Stress and stressors, causes of stress. Organizational and personal ways of managing stress

Stress management

Stress, as is known, is a complex of physical, chemical and other reactions of a person to stressors (or stimuli) in the environment, the action of which unbalances his physiological and mental functions. Stress can have both negative and positive meanings for a person. Under certain conditions, it helps to mobilize the employee’s efforts to solve production problems or achieve personal goals. In connection with conflicts, consideration of the negative aspects of this phenomenon deserves more attention.

Being a part of everyone's life, stress is inevitable. Changes at work and in the family, especially unforeseen ones, can throw a person out of balance and lead to a discrepancy between his state and the environment. Such a discrepancy, in turn, gives rise to fatigue, a sense of danger, weakening of mental abilities, increased blood pressure, a passive attitude towards work, a decreased level of organization, violations of labor discipline, etc. This leads to losses in the organization due to an increase in the number of accidents, a decrease in the quality of work, an increase in staff turnover, and premature death of workers.

To avoid this kind of loss, it is necessary to determine the causes of stress. In table Yu.Z provides a classification of stressors and their consequences.

American scientists Holmes And Reich Based on the research, a numerical series of assessments was constructed for each life circumstance, arranged in order of the strength of its impact on human health. These data were presented in the form of a scale (Table 10.4). People who score over 300 points on the scale belong to a group with a high probability of diseases such as peptic ulcers, migraines, colitis, and cardiovascular diseases in the near future. These tables show the relationship between stressors affecting a person and declining resistance to disease. For example, during the first year after the death of a spouse, widowers and widowers have a mortality rate 10 times higher than people of the same age who have not experienced a similar loss. Among divorced people, the disease is

Table 10.3

CLASSIFICATION OF STRESSORS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES

Table 10.4

INFLUENCE OF LIFE CIRCUMSTANCES ON HEALTH

PERSON

End of table. 10.4

How to use the scale. The corresponding instruction reads: count the points for all of the listed events, if they took place for you in the previous year. A number of 150 or below indicates a relatively low number of life changes and a low likelihood of stress-related health problems. Scores between 150 and 300 indicate a 50% chance of significant health problems over the next two years. A score over 300 increases this danger to 80%.

the risk after the first year is 12 times higher than for those living a normal family life.

To avoid the harmful effects of stress, you need to learn how to cope with it. There are methods for neutralizing stress (Table 10.5). Taking them into account, individual stress neutralization programs are drawn up. At the organizational level, they conduct seminars, teach employees relaxation techniques, ways to change behavior, and identify individual stress.

Table 10.5

METHODS FOR STRESS NEUTRALIZATION

Test questions and assignments

• 1. What place does conflict and stress management occupy in the management system of an organization and its personnel?
• 2. Indicate the main functions of conflict and stress management.
• 3. What rules should be followed when influencing a conflict situation?
• 4. Describe the main methods of conflict management.
• 5. What are the negative consequences of stress?
• 6. What needs to be done to neutralize stress?

Every day a person faces many stressful situations. There is no escape from this, so psychology offers people ways to avoid or deal with stress.

What stressors surround a person and how a person reacts to them determines the overall picture of his psychophysical and emotional state.

Types of stress - good and bad

The principle of action of stressors on the body

Stress is the body's reaction to stimuli, called stressors. In psychology, there are such concepts as beneficial and harmful stress. They are distinguished by their effects on the human body and by the consequences that arise after some time.

Distress has a destructive effect on the nervous system and internal organs of a person. It is this that causes depression, chronic diseases and mental disorders. In addition to it, there is also eustress - a positive form of stress. It does not have a destructive effect and is often associated with joyful moments in a person’s life.

Stressors can be any factors that surround a person in everyday life.

Some have a short-term and minor effect on the subject, while others act for a long time, which leads to chronic manifestations of stress.

One way or another, it is impossible to completely get rid of them. In order to reduce the impact of stressors on the body, psychologists have developed special techniques and training to increase the stress resistance of individuals.

