Stress
Stress has become a major issue in today's society. Many factors in people's lives can cause stress. Stress drastically reduces brain functions such as memory, concentration, and learning. Functions that are essential for effective working. In this essay the potential causes of stress that one may encounter at work will be looked at. Going on to assess ways in which organisations could help alleviate the stress of their employees.
A study by ?Neurofen' found that 40% of workers took time off work because of stress related problems and also showed that 197 million working days were lost in the UK through stress in 1997 (Roger Meads Associates, Stress Management). Another study showed ?43% of adults today as having experienced stress related health problems' (American Institute of Stress, The Role of Stress in Health & Illness). These figures emphasise what a major issue stress is today.
Stress can be described as the resulting influence or conditions inflicted on an individual as a result of mounting ?stressors'. There are many symptoms/signs of stress in an individual. Ranging from problems such as tiredness, headaches and low energy levels, to problems as serious as mental illness and increased chance of heart disease. It is debated whether the word stress should be applied to the stimulus that causes adverse mental and physical conditions, or whether these conditions are what we should label as stress. But a widely accepted definition would be that stress is:
"A state of extreme difficulty, pressure, or strain" (Robert J. Samuelson).
It is argued that pressure in the workplace can be a good motivating factor and lead to increased performance and productivity. But when pressure becomes excessive, stress is caused, and a per ...