we start to feel bad.
The human body is a remarkable thing that is designed in all circumstances to protect itself.
When we become stressed the body has an automatic reaction to defend itself.
The reason is that the part of the brain that deals with logical thought shuts down. This allows all of the processing power to concentrate on one of two very simple operations.
Fight or Flight.
If this processing power computes that your chances of survival are better if you stayed put then your brain will decide to fight and prepare your body accordingly. If on the other hand your brain's assessment of the danger is such that your chances of survival are best if you run away, your brain will get revved up, point the body in the right direction and will concentrate all its power on making the flight successful.
This fight or flight reaction is necessarily of a short duration.
This is the emergency response during which short term damage to the body is accepted in exchange for the alternative which is non survival.
In fight or flight mode the body switches off the normal routine maintenance functions and is concentrating on pure survival.
Unfortunately our modern lives are not quite that simple.
Our day has become full of situations that cause us stress but for which we are not allowed either of our two natural responses.
If we are at work and the boss shouts at us for failing to reach a quota or for misplacing last months invoices, we are not allowed to run or fight.
Instead we are obliged to stand and listen until such time as the boss runs out of rhetoric or forgets why he started shouting in the first place.
This leaves a huge amount of unresolved stress which in our ancestors would be removed by an adrenaline fuelled activity such as fighting or running.
In the modern world, after the incident that caused the stress, we look for the release from the stress in different adrenaline fuelled activities.
We break something, we shout at someone else, we sabotage our work.
These actions are a direct result of being stressed and are our physiological reaction to the stress that we feel.
These are our short term reactions to situations that frustrate us and over which we have no control.
But during our working day the number of times that we are put under stress is increasing and there are only a finite number of opportunities to relieve that stress.
This leaves the body with a problem.
There is too much stress and not enough opportunity to relieve it.
The long term effect of stress on the body is physically damaging.
We are not designed to be able to manage stress in the long term.
Our bodies respond to stress in a way that can only be supported in the short term because stress is supposed to indicate an emergency reaction.
If the stress continues we begin to suffer damage to our bodies as a result of the extended time in a condition that was only ever meant to be used for short term emergencies.
We create real musculo-skeletal problems for ourselves as a result of extended stress which causes real sickness and long term absence from work.
If the stress that caused the problem that made us sick is still present at work then we will never be able to return to a productive life.
But the body has an answer.
In the modern work place, when we become frustrated we get angry that we are not allowed to do our job and therefore become stressed.
But we only become stressed if we care.
We all want to be able to do a good job because we want to care about what we do.
We want to able to say "Look at me I did that", we want to be proud of what we do.
If however we are frustrated in our ability to be proud by something outside of our control we start to become stressed.
The body at this point makes a choice in order to avoid the long term damage that continuous stress causes the body, the body chooses to switch off the stress.
The body does this by ceasing to care.
We can only get stressed if we care about the consequences of our actions.
The body by ceasing to care ceases to be stressed and therefore subject itself to damage.
This lack of care is seen by most as apathy.
It is a convenient label to stick onto a workforce to blame them for a failure to perform.
What we are seeing now is that apathy is not a function of the workforce.
Apathy is a function of the environment that has been created at work.
It is that environment that has caused the stress.
The bodies defensive reaction to the environment that has been created is apathy.
Apathy is therefore not the cause of the problems but a symptom of the failure of the environment.
If we change the environment and remove the stress such that staff no longer need to defend themselves against it by becoming apathetic then we have created the conditions that will allow people to start caring about what they do.
We allow them to take pride in what they do and ultimately allow them to take ownership.
Imagine the works manager by the gate on a Monday morning moaning to the maintenance supervisor about the quality of the staff that he has been given to work with.
"It makes me sick" he says "These guys come in here every morning and they switch off as soon as they step through that gate.
I know they do.
I see them at the weekend out shopping or at the football The same people are bright, energetic, motivated, animated and then they come in here and they deliberately switch off.
Look at them, their heads are down, they are not talking to each other, god knows when was the last time that one of them cracked a joke.
How on earth are we expected to produce anything with people like that?
The answer is that we can never expect to produce anything unless we can change the working environment.
By removing stress from the workplace we ultimately allow the workforce to start caring about what they do.
They will be able to take pride in their work and ultimately ownership.
When that happens their performance becomes amazing and even the accountants have to admit that it was the right thing to do.
Stop coping with stress, find the cause then root it out.