Stages of stress development

Classification of stressors according to L. V. Levi

According to the works of L.V. Levi, a person is constantly in a state of stress. This is due to any external influence or processes within the body. Levy divides stressors into two types: short-term and long-term.

Short-term stressors

They may occur suddenly or recur over a period of time. They have a minor effect on the nervous system and cannot become chronic. These include:

1. Failures, mistakes, mistakes. Signals can also come when reminded of a stressor. If a person independently remembers a past bad experience or someone reminds him of it, then the intensity of stress can be as strong as at the time of the event. In general, the severity of the reaction to memories decreases over time.
2. Noise, bright light, unpleasant swings, temperature changes. The impact of external stimuli on an individual while he is performing any work leads to a decrease in concentration.
3. Fear, fright. Expectation and fear of physical pain, fear of hurting others, criticism or ridicule of oneself lead a person to a state of stress. If a person experiences these feelings over a long period of time, they become long-term stressors.
4. Discomfort. The influence of external factors on the human body, such as heat, cold, dampness, etc., causes a reaction of the defense system, which is completely normal.
5. Speed, haste, high tempo. When a subject is rushed, forced to do something faster than he is accustomed to, he is exposed to a stressor.

Long-term stressors

Their long-term exposure not only makes adjustments to a calm and measured life, but can also significantly affect the subject’s health.

Stressor - military service

Long-term ones include:

1. Complete restriction or isolation. For example, imprisonment, total parental control, serving military service or a regular diet. Any infringement of the body in its usual needs affects the nervous system.
2. Dangerous work or extreme lifestyle. People who carry out their duties at risk with their lives are exposed to long-term stressors. Love of extreme sports or adrenaline addiction contribute to the manifestation of stressors.
3. Background exposure. With the constant need to resist in any area of ​​life, a person suffers in his psychophysical state. The reason for this may be enmity with some entity or military action.
4. Overwork, prolonged performance of the same type of work. Actions that lead to mental or physical fatigue can significantly affect the functioning of organs and systems.

In order to reduce the influence of surrounding stimuli, you need to avoid collisions with them or change your attitude towards them.

Impact of different types of stressors

Family stressors

The main environmental stressors lie not in the outside world, but in the family. The influence of stressors on a person’s psychophysical state is classified according to two parameters: a distinction is made between normative and non-normative stressors.

The first are a natural stage in the life of any individual. Like any violation of the boundaries of current reality, they cause a stressful state. Most often, eustress appears here. But distress is no less common.

Family stressors - parental quarrels

Crisis moments of a normative nature are:

• creating your own family;
• expecting the first child;
• raising a child, etc.

In addition to such stages in life, other incidents may occur that leave an imprint on all family members. It could be:

• illness or death of a loved one;
• divorce;
• division of children and property;
• treason;
• domestic violence;
• change of place of residence, etc.

Every family experiences stressful situations that can strengthen or destroy it. Regardless of the age and social status of family members, difficulties will certainly arise. The only difference is the nature of their origin and the reaction of household members to them. Poor communication between relatives only increases the impact of stressors on their lives.

Among other things, family stress is divided into horizontal and vertical stressors.

These are lines of development of stressful situations that have an impact not only on the current situation, but also on people’s future lives. This fact once again confirms that people, for the most part, repeat the lives of their parents.

What could be a stressor - list

Stressors by degree of control

Depending on the events occurring in a person’s life, his future destiny is formed. But the main thing that the body brings out of any stress is memory. The lack of stress resistance is compensated by aggressiveness and a conflictual attitude towards others. Over time, the subject becomes so accustomed to this state of affairs that he does not see other reaction options at all.

Psychologists have compiled a gradation of types of stressors: from those that can be influenced by a person to stressors that are beyond the control of the subject’s will. This helps to better understand the nature of the origin of stressors and develop principles for dealing with them.

2 types of stressors

The classification of stressors by degree of control can be considered using the following example:

• A torn button on a favorite suit - this factor can be completely corrected by the subject himself;
• Lack of money or other material assets can also be corrected. But you will have to put in more effort and spend a significant amount of time;
• Quarrels in the family - to correct the situation, the mutual desire of opponents will be required; resolving the situation on your own is very problematic;
• Illness – such a stressor cannot always be changed even with great desire and aspiration;
• Country of residence - can be corrected, but it will require a lot of effort, without a certain material base, this stressor cannot be excluded;
• Government - man alone cannot change this fact;
• The era – such a stressor cannot be changed in any way.

