By Chantel Schirmer
Photo by Luis Villasmil on Unsplash
As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, what better time than to analyze the effects of stress whether on the job or in life and how it impacts me. So what is job stress? Our lecture defines it as “tension people feel when they are facing or experiencing extraordinary demands, constraints, or opportunities; and, they are uncertain about their ability to handle them“, (Swift). The key I see here is “uncertainty.” Whether that is from stress on the job to changes in life it is reconizing how we handle these “uncertainties” that can make all the difference.
Reflecting on the results from Take the Life Stress Inventory, Type A Personality, and Coping & Stress Management Skills, I noticed how important it is to stop and take inventory throughout our lives as things can change in a moment. In fact I can recall a time two years ago taking the inventory of the Take the Life Stress Inventory test and how it helped me realize how I was in a place of unbelievable stress and surviving. Taking inventory is vital to breaking down the reality of factors in my life that can lead to increased stress. Whether it be a change of jobs, loss of a loved one, moving yet again, pay changing it can make a huge difference to offer myself grace and the ability to change.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Additionally, the Type A Personality Survey revealed that while I am “while generally characterized by warmth and tolerance there are also times that when I am stressed my frustration can be triggered with impatience and unkindness. In the past these results lead to heart disease that they are now seeing is really a root cause of the effects of impatience regarding stress. Ways to decrease this could be by adding in regular routines for exercise. As well as recognizing how past and present my high score in coping and stress management skills in particular using “Problem-focused strategies” is how I have maintained excelling in my academics and other commitments amongst changed beyond my control. Finding others that can support you is helpful. Continuing to use these strategies and modify necessary changes when I can will help balance out the stress.
Moreover, businesses could be saving themselves from a lot of damage if they incorporate a “comprehensive, strategically designed investment in employees’ social, mental, and physical health pays off” (Berry et al., 2010).
References:
Berry, L. L., Mirabito, A. M., & Baun, W. B. (2010, December). What’s the hard return on employee wellness programs? Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2010/12/whats-the-hard-return-on-employee-wellness-programs
Coping & Stress Management Skills Test. Psychology Today. https://psychologytoday.tests.psychtests.com/bin/transfer
Swift, M. (n.d.). W9 Lecture 6 – Job Stress. HRM. MGMT 453×400
The Holmes-Rahe Life Stress-inventory. https://www.stress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Holmes-Rahe-Stress-inventory.pdf
Type-A Personality.Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/tests/personality/type-personality-test
