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Managing Stress for Employees

What is stress?

The Health Service Executive defines stress as a mental and physical condition which results from pressure or demands that strain or exceed your capacity or perceived capacity to cope.

The sources of such pressure or demands are called stressors.

Is there a difference between positive and negative stress?

It is commonly accepted that not all stress is bad. Stress can in fact help to improve performance and increase productivity in the workplace or at home.

The difference between positive and negative stress is that positive stress is associated with a sense of challenge and excitement however negative stress is dominated by worry, anxiety and agitation.

What are the symptoms of negative stress?

The symptoms associated with negative stress can differ greatly from person to person and can be either physical or psychological.

Psychological symptoms can range from racing thoughts and speech, lack of impulse control, and feelings of being overpowered, losing control and fearfulness generally. People behave differently to their 'normal' behaviour when under stress. They may be angrier, more confrontational, show less time for others and impose an urgency on situations which is unrealistic for those around them; they also may feel a loss of confidence and self-esteem.

Physical symptoms of stress include chest pains, constipation, diarrhoea, cramps, or muscle spasms, dizziness, fainting spells, biting your nails , nervous twitches, pins and needles, feeling restless, sweating more, sexual difficulties or loss of sexual desire, breathlessness, muscular aches and difficulty sleeping.

How may stress be affecting your job?

Stress can affect your work in a range of ways. Being stressed and under pressure could be indicated by:

Absenteeism
Poor timekeeping
A decline in performance
A noticeable change in behaviour
A loss of creativity
Increased level of mistakes
Poor judgment
Difficulty in planning, concentrating or making decisions.

What can I do to personally prevent and manage stress?

Strive to maintain a good balance between your work life and your personal life
Ensure you are getting enough sleep
Maintain a healthy diet
Exercise on a regular basis
Seek help as soon as possible if you begin to notice the signs of stress
Make time for relaxation, enjoyable social activities or meditation

Managing stress can be a difficult task- In the early stages of stress experience many people tend to avoid the idea that they may be experiencing stress, they may subconsciously try and comfort their stress through actions such as excessive eating, smoking or drinking alcohol. If the stress is not managed in the early stages, it can worsen quickly and have serious consequences on an individual

University of Galway's Counseling's service has devised a fact sheet on the ways to manage stress. This can be applied to both your working environment and your personal life.

Further Information can be found through the following link: Stress Management at University of Galway

How do I recognise and respond to stress in a student?

From time to time members of staff may encounter students suffering from stress or are distressed. Quite often the distressed student may also be underperforming academically. Sometimes students may try to mask their distress by attributing academic underperformance to some other cause.

In order to acknowledge, respond and refer a student in distress, University of Galway has produced a guide for all staff members to utilise which can be found through the following link:

University of Galway: A Guide to Supporting and Responding to Students in Distress‌