Illness is a serious stressor

If you look at this list, it becomes clear that the greatest discomfort is caused by those stressors that a person himself can influence. From this we can conclude that avoiding most distress is not so difficult.

Occupational stressors

Labor activity is the root of most psychophysical disorders, as well as chronic neuroses in middle-aged people. Unbearable loads, as well as pressure from management, put the subject into a stressful state. A person lives this story day after day, and stress becomes chronic.

Professional stressors - types

Work stressors look like overload and underload at work:

• Excessive work activity has an extremely negative effect on the body. It leads to the depletion of a person's physical and psychological resources.
• Lack provokes problems with the perception of the usefulness of one’s “I”. Possible decreased self-esteem and irritability.

Excess and lack of work activity have almost the same effect on the body.

Job stressors manifest themselves at the moment when a person becomes incomprehensible to the requirements for him. Uncertainty causes feelings of anxiety and inadequacy.

Career stressors are nothing more than a promotion or, conversely, its lack, or dismissal. Factors such as injustice towards employees also have an impact. Personal factors indicate problems in combining work and personal life.

Conclusion

Using the example of various types of stressors, we can consider the influence of the characteristics of stress resistance. The higher it is in a person, the less he is susceptible to distress.

Depending on the subject's lifestyle, he is exposed to various stressors. Their influence can be reduced, but avoiding them completely is simply unrealistic, because stress is an integral part of human life. It is thanks to stressors that his habits and instincts are formed, which are passed on from generation to generation and determine the behavioral reactions of various groups of people.

There is no other psychological term that has become so firmly established in our lives as stress.

Stress They call it a problem of the 20th century, which smoothly turned into the 21st. Concerned about the health of their subordinates, the owners of American companies rushed to combat stress. Cigna Corporation offers breaks during the workday during which employees listen to music, dance and do exercises. And overstressed Lipschultz, Levin and Gray employees can play darts, mini golf or hula hoop right in the office.

According to some Western experts, up to 70% of diseases are associated with emotional stress. In Europe, more than a million people die every year due to stress-related disorders of the cardiovascular system.
According to VTsIOM, two-thirds of Muscovites are constantly in a state of stress, and a third of the country’s population is in a state of severe stress, which not only reduces a person’s performance, but also leads to serious illnesses.

Every person has experienced it, everyone has heard about it, but almost no one takes the trouble to find out what stress is. Many words become fashionable when scientific research leads to the emergence of a new concept that affects everyday behavior or the way we think about fundamental issues in life. These days there is a lot of talk about stress associated with administrative or business activities, environmental pollution, retirement, physical stress, family problems or the death of a relative. But have you ever thought about what stress is?

The word "stress", like "success", "failure" and "happiness", has different meanings for different people because we are all different, and each of us has our own life experiences and values. Therefore, it is very difficult to define stress, although it has become part of our everyday speech. Isn't "stress" just a synonym for "distress"*? Is it effort, fatigue, pain, fear, the need to concentrate, the humiliation of public reproach, loss of blood, or even an unexpected huge success that leads to the disruption of the entire way of life? The answer to this question is both yes and no. This is why it is so difficult to define stress. Any of these conditions can cause stress, but none of them can be isolated and said: this is stress, because this term equally applies to all others.

The first definition of stress was given by the Canadian physiologist Hans Selye, according to which stress is anything that leads to rapid aging of the body or causes illness.
R. M. Granovskaya defines stress as a set of stereotypical, phylogenetic programmed nonspecific reactions of the body that prepare it for physical activity, that is, resistance, fight or flight. Weak influences do not lead to stress; it occurs only when the influence of stress exceeds the normal adaptive capabilities of a person.

