Stress and its consequences effect on employees in work place. A challenging task of stress management.

1. Introduction
Experts in various fields have written and introduced many scientific and professional
publications about stress in the workplace and its effects on employees within organizations. The
influence of long-term mental load during the work process deteriorates the work performance,
mainly perception disorder and attention-deficit disorder occur. Furthermore, motor activity,
cognitive and decision-making processes slow down and memory is weakened. As a result,
occupational accidents and wrong decision-making occur. The interpersonal relationships are
disrupted by conflicts in the workplace, employee turnover and pathological disruption of
relationships in the form of mobbing, the psychological terror in the workplace. The realization
of harmful effects of stress on employees in the workplace has been proclaimed, but on the other
hand, the effects and consequences of stress on employees have not been respected. The current
nature of work requires faster work, more work and high-quality work. Employees are
consequently caught between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, they need to leave work
in due time; on the other hand, they must meet their employer’s requirements. And besides
incomplete tasks, the result is stress.
What is Stress?
Although “stress” is a commonly used term in today’s vernacular, and most people appear to
have an intuitive sense of what it means, stress is difficult to precisely define as it is often used
interchangeably with a variety of other terms, such as anxiety, pressure, or strain. In a general
sense, stress refers to a collection of physiological, emotional, behavioral and cognitive reactions
that occur in response to environmental demands. As we interact with the world around us, we
must make constant appraisals of environmental threats, challenges, and demands and attempt to
cope with any issues that arise. At times, environmental demands are easily handled, such as
when you have to press a button on a key to unlock your car. However, at other times, the
demands of the environment can seem daunting or unmanageable, such as when you have to take
three exams on the same day, and result in feelings of physical tension, negative thought

2. patterns, and unpleasant emotional experiences. “stress results when the demands of the
environment are greater than the individual’s perceived coping resources.”
Body Responsesto Stress:
When threatened by environmental dangers, changes, or demands, humans experience a variety
of physiological and psychological changes. Once a threat has been recognized and appraised as
dangerous, the individual evaluates available coping resources. If the demands of the situation
are deemed to be greater than the available coping resources, an “alarm” or” Fight-or-Flight
Response” is generated. During the fight-or-flight response, the body prepares for action,
generally consisting of either confrontation or avoidance of the threat. The sympathetic nervous
system is activated, and hormones, including adrenaline and noradrenaline, are released into the
blood stream. Heart and respiration rates accelerate and blood pressure increases, enabling the
body to quickly circulate oxygen-rich blood to the brain and large muscles of the body. Blood is
redirected away from the extremities to the core, and digestive processes are slowed. Muscles
tend to become tense, eyes dilate, and hearing becomes more acute. Sweat glands activate to cool
the body, and the skin often becomes paler or flushed.
Concurrent with these physiological changes, the fight-or-flight response tends to generate
various psychological processes. Attention becomes heightened and narrowed, with particular
focus on threat relevant cues, and one’s ability to attend to and concentrate on other tasks can be
impaired. Short-term memory and decision-making abilities can also be negatively affected by
high stress, and, emotionally, people tend to report feeling jittery, “on edge”, fearful, anxious,
and restless. Pacing, fidgeting, and avoidance behaviors are common behavioral manifestations
of a stress-induced alarm reaction, and many people experience an urge to avoid the stressor or
to flee from the situation. If the person is able to successfully manage or avoid the stressor, the
body begins to return to homeostasis.
However, chronic exposure to stress or recurrent confrontations with stressful stimuli can begin
to take a toll on the individual.
Workplace Stress:

3. Fear of job redundancy, layoffs due to an uncertain economy, increased demands for overtime
due to staff cutbacks act as negative stressors. Employees who start to feel the “pressure to
perform” can get caught in a downward spiral of increasing effort to meet rising expectations
with no increase in job satisfaction. The relentless requirement to work at optimum performance
takes its toll in job dissatisfaction, employee turnover, reduced efficiency, illness and even death.
Absenteeism, illness, alcoholism, “petty internal politics”, bad or snap decisions, indifference
and apathy, lack of motivation or creativity are all by-products of an over stressed workplace.
 Loss of Balance Between Work/Home/ Community Life
Long hours also create a high risk of stress in terms of balancing work with domestic and
community life. Longer working days also means less time for volunteering, and for
community activities. The loss of these socially rewarding activities can further contribute to,
or rather, no longer mitigates, work related stress. Workplace stress increases levels of
absenteeism and turnover. It is also associated with decreased levels of productivity, as well
as disability and sick leave. Stress and other mental health disorders cause the most
absenteeism and the most impact on health benefits claims costs. Prolonged stress can be
costly to employers since it can result in a decline in productivity.
 Violence in the Workplace
Violence in the workplace can be a source of stress. Tragically, it may, in extreme cases, be
the result of stress. Aggression spans a broad spectrum – from the extreme physical violence
to less easily identifiable passive-aggressive behavior. Violence includes all forms of
psychological and emotional abuse. Failing to respond to phone calls and emails, being late
for meetings, withholding resources - these types of behaviors, when carried out over a long
period of time, can result in tremendous psychological harm.
 Physiological Impacts of Stress
Stress triggers biological responses that release the hormones adrenaline and cortisol, which
can cause sustained increases in blood pressure and levels of harmful fats and sugar in the
blood, resulting in damaged blood vessels and increasing the likelihood of heart attack and
stroke. Evidence suggests that continuous high stress levels can diminish the body’s ability to

4. fight infections and cancer. Evidence further suggests that high levels of stress increase the
likelihood of infertility.
 The Young and the Aged
Stress can affect the mental and physical well-being of parents, and can also affect the health
of children. Stress can arise from conflicts between working schedules and the needs of
children, and the needs of elderly parents. Parenting takes time, and parents who are in a
constant state of “time deficiency” must constantly battle to make time for their children.
And, even if time is found, the nature of this time can be negatively impacted if the parent is
under stress.
 Diminished Performance Under Stress
Employees under stress experience a narrowing of their attention spans, and their attention is
easily diverted. They have trouble concentrating. They become disorganized. Consequently,
they make more mistakes. More mistakes lead to decreased productivity, which in turn leads
to stress. Compounded by an increasing workload, employees experiencing time related
stress often prioritize tasks, focusing on those they believe to be the most important, likewise
restricting available resources to those tasks believed to be more important. Such subjective
evaluations of task importance can lead to problems if wrong. Employees under stress can
experience fatigue. Fatigue can include feelings of weariness, faintness and reduced
alertness. These symptoms can result in a decline in physical and mental performance, which
can result in errors and time pressure, which can result in stress. Fatigued employees can also
experience boredom, a state which is also common to employees who are dissatisfied with
their position.
The other most common sources ofstress in the workplace:
Each type of work has its own potential stress factors. According to experts dealing with the
stress problems, seven categories of sources of stress generally valid for all professions have
been identified. These seven categories are:
 1. Inner factors connected with profession.
 2. Role within the organization.

5.  3. Personality and stress coping.
 4. Work relationships.
 5. Career development.
 6. Culture and atmosphere within the organization.
 7. Connection between home and work.
Stress Management:
Given the beneficial nature of mild to moderate levels of stress, the goal of stress management is
not to eliminate all stress. Rather, stress management techniques are designed to keep stress
levels within an optimal range. Engaging in healthy lifestyle behaviors can help to reduce stress
and maximize the likelihood of living a long, healthy life. The following stress management
techniques have been consistently supported by empirical research: physical activity and
exercise; healthy eating; adequate sleep; relaxation, mindfulness and meditation; laughter, self-
expression and social support; and cognitive restructuring.
Survival Tactics to Combat Workplace Stress:
 Step 1: Identify the source
Handling stress is a very personal and individual matter. The first step to dealing with stress
is to identify the source of the stress, and figure out how to address the source of the stress,
and the effects of the stress. In most cases, as stated before, there is little that can be done
regarding the source of the stress.
 Step 2: Take positive action
There is an endless list of resources crafted to provide advice and guidance to individuals
suffering from workplace stress and its negative repercussions. Most often, employees are
encouraged to
Talk to their supervisor about establish priorities and setting deadlines.
Identify problems and propose solutions.
Take care of your physical and mental health.

