Managing Stress

Identifying and Managing Stress

Tom Thomson

Thomson Associates

Session Outline

• What is Stress?

• How does it affect us?

• What causes it?

• What can we do about it?

Stress – What is it?

‘The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demands placed on them’ (Health and Safety Executive)

Stress is not an illness but it can lead to physical or mental illness

How does stress affect us?

• Physical

• Thinking and Emotions

• Behaviour

Stress - Effects at Work

• Emotional – tearfulness/irritation• Absenteeism• Presenteeism• Poor time keeping• Inability to deal with usual workload• High staff turnover/job dissatisfaction• Increased forgetfulness, accidents and

mistakes• Reduced productivity• Indecisiveness or rash decision making

What causes us stress?

• Work pressures including deadlines, demands, relationships and lack of support

• Our expectations of ourselves

• Other people’s expectations of us

• External pressures including friends, family, relationships and life events

The Six Key Risk Areas

• Demands Includes workload, working

hours and targets

• Control How much say an employee

has in the work they do

• Relationships Includes relationships between

line managers and staff

• Change How organisational change is

handled and communicated

• Role The extent to which there is

clarity around job roles

• Support Such as encouragement,

resources and training to meet the needs of the job

What can we do about it?

• Identify what is causing you stress

• Use your coping techniques to manage the effects

• Address the causes by: Reducing demands; Increasing control; Improving relationships; Managing change; Clarifying your role or Getting more support