/* Distress(English) – grief, misfortune, malaise, exhaustion, need; Stress(English) – pressure, pressure, tension/

The encyclopedic dictionary gives the following interpretation: “A set of protective physiological reactions that occur in the body of animals and humans in response to the influence of various unfavorable factors.”

In modern psychological science and practice, the distinction between the concepts of “physiological stress” and “psychological stress”, introduced by the famous stress researcher Richard Lazarus, has been established.

1. Physiological stress(based on the concept of “general adaptation syndrome” by G. Selye) - a condition expressed in animals and humans at the physiological level under the influence of stress factors such as excessive physical activity, high or low temperature, painful stimuli, difficulty breathing, etc. .

According to G. Selye, “adaptation syndrome” includes 3 stages:

anxiety,
resistance,
adaptation or exhaustion.

2. Psychological stress– a state of extremely high psychological stress, which can have a strong and negative impact on the state, behavior, and activity of a person under the influence of various stress factors (information overload, situations of resentment, threats, uncertainty, etc.).

There are quite a large number of concepts and models of stress among both domestic and foreign researchers:

– cognitive theory of psychological stress by R. Lazarus, which is based on the position of considering stress from subjective points of view through the prism of cognitive processes;

– concepts of professional stress (A. N. Zankovsky, T. Sokh, W. Schorpflug, etc.),

– socio-psychological theories of stress (concepts: D. Mechanik, R. Darendor, B. P. Darenwend, etc.) and many others.

The above examples of concepts reflect the current tendency in psychological science and practice to differentiate the concept of “psychological stress” into various types of classifications depending on the field of psychological knowledge. One of the options for such a classification is considered:

– Interpersonal psychological stress– characterized by a subjective assessment of interpersonal interaction, the presence of conflicts or their threat;

– Professional or organizational stress– associated with the complexity, danger, responsibility of performing work tasks, disruption in the organization and working conditions;

– social or public psychological stress– associated with social, socio-economic problems, unemployment, bad habits (alcohol, drugs), national or regional conflicts and wars;

– family psychological stress– includes all the difficulties in maintaining a family - marital problems, interaction with children, relatives, etc.;

– Intrapersonal psychological stress– reflects “I-conflict”, unrealized aspirations, needs, aimless existence;

– environmental psychological stress- occurs due to adverse environmental influences - harsh climatic conditions, overcrowding, etc.

All definitions for this classification (the same applies to other classifications) reflect the dependence of the name of the type of stress on the dominant factors that determine it. However, any type of psychological stress includes:

general factors (characteristic of all types of stress),

· specific factors (characteristic only for this type of stress),

· external or objective factors, under which there are objectively recorded conditions for the occurrence of stress (limited time, large volume of workload, and so on),

· subjective, personal factors, which are largely determined by the individual characteristics of a person (inadequate self-esteem, motivational characteristics, temperament, high levels of personal tension, anxiety, aggressiveness and others).

Stress is associated with positive and negative experiences. Physiological stress levels are lowest during moments of indifference, but are never zero (which would mean death). Pleasant and unpleasant emotional arousal is accompanied by an increase in physiological stress (but not necessarily distress).

Destructive stress, or distress, destroys behavior and is the source of numerous unpleasant experiences and illnesses. Fighting its external manifestations is not only futile, but also harmful. Distress should be prevented, or if the person is already distressed, it should be treated.

Main symptoms of distress: 1. absent-mindedness
2. increased excitability
3. constant fatigue
4. loss of sense of humor
5. a sharp increase in the number of cigarettes smoked with a simultaneous addiction to alcoholic beverages
6. loss of sleep and appetite
7. memory impairment
8. sometimes so-called “psychosomatic” pain in the head, back, stomach is possible
9. complete absence of sources of joy.

If you notice at least one of the listed signs or any combination of them, then it’s time to intervene in your own life - think calmly, discuss the situation (preferably with a loved one), try to find out and eliminate the reasons that caused your psychophysical overstrain.

Stressor(synonymous with stress factor, stress situation) - an extreme or pathological stimulus or an adverse effect of significant strength and duration that causes stress. A stimulus becomes a stressor either due to the meaning a person assigns to it (cognitive interpretation), or through lower brain sensory mechanisms, through the mechanisms of digestion and metabolism.

