Coping with stress
Case study
Paul Woods, 32, is the deputy manager of a 72-bedroom hotel in a popular Northern seaside resort. Normally, he loves his job, and seems to thrive on new challenges and copes well with any unexpected events. Although Woods is involved in the recruitment and interviewing of new staff ready for the summer season, he has an uneasy feeling about his own job security. This has been preying on his mind, and his work performance and relationship with colleagues is beginning to suffer as a result.
Woods often feels tense and anxious and has become irritable and snappy, both at home and at work. He has been suffering from headaches and pains in his neck and shoulders. He has started smoking again, having given up at the New Year, and is now drinking more than usual to help him relax in the evenings when off duty. He is also experiencing difficulty in getting off to sleep, because his mind is working overtime trying to sort out work problems and what he would do if he lost his job.
At work, Woods has difficulty in concentrating and has become forgetful. He checks things more than usual and often blames junior staff for their shortcomings. He is finding it increasingly difficult to delegate duties and his catchphrase has become, "If you want a job doing well, you've got to do it yourself." He is short-tempered and feels frazzled and stressed. Everyday chores and duties have taken on a significance out of all proportion, but Woods does not want to tell his manager about his problems in case he is ridiculed or left out of consideration for future promotion.
This case study is a work of fiction and consequently the names, characters and incidents portrayed in the article are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
What the expert advises
Francis Allison is a specialist health writer
Woods is displaying some of the classic signs and symptoms of stress build-up. A certain amount of stress in our lives is necessary to keep us active and alert, but occasionally the pressure overwhelms us and we become stressed.
The real cause of stress is often deep-seated and related to important areas of our lives, such as work or social and family life. Similarly, major life events such as bereavement, work relocation, unemployment, job insecurity or financial worries leave us vulnerable and susceptible to stress.
Often we blame the frustrations and irritations of everyday life or the perceived incompetence of others for our stress. Although such factors might trigger an episode of stress, we can normally cope with them. It is only when our defences are low that we succumb to these irritations.
Early warning signs
Recognising your individual stress-triggers and learning how to cope with them is half the battle in reducing their effects. Early warning signs include:
Increased muscular tension.
Frequent headaches.
Disturbed sleep.
Clenched hands.
Pain in the neck, shoulder, back or stomach.
Agitation and restlessness.
Profuse sweating.
Palpitations (acute awareness of your heart beating).
Ten stress-reducing tips
1. Enlist support from family and friends. This helps you cope more effectively with life's upsets and restores feelings of self-worth.
2. Regular exercise reduces some of the harmful effects of stress.
3. Eat a healthy diet - fruit and vegetables, pasta and brown rice.
4. Learn to be assertive in order to deal with difficult people.
5. Plan your day and manage your time well.
6. Devote some time each day to relaxation.
7. Take a break from work and enjoy a brisk walk in the fresh air.
8. Don't drink alcohol. This causes tiredness and depression.
9. Smoking doesn't help matters, either.
10. Tranquillisers won't solve your problems.
What the law says
Employers have to exercise a duty of care - as far as is reasonably practicable - to ensure that workplaces are safe and healthy. Workplace stress, which may lead to mental ill health, may be considered like any other hazard in the workplace.
Contacts
National Stress Management Training Centre (incorporating Relaxation for Living)
01983 868166
http://www.internethealthlibrary.com
Health Education Authority
Institute of Occupational Medicine
8 Roxburgh Place, Edinburgh EH8 9SU
