STRESS MANAGEMENT

By
ISRAR MOHAMMAD
(EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ETEA)
• Definition

• Stress is a general term applied to various

mental and physiological pressures
experienced by people feel in their lives.
• Stress may be defined as "a state of
psychological / physiological imbalance
resulting from the disparity between
situational demand and the individual's ability
or motivation to meet those demands."
• Stress can be positive or negative. Stress can
be positive when the situation offers an
opportunity for a person to gain something. It
acts as a motivator for peak performance.
Stress can be negative when a person faces
social, physical, organizational and emotional
problems.
• Causes of Stress

Factors that cause stress are called "Stressors."

The following are the sources or causes of an
organizational and non-organizational stress.
• 1. Causes of an Organizational Stress
•
The main sources or causes of an organizational
stress are :-
• Career Concern : If an employee feels that he is very
much behind in corporate ladder, then he may
experience stress and if he feels that there are no
opportunities for self-growth he may experience
stress. Hence unfulfilled career expectations are a
major source of stress.
• Role Ambiguity :
• It occurs when the person does not known
what he is supposed to do on the job. His
tasks and responsibilities are not clear. The
employee is not sure what he is expected to
do. This creates confusion in the minds of the
worker and results in stress.
• Rotating Shifts :
• Stress may occur to those individuals who
work in different shifts. Employees may be
expected to work in day shift for some days
and then in the night shift. This may create
problems in adjusting to the shift timings, and
it can affect not only personal life but also
family life of the employee.
• Role Conflict :
• It takes place when different people have
different expectations from a person
performing a particular role. It can also occur
if the job is not as per the expectation or when
a job demands a certain type of behavior that
is against the person's moral values.
• Occupational Demands :
• Some jobs are more stressful than others. Jobs
that involve risk and danger are more
stressful. Research findings indicate that jobs
that are more stressful usually requires
constant monitoring of equipments and
devices, unpleasant physical conditions,
making decisions, etc.
• Lack of Participation in Decision Making :
• Many experienced employees feel that
management should consult them on matters
affecting their jobs. In reality, the superiors
hardly consult the concerned employees
before taking a decision. This develops a
feeling of being neglected, which may lead to
stress.
• Work Overload :
• Excessive work load leads to stress as it puts a
person under tremendous pressure. Work
overload may take two different forms :-
– Qualitative work overload implies performing a job
that is complicated or beyond the employee's capacity.
– Quantitative work overload arises when number of
activities to be performed in the prescribed time are
many.
• Work Under load :
• In this case, very little work or too simple work
is expected on the part of an employee. Doing
less work or jobs of routine and simple nature
would lead to monotony and boredom, which
can lead to stress.
• Working Conditions :
• Employees may be subject to poor working
conditions. It would include poor lighting and
ventilations, unhygienic sanitation facilities,
excessive noise and dust, presence of toxic
gases and fumes, inadequate safety measures,
etc. All these unpleasant conditions create
physiological and psychological imbalance in
humans thereby causing stress.
• Lack of Group Cohesiveness :
• Every group is characterized by its
cohesiveness although they differ widely in
degree of cohesiveness. Individuals
experience stress when there is no unity
among the members of work group. There is
mistrust, jealously, frequent quarrels, etc., in
groups and this lead to stress to employees.
• Interpersonal and Intergroup Conflict :
• Interpersonal and intergroup conflict takes
place due to differences in perceptions,
attitudes, values and beliefs between two or
more individuals and groups. Such conflicts
can be a source of stress to group members.
• Organizational Changes :
• When changes occur, people have to adapt to those
changes and this may cause stress. Stress is higher when
changes are major or unusual like transfer or adaption of
new technology.
• Lack of Social Support :
• When individuals believe that they have the friendship and
support of others at work, their ability to cope with the
effects of stress increases. If this kind of social support is
not available then an employee experiences more stress.
• 2. Causes of Non-Organizational Stress
•
Certain factors outside the scope of an organization also
cause stress.
• These main sources or causes of non-organizational stress
are :-
• Civic Amenities :
• Poor civic amenities in the area in which one lives can be a
cause of stress. Inadequate or lack of civic facilities like
improper water supply, excessive noise or air pollution, lack
of proper transport facility can be quite stressful.
• Life Changes :
• Life changes can bring stress to a person. Life
changes can be slow or sudden. Slow life
changes include getting older and sudden life
changes include death or accident of a loved
one. Sudden life changes are highly stressful
and very difficult to cope.
• Frustration : 
• is another cause of stress. Frustration arises when goal
directed behavior is blocked. Management should
attempt to remove barriers and help the employees to
reach their goals.
• Caste and Religion Conflicts :
• Employees living in areas which are subject to caste
and religious conflicts do suffer from stress. In case of
religion, the minorities and lower-caste people (seen
especially in India) are subject to more stress.
• Technological Changes :
• When there are any changes in technological field, employees
are under the constant stress of fear of losing jobs, or need to
adjust to new technologies. This can be a source of stress.
• Career Changes :
• When a person suddenly switches over a new job, he is
under stress to shoulder new responsibilities properly. Under
promotion, over promotion, demotion and transfers can also
cause stress.
•