There are different classifications of stressors. In the most general form there are: 1. Physiological stressors(excessive pain and noise, exposure to extreme temperatures, taking certain medications, such as caffeine, etc.);

2. Psychological stressors(information overload, competition, threat to social status, self-esteem, immediate environment, etc.);

3. Social stressors(changes in government, natural disasters, dollar exchange rate, traffic jams, habits of other people, etc.).

From the point of view of the stress response, it does not matter whether the situation we are faced with is pleasant or unpleasant. All that matters is the intensity of the need for restructuring or adaptation.

Example:A mother who was informed of the death of her only son experiences terrible mental shock. If, many years later, the message turns out to be false and her son suddenly walks into the room unharmed, she will feel intense joy.

The specific results of two events - grief and joy - are completely different, even opposite, but their stressor effect - a nonspecific requirement for adaptation to a new situation - may be the same.

Another possible classification is the division of stressors into three groups according to the degree of our influence on them.

1. Stressors that are beyond our control: this is your gender and age, weather, country of residence, laws, tax system, established price levels in the market, purchasing power of the population, etc.

2. Stressors that cause stress only because of our interpretation. Examples include anxious thoughts about unlikely future events (“What if the delivery of goods fails?”) as well as worries about past events that we cannot change.

3. Stressors we can directly influence: interaction with business partners and competitors, own unconstructive actions, lack of time, lack of skill in setting goals in life and business. This can also include health indicators, excess weight, blood pressure levels in the initial stages of hypertension and other factors.

Stressors can be both real and imaginary. A person reacts not only to actual physical danger, but also to a threat or reminder of it. It should also be noted that a person tolerates failures, losses, and grief more easily when the reasons seem to him to be purely external, independent of his own actions, and it is more difficult for him to experience his wrong behavior, as a result of which a traumatic situation arose.

A stressor is a lever that triggers the stress mechanism. Moreover, this is not necessarily a factor that affects everyone equally. The main thing is the impact that gets you.

Example:You can't stand it when someone leaves trash on the dinner table. Everyone else reacts to this completely normally, but you insist on cleanliness and order. Well, you have every right.

Targets are our internal beliefs, ideas, views and stereotypes - that “pedal”, by pressing which the stressor achieves a stress reaction. Ian McDermott and Joseph O'Connor provide a gradation of stress targets depending on the logical level at which they arose:

1. Environment

Those factors that cause you stress in your environment. A long commute to work, a cramped and noisy office, non-working household appliances, a quarrel with a loved one. Your job can be stressful if you have a lot of demands on you and you don't have the ability to handle them.

2. Behavior

Your actions can lead to stress. Maybe leaving for a meeting at the last minute and the constant stress that comes with it, or having to meet people's demands at a time when you don't want to. Changes in routine can be stressful.

3. Abilities

If you have the ability to turn on anxiety in yourself, then you have developed a certain skill. You can almost certainly easily imagine how something leads to an unsatisfactory outcome. You probably do this by creating mental movies of how things might go wrong, and then imagining the terrifying consequences. And this is also a certain skill. It demonstrates your ability to imagine pictures so vividly that you can create significant chemical changes in your body. There are probably other uses for this talent. What happens if you use that same power of vivid imagination to imagine what will happen 15 minutes after the event has been satisfactorily resolved, and then think about how you could achieve that?

4. Beliefs and values

You may not have considered that beliefs and values ​​can cause stress or act as resources against it, but this is an area where changes can have a significant effect. We carry our beliefs with us, so they will cause stress wherever we go. The more rigid our beliefs and expectations, the greater the stress we experience, because the world around us will not bend its path just to meet our needs.

The belief that people are untrustworthy and are ready to deceive you at the first opportunity will keep you on edge and cause stress. Beliefs that make you dependent on other people or events, or that you have no choice in how you respond to events, will contribute to stress.