6. The origin of work related stress is not something that can be changed immediately, if at all.
Finding individual ways to maintain good mental health is critical.
Physical Activity and Exercise:
Considerable evidence has accumulated indicating that regular physical exercise is associated
with numerous physical and psychological health benefits. For example, regular engagement in
moderate exercise, such as a brisk walk, strengthens the immune system and decreases rates of
illness. Exercise also strengthens body muscles, including the heart, preserves muscle mass, and
helps with weight management. Individuals who exercise regularly are also at a reduced risk for
some chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension.
Healthy Eating:
When experiencing high levels of stress, research suggests that many people change their eating
patterns. One of the most common dietary changes associated with stress involves the increased
consumption of caffeine in an effort to improve early morning or late night productivity.
Ironically, although caffeine is associated with short term increases in alertness, caffeine can also
exacerbate the stress response. For example, caffeine stimulates the body to release various stress
hormones, including cortisol and glucocorticoids, as well as catecholamine’s, which include
epinephrine (adrenaline), norepinephrine, and dopamine. The release of these chemicals is
associated with heightened levels of stress for hours after ingestion. In addition, caffeine
consumption can lead to other conditions that can affect the body’s ability to respond to stress,
including insomnia, hypertension, increased risk of heart disease, gastrointestinal problems, and
immune system suppression, making you more prone to infections.
Adequate Sleep:
Research suggests that the relationship between stress and sleep is bidirectional in that high
levels of stress tend to be associated with impaired sleep, and lack of sleep tends to exacerbate
the experience of stress. Numerous studies have indicated that excessive stress tends to lead to
diminished ability to fall and stay asleep, increased rate of nightmares, and poorer sleep quality.
In addition, various emotional disorders associated with stress and anxiety, such as posttraumatic

7. stress disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, are often associated with significant sleep
disruption.
Relaxation, Mindfulness, and Meditation:
Relaxation, or easing of physical or mental stress, is often thought to be the antidote to stress.
Relaxation and anxiety are thought to be opposing emotions, in that one cannot be relaxed and
anxious at the same time. Indeed, the achievement of a state of relaxation during a period of
stress is often a challenging task. However, a variety of techniques have been devised with the
intention of helping one to reach a state of relaxation, several of which have demonstrated
reliable efficacy in psychological research: Diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle
relaxation, guided imagery, and meditation exercises.
Conclusion:
The long-lasting stress causes a chronic mental fatigue. It is an actual problem especially among
young people who do not have time to relax. It is typical for the managers who work more than
12 hours a day and often become workaholics, and whose work rhythm is completely disrupted,
without any rest. Then people, with mentally demanding job, who are not able to draw their
attention away from unsolved tasks, lead a similar life. Mental fatigue gradually decreases the
number of opportunities to accomplish any mental activities. It also has an effect of emotionally
negative tension that decreases work ability, worsens thinking and disrupts the coordination of
mental and physical performances.
Employees’ participation is particularly important for successful managing of stress and
psychosocial risks in the workplace, because managers, via consultations with the employees,
help to create a trustful atmosphere, in which employees do not fear to express their worries. By
employees’ participation in the preventive precautions the overall morale will be raised and
adequacy and efficiency of the taken precautions will be ensured.
Sources:
1) https://www.researchgate.net/
2) http://www.afahc.ro/ro/revista/2015_1/163.pdf