Peter A Hunter, Author of "Breaking the Mould, http://www.breakingthemould.co.uk
MORE RESOURCES:
Northfield Storm Water Prevention Seminar May 22 Wilmette Life These seminars will give residents the opportunity to ask experts on storm water engineering, landscaping, gardening and more about ways to minimize storm water damage to their property as well as provide “how-to” tips to home owners. |
Army pledge support to DepEd's Brigada Eskwela Philippine Information Agency The troopers will extend services like masonry, carpentry, painting, plumbing, electrical, landscaping/gardening, and ordinary labor (cleaning). The 8th Infantry believes that education is one of the solutions to our security problem and will help ... |
Myers Park home to nation's largest Earth-Kind research program Celina Record The Earth-Kind Environmental Stewardship Program is an American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS)-recognized educational program focused on protecting the environment and conserving natural resources through research-based landscaping, gardening ... |
 Oman Daily Observer | Largest sewage treatment plant Oman Daily Observer The quality of treated water produced at Al Ansab STP is so good that it can be used for various purposes such as irrigation, beautification, landscaping, gardening, cleaning, toilet flushing and other industrial requirements. |
 North Shore Times | Better Homes and Gardens' presenter Jason Hodges to create Australian Garden ... North Shore Times Mr Hodges started his landscaping gardening maintenance business, Greenart Gardens 20 years ago with a ute from his parents' Willoughby home. “I find the north shore to be one of the most appreciative communities in Australia for general space and ... |
Home and Garden Show Bayshore Broadcasting News Centre The 29th annual Port Elgin Rotary Home and Garden Show has about 80 vendors at the Plex and takes place from 10 AM to 4 PM today (SAT) and tomorrow (SUN). Both shows feature landscaping, gardening and home renovation businesses. |
Unmanaged Stress Kills and Ruins Lives! Sit a Bit
When I pay attention, I clearly see the arresting ways God works in my life. Often people I meet in my programs (or elsewhere) give me such profound, relevant messages I know the hand of God is at work and it is to my peril to ignore such directives.
The Best Medicine For Stress ( A Daily Dose Of Gratitude)
There is one sure fire medicine that cures all difficulty and opens the way for your greatest good. It allows you to sleep well at night, wake up refreshed and filled with enthusiasm.
Living on the Edge: Stressed Out and Nowhere to Go
Is your stress level higher than it should be? Are you struggling with changes in life that you neither anticipated nor caused? If so, keep reading! Most of us carry far more stress than did our parents and grandparents. Life seems more complicated than ever.
How Are You Achieving Rejuvenation for Peak Performance?
When was the last time that you truly took a mental break from work? Many of us in North America are now getting out our calendars to gear up for summer vacations, so it's timely to discuss how we use our "downtime" to enhance our ability to excel in our businesses and our workplaces.The book The Power of Full Engagement, by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, 2003, uses an enlightening analogy from their studies of world-class athletes.
Stress Management
Have you ever said the words, "This job/my life is so stressful!" Or something else along those lines?Most people believe that stress is something that happens in their lives. They believe it is the result of outside circumstances beyond their control.
9 Warning Signs of Stress
Stress is the nastiest 4 letter word you ever met. Don't stress, I know it is six letters but it packs the wallop of the meanest 4 letter word you ever heard.
Overwhelm: Love It or Leave It!
Amazing thing, overwhelm!You don't usually see it coming. It just kind of creeps up on you, doesn't it?Even those of us who love juggling a million projects at a time get overwhelmed once in a while.
Stress Management: The Power of Expectancy
On a beautiful summer day years ago, I went water skiing with some new friends. I hadn't skied in a while, and as I floated in the water with long pieces of wood strapped to my feet, here's what I remember thinking:"I wonder if I remember how to do this.
The Three Rs of Handling Your Emotions
My son was watching a Richard Scarry video this morning as I was doing my usual rushing around, getting ready to leave the house. He's watched it countless times, but I've never managed to sit through the entire thing.
Anger Management Practice: The Gift of Forgiveness
This anger management Practice draws on the dual wisdom of Aikido and scientific research. "The gift of forgiveness" will help you explore how to change long term anger into a wider range of life affirming emotions.
Stress Management: Have To Vs. Get To
File this one under the category of "watch your language."The language we use when we are trying to change something simply amazes me.
Stress- What Is It?
Whenever we think of 'stress', negative thoughts come into our minds. Most of us believe that stress is similar to worries, tensions, failures, sadness, pressures, and what not.
Energy - How to Have More of It
Something the successful business person needs is - lots of Energy! You need Brain Energy and you need Body Energy. However as with any other kind of energy, it's constantly being drained away and needs replacing.
Stress Management: Are You a Diamond or a Lump of Coal?
"Do you want to be a lump of coal or do you want to be a diamond?" That's the first question I ask to begin my stress management seminar called "A Diamond is Nothing More Than a Lump of Coal That Handled Stress Very Well."We seem to have some interesting misconceptions about the stress in our lives.
How to Recognize Stress Before it Turns Into Anger
After a stressful day as a computer programmer, Jim pulled into his driveway. The children's toys were scattered on the walkway to the house.
Stress Management and Relief Techniques - Quit Running from Bears!
Fear, and its accompanying seriousness, causes our suffering. Fear restricts and imprisons us.
Why Stress Management Programmes Don't Work
Why Stress Management programmes don't work?It seems that every week there's yet another report telling us how serious the problem of Stress is becoming - how many working days are lost (anything between 6.5 million and 90 million days depending on whose report you read), how much it costs industry, what percentage of workers experience Stress, and so on.
Permission to Play
At what age does the benefit of play cease? Child development experts agree that play is very important in the learning and emotional development of all children. But do we ever grow out of a need for play? I answer with an emphatic no.
Stress Management Through Altering Beliefs And Increasing Knowledge
Most humans experience unexpected setbacks which can cause huge stress and can halt their forward progress in life. Our attitudes, beliefs and knowledge can make a big difference to how we deal with these setbacks.
Technology and Stress- How to Prevent Technology From Taking Over Your Life
1. 5-minute rule.