5. Identity

The only stress at this level can be a false image. It can manifest itself in two ways. First - concerns relationships between people when a person does not allow anyone to see the real him, and most likely works in cases where a person cannot express himself fully in his work. Second The way a false image manifests itself is as a mask, put on for one's own or someone else's benefit, to protect one's real identity. Such a mask can arise in childhood, when a person did not know how to cope with something and used a false image as a means. When this happens, the person once again experiences the feeling of emptiness, and his behavior loses an additional degree of freedom to maintain balance.

Try to monitor the changes that happen to you when you find yourself in a stressful situation. You brace yourself as if waiting for a blow, the muscles of your face, chest and abdomen tense. Breathing increases because cells require more oxygen. Due to the narrowing of small blood vessels, blood pressure increases. The frequency and force of heart contractions increases, causing blood to flow much faster. These changes are caused by the physiology of stress, but other manifestations are strictly individual. And they depend on the state of the nervous system: strong or weak; from the predominance of inhibition or excitation processes in the cerebral cortex; on a person’s ability to control himself and his emotions; from upbringing; and even from family and national traditions.

Shifts that occur during stress are a manifestation of an ancient defensive reaction formed during evolution. This reaction was instantly activated in our ancestors at the slightest threat, ensuring with maximum speed the mobilization of the body's forces necessary to fight the enemy or escape from him. This mobilization was very convenient for cavemen or other harsh times when stress meant that a person had to be ready for physical action. Currently, this leads to additional problems. Today, when you need emotional resources rather than physical ones when you are stressed, the body continues to react as if you needed physical activity. As a result, a temporary increase in blood pressure, justified by a situation of real danger, turns into a painful state due to lingering indignation about what is a thing of the past and what no longer exists, or about what does not yet exist and, perhaps, will not exist at all.

The question is when and how circumstances become truly stressful. Two people who find themselves in the same situation will react to it differently, depending on their character, experience, emotional state and other factors. One will not see any threat to himself in the situation and will remain calm, while the other will have a feeling of unaccountable anxiety or obvious fear. Stress occurs when circumstances are subjectively perceived as threatening. It does not matter whether the threat is real or imaginary - the important thing is that the threat psychologically exists for a person who begins to look for ways out of the situation. Forms of overcoming difficult situations, or coping strategies (from the English verb to cope - “to cope”, “to cope”), can be very different, such as violent affect (anger, aggression, tears, laughter), rethinking the situation (new interpretation significance of events, an attempt to see them “in a different light,” rationalization) and actions directly aimed at resolving the problem.

Depending on how effective the chosen coping strategy is, the problematic situation is successfully overcome or, on the contrary, aggravated even further. In the first case, the experience of stress ends, having replenished the “piggy bank” of useful experience; in the second, it increases and turns into a destructive, potentially hazardous form.

American psychologist T. Cox identified two personality types (he called them “type A” and “type B”) based on their reaction to stress.

Type A:
– A persistent desire to achieve intended, but usually vaguely defined goals.
– Strong desire and willingness to compete.
– The desire to be recognized and to advance in something further.
– Performing many different functions under limited time.
– Tendency to increase the pace of work.
– The ability to quickly make decisions and take action.

Type B: – Clearly setting goals, calmly thinking about methods to achieve them.

– Lack of desire to compete.
– Recognition doesn’t really matter.
– Performing certain functions for an unlimited period of time.
– Calm, measured pace of work.
– Decisions are made after preliminary deliberation.

Type "A" personalities are constantly spinning "like a squirrel in a wheel." Their life is full of events and problems. They often become “workaholics”; as a rule, they love their work very much and devote themselves to it without reserve, turning any situation into a race (for example, they like to constantly move from one lane of the road to another in order to gain a few minutes of time); remain in a “wound up” state around the clock; do several things at the same time. They cannot stop and relax in time, as a result of which nervous exhaustion and the risk of cardiovascular diseases are extremely high for them.
In contrast, people of type "B" live measuredly, without haste. They manage to combine work, entertainment with family responsibilities. They plan their day clearly, without trying to “embrace the immensity.” On weekends they prefer not to think about work, they try to relax and do something pleasant. They tend to have good health, high self-esteem, experience successfully coping with stress, and a positive approach to life. Negative emotions are partially or fully compensated.