• HOW TO MANAGE STRESS

• Take a break from the stressor. 
• It may seem difficult to get away from a big work
project, a crying baby or a growing credit card bill.
But when you give yourself permission to step away
from it, you let yourself have time to do something
else, which can help you have a new perspective or
practice techniques to feel less overwhelmed. It’s
important to not avoid your stress (those bills have
to be paid sometime), but even just 20-minutes to
take care of yourself is helpful.
• Exercise. 
• The research keeps growing — exercise benefits
your mind just as well as your body. We keep
hearing about the long-term benefits of a
regular exercise routine. But even a 20-minute
walk, run, swim or dance session in the midst of
a stressful time can give an immediate effect
that can last for several hours.
• them.
• Smile and laugh. 
• Our brains are interconnected with our emotions and facial
expressions. When people are stressed, they often hold a lot of
the stress in their face. So laughs or smiles can help relieve some
of that tension and improve the situation.
• Get social support. 
• Call a friend, send an email. When you share your concerns or
feelings with another person, it does help relieve stress. But it’s
important that the person whom you talk to is someone whom
you trust and whom you feel can understand and validate you. If
your family is a stressor, for example, it may not alleviate your
stress if you share your works woes with one of
• Meditate. 
• Meditation and mindful prayer help the mind and
body to relax and focus. Mindfulness can help
people see new perspectives, develop self-
compassion and forgiveness. When practicing a form
of mindfulness, people can release emotions that
may have been causing the body physical stress.
Much like exercise, research has shown that even
meditating briefly can reap immediate benefits.
 Other tips
• Keep a positive attitude.
• Accept that there are events that you cannot control.
• Seek out social support. Spend enough time with
those you love.
• Seek treatment with a psychologist or other mental
health professional trained in stress management or
biofeedback techniques to learn more healthy ways
of dealing with the stress in your life.
•  
• Be assertive instead of aggressive. Assert your
feelings, opinions, or beliefs instead of
becoming angry, defensive, or passive.
• Learn and practice relaxation techniques; try
meditation, yoga, or tai-chi.
• Exercise regularly. Your body can fight stress
better when it is fit.
• Eat healthy, well-balanced meals.
• Learn to manage your time more effectively.
• Set limits appropriately and say no to requests
that would create excessive stress in your life.
• Make time for hobbies and interests.
• Get enough rest and sleep. Your body needs
time to recover from stressful events.
• Don't rely on alcohol, drugs, or food to reduce
stress.
CONDUCT RULES 1987
• No Government servant
• 1: accept or obtain or agree to accept to obtain from any
person fro himself or for any other person, any
gratification.

• 2: Do or forbear to do any official act or show or forbear

to show, in the exercise of his official functions, favor or
disfavor to any person or render or attempt tom render
any service or disservice to any person, in violation or
contravention od any provision of any law.
• 3: Accept or obtain or agree to accept or attempt to
obtain for himself or for any other person, any valuable
thing without consideration or for a consideration which
he knows to be inadequate, from any person whom he
knows to have been, or to be likely to be ,concerned in
any proceedings or business transacted or about to be
transacted by him, or having any connection with the
official function of himself or of any Government servant
to whom he is subordinate or from any person whom he
knows to be interested in or related to the person so
concerned.
• 4: Misappropriate, dishonestly or fraudulently,
or otherwise convert for his own use or for the
use of any other person property entrusted to
him or under his controlee as a Government
servant or willfully allow any other person to
do so.
• 5: Obtain, by corrupt, dishonest, improper or illegal means or seek for himself or for any
other person, any property, valuable thing, pecuniary advantage or undue favor

.
• 6: Possess, directly or through his dependents or any other movable immovable property
or pecuniary resources, disapropriate to his known sources of income which he cannot
reasonably account for.
• 7:Shall attend such functions and meetings in
which Islamic moral values are not regarded
or which are in violation of such values like
functions of music and dancing by women etc.
• Gift: No Government servant shall except with
the previous sanction of the Government,
accept or permit any member of his family to
accept, from any person any gift the receipt of
which will place him under any form of official
obligation.
• Acceptance of foreign award : no Government
servant except with the approval of the
Governor Kp accept a foreign award, title or
decoration
• Public demonstration in honor of Government
servants or raising funds by them.
• Gifts to Medical officer in recognition of his
services.
• Lending and borrowing No Government servant
shall lend to or borrow money from or place himself
under any pecuniary obligation.
• Declaration of property.
• Private trade , employment or work.
• No Government servant shall live beyond his means.
• Subletting of residential accommodation.
• Report by Government servant in case of his
involvement in a criminal case.
• Approach to minister of the Assembly: No
Government servant shall directly or indirectly
approach any member of the National or
Provincial Assembly or any other Non-official
person to intervene on his behalf in any
matter.
• Radio-Broadcast and communication to the
press.
• No Government servant shall in any document
published or any public utterance, radio
broadcast or TV program, or in any other
manner make any statement of fact or opinion
which is capable of embarrassing the Fed or
Provincial Government.
• No statement against Govt policy.
• No Govt servant can take part in politics and
elections.
• No propagation of sectarian creeds.
• No views against the ideology of Pakistan.
• No nepotism, provincialism and favoritism.
• Thanks