Individuals can take responsibility for their own stress management by taking good care of their general physical and mental health. Improving health for stress management involves:
Reducing the physical impact of stress by relieving muscle tension, lowering heart rate etc., after stressful experiences
Improving physical fitness and general health in order to prepare the body to deal effectively with stress next time.
Seven simple strategies that work:
Slow down your breathing: Take a few deep breaths, exhaling slowly each time.
Use exercise to wind down: Physical activity releases the energy and muscle tension built up by stress.
Relax your muscles directly: The stress response produces muscular tension and this causes aches and pains. Relaxing your muscles could involve:
Tensing muscles before you consciously relax them. You can achieve this with simple activities such as shrugging the shoulders, rolling the neck from side to side, clenching and releasing your hand.
Massage. For deeper muscle relaxation massage your own scalp, hands or feet. Or get someone else to give you an all over massage.
Warmth. Use warm water or hot packs to relax tense muscles.
Posture: Your body has to work harder if you are standing or sitting incorrectly. Check your posture regularly, especially if you have to perform the same task for extended periods of time. Change your position as often as possible, stretching your muscles as you move.
Release tension emotionally: Physical activity helps to use up the adrenalins created by stress. When physical activity is not possible, try releasing tension by sharing your feelings with someone else. Putting feelings into words helps to release pent-up emotions and assists in problem solving. Laughter has been called "the best medicine", and not without cause. Stress often makes us focus on the serious and negative aspects of our life. Laughter releases chemicals such as endorphins which help us to feel more relaxed and often enables us to see things from a more balanced perspective.
Slow down: Deliberately slow your movements down - walking, driving, working. The calmer pace will reduce the impact of stress on your body and help to prevent accidents.
Take a break: Allow for adequate rest breaks in your work day. Not taking breaks in order to save time increases the risk of accidents. When you take a break try to find a physical environment and an activity that are different from your usual work environment. This may mean something as simple as going for a walk. It could also mean temporarily switching from one job to another.
This topic should provide you with the ability to:
Plan work in accordance with provisions of OHS legislation and standards
Identify and address hazards and report risk, incidents and injuries in line with organisation policies and procedures
Undertake OHS housekeeping in work area and update own knowledge of OHS issues
Manage own levels of stress and fatigue to ensure ability to work safely
Section 1.8 Manage own levels of stress and fatigue to ensure ability to work safely
Stress in the workplace
Stress is a natural and healthy response to life. It is an automatic physical response to our changing circumstances. Our bodies prepare us to take action and avoid danger; muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, heart rate increases, and extra adrenaline rushes through the system. Some degree of stress is necessary to keep us alert and ready to meet life's challenges, but too much stress can harm your physical and mental well being.
Effects of stress
Burnout occurs when a person has been exposed to unacceptably high levels of stress for too long. Almost everyone feels tired and stressed at work at times but this is usually balanced by relaxation. When the stress and fatigue become almost continuous, the person ceases to be able to function, physically or mentally, to their normal standard.
How would your work be affected if you could not function to your normal standards? Would this affect your safety, or your client's safety?
Physical and emotional effects of stress
Prolonged stress is damaging to the body. Many people live in a chronic state of stress, 'ready for action' at all times. The resulting fatigue and high levels of hormones, such as adrenalins and cortisol, inhibit the functioning of the brain and immune system. Some of the more serious diseases that have been linked to long-term stress include heart and circulatory diseases, cancer, and mental illness. Stress is linked to:
Reduced immune response - this results in frequent viral or bacterial infections e.g. colds and flu, herpes, sinus infections
Increased incidence of asthma and allergies
Loss of learning, memorising and lateral thinking abilities - people find it harder to remember information
Gastrointestinal disorders - various digestive disorders including peptic ulcers and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Other noticeable changes that may occur with chronic stress include:
Physical
Emotional and behavioural
Increased heart rate
Over excited
Stomach upsets
Feeling nervous, anxious or afraid
Rapid breathing
Confusion or forgetfulness
Increased perspiration
Excessive worry
Feeling faint or lightheaded
Irritability
Dry mouth or throat
Poor concentration
Cold hands and feet
Bored or apathetic
Skin rashes
Depression
High blood pressure
Short tempered
Trembling muscles or twitches Sleeping for longer or shorter hours
Tense and stiff muscles
Accident prone
Speech stutter or stammer
Insomnia
Clenched jaw or grinding teeth
Difficulty making decisions
Headaches or eye tension
Unusual mood swings
Low back pain
Repetitious movements eg foot tapping
Fatigue
Make mistakes in routine tasks
How many of these physical and emotional symptoms sound familiar to you? Many of these symptoms can be caused by other illnesses. If you have any of these symptoms over an extended period of time, you should consider having a medical check up and analysing your stress levels.
Sources of occupational stress
Activity 1.7a
There are many sources of occupational stress in Youth Work. Let's have a look at just what stress is.
Working conditions:
Noise, light, ventilation, physical comfort, rest facilities and appropriate equipment all play a part in determining stress levels. Working alone, especially in physically risky conditions will also increase stress levels, eg a social worker making home visits where there is a threat of physical violence.
Work load:
Doing too much, either at work, or a combination of work and home activities, or doing jobs which are beyond your skill or training level will contribute to stress.
Role conflict:
Disagreements about what the job should involve, or ambiguity about the job role.
Responsibility for others:
This source of stress particularly relates to human service professionals. Stress levels will increase when the staff member is unable to meet client needs, or has to impose unpleasant actions on the client, eg bathing a child who hates water.
Relationships at work:
Trust and open communication are necessary to promote effective work relationships. Social activities to build rapport between staff members may help to reduce stress levels.
Decision making:
Managerial responsibility involving making decisions about resources may cause stress. The lack of access to decision making can also cause stress. People who do not feel included in the organisational structure and decision making processes may feel disempowered.
Sources of stress we take for granted:
Most people recognise that major events, such as losing a job, moving house, a major illness, or the death of someone close, will cause a high level of stress. What is less often acknowledged is that many daily events that we take for granted are also increasing our tension levels.
Read the following stress checklist below and tick any of those which affect you.
Consider what you could do to change these conditions or how you could lessen the stress they cause you. If you are not working at the moment, try using the checklist as a questionnaire with a friend who is employed.
Activity 1.8: Positive ways of coping with stress
Camilla has been working at the community services centre for seven years. She has young children, and a partner who also works long hours. Because there is a shortage of staff she has been unable to take leave owed to her for some time. Camilla always feels tired, and feels she is increasingly forgetful. She stays calm at work, but often gets irritable as soon as she walks into the house in the evenings.
In the last two months she has been sleeping poorly. For the last four years her mother-in-law has been unwell and has needed more support such as transport and shopping. This seems to take up more and more of the weekends and evenings. Although she has always got on well with her mother-in-law, Camilla is feeling heightened irritation and resentment towards her. All this has put considerable strain on Camilla's relationship with her partner.
1. If you were in a position to support and advise Camilla, what suggestions would you give her? How do you think Camilla coped?
Physical Care Programs
A program of physical care should include activities that occur before exposure to stress, during stressful periods, and afterwards.