Overcoming and correcting stress can be carried out by a variety of means: these can be attempts to minimize stressful working conditions and everyday life, and the treatment of existing diseases caused by prolonged experience of stress, and the actual psychological “stress management”, which allows increasing resistance to stress. In each specific case, the recipe for dealing with stress can be very individual, but must be based on a comprehensive analysis of both the psychological situation itself and the psychophysiological state.

We should not forget about the potential benefits of stress, which, under certain conditions, leads to an increase in a person’s psychological and biological endurance. The positive impact of moderate stress is manifested in a number of psychological properties– notes R. M. Granovskaya – Improving attention, increasing a person’s interest in achieving a goal, and a positive emotional coloring of the work process.

Danish scientists, for example, have found that daily stress reduces the risk of developing breast cancer. Researchers believe this is due to hormonal imbalances, specifically decreased estrogen levels that occur with chronic stress.

Remember, stress is associated with almost any activity; only those who do nothing can avoid it. But who enjoys an inactive life?

Stress, unless, of course, it is associated with a physical threat, is a reaction not to a fact, but to the meaning assigned to it. Change the meaning and you change your reaction to what is happening. As Hans Selye said about stress, “stress is not what happened to you, but how you perceive it.”

Environmental Stressors Consequences

Self-diagnosis corresponds to the wishes of the staff, and thus brings them more satisfaction than what they expect. Based on the results of self-diagnosis, management can take preventive measures and reorganizations, especially since they will be determined by stakeholders.

However, such a participatory event has some limitations, since the staff’s conclusions about health hazards are not always the most fair and objective. Thus, the harm from noise and even the serious danger of deafness are widely underestimated by workers, mainly those with the greatest experience. Sound design is part of many professions. Adapting to it is proof of professionalism.

A similar phenomenon occurs in “fiery” professions: “heat is a characteristic of the work, you are not a real foundry worker if you cannot withstand it.”

Enterprises that tried the workplace self-diagnosis method quickly appreciated its advantages and began to feel the need to use it to collect and discuss the information received.

The audit can be carried out in five stages:

1. Acquaintance with the enterprise (inventory of the list of tense places and operational irregularities).

2. Analysis of the general situation by department (comparative state of sectors and selection of objects for detailed study).

3. Development and distribution of field questionnaires that will help determine the detailed status of the sector and provide an assessment.

4. Drawing up a diagnostic balance of the sector in order to identify the causes of poor working conditions.

The company's management provides the necessary explanations, advice on methods of collecting information, tables for entering information, tables for processing and synthesis.

For example, during the survey phase, the company’s management may be asked to provide information in the following areas:

Workplace;

Organizational environment;

Distribution of work;

Completing tasks;

Personnel assessment and promotion;

Public relations;

Individuals and groups;

Leadership style.

For each of them, a questionnaire is compiled consisting of a dozen questions addressed to employees and their managers, in which three answer options are given. The responses are then summarized in a present status assessment document.

The self-diagnosis method allows you to create a reference book, a certain database known to the largest number of people, which can become the basis for drawing up a development program.

The causes of stress lie in negative and positive situations: lack of control over emotions triggers a stressful state. Stressors are the “causative agents” of panic, depression and apathy.

Stressors cause different reactions - from panic to apathy

The types of stressors are determined by the psycho-emotional state of the victim and the experience. Such factors differ in the duration of exposure and frequency of repetitions.

What is stress?

Stressors trigger stress: more negative situations destroy a person’s defenses and cause a response. In conflictology, stressors are assigned a separate category of causes of protracted interpersonal conflicts.

Stress is a loss of control over emotions and one's own behavior. A state of increased tension occurs after prolonged exposure to stressors. By identifying the root cause of a person’s emotional instability, you can get rid of obsessive thoughts and fears.

Why do “irritants” appear?

Environmental stressors occur with a certain frequency or just once. Against the background of persistent depressive states, any reminder of a traumatic event triggers the body’s reaction. The impact of negative factors is enhanced by personal non-perception of oneself as an individual. Such stressors: hunger, cold, extreme environmental conditions can cause irreversible changes in the victim’s psyche.

What are the most dangerous causes of stress:

• change of main place of work;
• death of a loved one;
• physiological changes (diseases, injuries);
• injustice (feelings of guilt, envy, betrayal);
• unfavorable environmental factors.

Aggressive reactions due to stress can change a person’s life: deprive them of peace, destroy the family idyll, and disrupt harmony. Factors such as the death of a loved one or the loss of a loved one trigger strong rejection.

The victim of stress does not accept the tragedy, and denial of death leads to worsening mental disorders. The level of stress depends on a person’s individual resilience.

Psychological problems can arise due to poor adaptation of a person. Leaving your comfort zone causes stress for people of any age.

Envy is one of the causes of stress

Type of stressors

In psychology, the classification of stressors covers physiological and mental changes in a person. The main negative reactions affect the victim’s well-being, her worldview and the perception of those around her. The individual gets lost in society, withdraws from society - poor communication does not allow a person to get settled in life and have strong relationships.

Classification of stressors and their characteristics:

1. Factors of active activity. The main types of stress involve overloading a person’s physical condition. The body sends signals about a threat to life. Underload and overload can create stress. Production factors are related to professional responsibilities: the stressor is responsibility for one’s life and responsibility for subordinates. Contests and competitions disturb the peace of the individual.
2. Evaluation factors. There are social stressors with bad experiences. Fear of competitions, performances, fear of the public arises from the expectation of failure. These types of stressors occur spontaneously. Social factors are formed against the background of constant victories or defeats. Love failures, family problems (destruction of a child’s family or an adult’s family) create stress factors.
3. Mismatch of actions. Relationships between family, lovers, and colleagues generate stress from separation. Social problems, impaired communication, reboots in everyday activities create the preconditions for stress and mental disorders. Stressors include sensory deprivation and diseases that cannot be controlled (viral and infectious diseases). Disagreements in family life lead to tension and unjustified expectations. As a result, the social personality withdraws into itself and is alienated from the family. The level of stress from uncoordinated actions is equivalent to the loss of a loved one.
4. Physiological stressors. Muscle loads among athletes, injuries, and surgery increase stress levels and create conditions for the development of mental disorders. A person’s psycho-emotional reaction is a natural defense. Social skills and communication in such cases do not play an important role. Types of physiological stressors: sounds, darkness, confined space, environmental conditions.
5. Psychological "irritants". Psychological stress increases the level of stress in people holding high positions or leading an active social life. Such types of psychological stressors as public expectations or increased responsibility have a strong impact on the individual. Psychological problems arise from a person’s thoughts, from internal pressure.

Professional stress. These types of overloads are familiar to employees of large corporations or weak individuals. Psychological punishment, competition, constant moral pressure lead to an increased level of stress (the level depends on the employee’s sensitivity).

Family crises

Vertical and horizontal stressors arise in the family. The basis of such factors is the upbringing of children, myths about family life embedded in the new generation. Vertical factors run through the beliefs that each spouse received in childhood. Vertical stress factors are formed in three or more generations: these are misconceptions about the position of husband and wife, about their role and main responsibilities.

Horizontal factors refer to the stages of family relationships. At their core, such problems arise due to external difficult situations: lack of money, problems with housing and organizing family life.

Horizontal factors are based on material values ​​and do not relate to the spiritual life of the family. Normative crises manifest themselves at the stage of formation of family life. The clash of values ​​and principles creates normative crises in future family life. In regulatory crises, horizontal and vertical factors can be involved. The role of such stressors is determined by the origin of the partners and their upbringing.

Family quarrels are another type of stressor

Conclusion

What stresses affect a person's life? The professional life of an employee is subject to frequent stress associated with excessive pressure and expectations. Personal relationships can become a battlefield for two contradictory personalities: life principles influence.

The influence of unfavorable factors affects the victim. Socialization of the consequences of the stress suffered explains a person’s alienation and lack of desire to build strong relationships and start a family.