This document discusses occupational stress and its management. It defines stress as pressure felt in life that can be harmful if it interferes with daily tasks or health. Stress comes in different forms like acute, episodic acute, and chronic stress depending on duration and severity. Common causes of work stress include work overload, job insecurity, family and financial problems, and lack of control. Stress can affect job performance depending on an individual's stress threshold and perceived control. High stress levels over long periods can negatively impact health and potentially lead to serious conditions like heart attacks.

1. Republic of the Philippines
LAGUNA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY
Santa Cruz Campus
Santa Cruz, Laguna
GRADUATE STUDIES AND APPLIED RESEARCH
MANAGING OCCUPATIONAL STRESS
Prepared by:
MANNILOU M. PASCUA
Ed. D. EM Student
Approved by:
MARIO C. PASION, Ed.D.
Professor

2. Republic of the Philippines
LAGUNA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY
Santa Cruz Campus
Santa Cruz, Laguna
GRADUATE STUDIES AND APPLIED RESEARCH
Name: Mannilou M. Pascua
Course Code: EDUC 606
Course Title: Human Behavior in Organization(Educ 606)
Professor: Mario C. Pasion, Ed. D.
MANAGING OCCUPATIONAL STRESS
 Definition of Stress:
Stress - means the pressure people feel in life. The presence of stress at work is felt by
a lot of people in many jobs. Stress is quite harmful because it leads to psychological
disorders. The internal body system changes as it try to cope with stress and more often
it triggers high blood pressure, stroke and other disorders. Stress becomes a problem
when it interferes with a person’s ability to do daily life tasks over a period of a few
weeks or impacts their health in a dangerous or risky way.
The Facts About Stress
• Stress is linked to the six leading causes of death--heart disease, cancer, lung
ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, and suicide
• 43% of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress
from American Academy of Family Physicians
 Forms of Stress:
According to psychiatrist, psychologist and doctors, they
found out that stress can be temporary or long term, mild or
sever depending on how long it causes to continue. Other
findings include the condition of individual how powerful they
are and how strong the employee’s recovery are. If stress is
temporary and mild, most people can handle it or at least

3. recover from its effects rather quickly, Severe, the employee
need medical attention or hospitalization.
Stressors - the condition that cause stress. Even one stressors may cause major
stress. Usually stressors combine to pressure an employee in a lot of ways that later
develops into stress.
The different kinds of stress
1) Acute stress is the most common form of stress. It comes from demands and
pressures of the recent past and anticipated demands and pressures of the near future.
This type of stress is short term, acute stress doesn't have enough time to do the
extensive damage associated with long-term stress. The most common symptoms are:
Emotional distress, Muscular problems, Stomach, gut and bowel problems, Transient
over arousal leads to elevation in blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, sweaty palms, heart
palpitations, dizziness, migraine headaches, cold hands or feet, shortness of breath and
chest pain.
Acute stress can crop up in anyone's life, and it is highly treatable and manageable.
2) Episodic acute stress - are those, however, who suffer acute stress frequently,
whose lives are so disordered that they are studies in chaos and crisis. They're always
in a rush, but always late.
3) Chronic stress - comes when a person never sees a way out of a miserable
situation. It's the stress of unrelenting demands and pressures for seemingly
interminable periods of time. With no hope, the individual gives up searching for
solutions.
Some chronic stresses stem from traumatic, early childhood experiences that become
internalized and remain forever painful and present. Some experiences profoundly affect
personality.
by Lyle H. Miller, PhD, and Alma Dell Smith, PhD.
 Causes of Stress:
 Work Overload
 complex assignments
 new technology
 project deadlines
 blame for mistakes or lapses
 employers attitude
 poor supervision
 improper instructions
 additional roles
 organization’s culture
 employee values
 difference in values
 type of job
 routine
 repetitive work
 rotating shift work
 machine-paced tasks
 hazardous environment
 night shifting
 working many hours in front of the
computer
 job security
 family problems
 financial problems
 numerous meeting
 lots of reports
 responsibility for the work of others
 resources shortages
 low wages and salaries
 lack of perceived control
frustration

5.  Personal factors and stress:
It includes: individual needs, capabilities and personality. Stress can reach a
destructive state more quickly when experienced by highly emotional people, those who
have low self – esteem and feel less competent because of job – mismatch. On the
other hand people who perceive good fit between job requirements and personal skills
have higher tolerance to stress.
 Stress and Job Performance:
Most people believe that stress is always bad and needs to be
eliminated entirely, I tell patients research has shown that stress can
actually enhance performance. Stress motivates people to act. Of
course, too much stress is harmful to the body and mind. It can lead
to feelings of being overwhelmed and also affect our physical health.
The relationship between stress and performance
by : Leslie Durr, PhD, RN, PMHCNS-BC
Stress can be either helpful or harmful to job performance defending upon the
amount of stress one feels. A stress that affects a person’s health affects job
performance because of absenteeism or inability to do the job effectively. Stress can be
helpful when it motivates an individual to turn in a good job performance.
1. Stress threshold Two major factors help determine
how stress will affect employee performance.
Worker vulnerability to stress - is a function of both
internal and external elements. One’s stress
threshold – is the level of stressors that one can
tolerate before negative feelings of stress happen
that negatively affect performance. Some people
have low threshold meaning they are easily upset by
the slightest change of disruption in their work. On
the other hand people with high stress threshold
stays cool, calm, and collected under the same
conditions.
The difference stress threshold is due partly from their experience and
confidence in their ability to cope in a particular situation. A higher stress
threshold helps prevent a lower performance unless a stressor is major or
prolonged.
by Dr. Christine Brown

6. 2. Perceived control – is the amount of perceived control they have over their work
and working conditions. People who are confident, experienced and skillful know
that they can endure situations that are perceived difficult to others.
Effect of stress in the workplace
 Personal factors and stress:
This includes individual needs, capabilities and personality. These are properties
of individual that influence how they perceive and respond to stress emanating from
work and non – work sources. Stress can reach a destructive state more quickly, for
example, when experienced by highly emotional people or by those with low self –
esteem. Further, people who perceive a good fit between job requirements and personal
skills have higher tolerance for stress than those who feel of a person- job mismatch.
 Stress and Health:
Stress is a potential cause of anxiety and frustration and is capable of breaking down the
body’s physiological and/ or psychological wellbeing over time. Excessive stress can
lead to several health problems such as:
 Heart attack
 Stroke
 Hypertension
 Migraine
 Headache
 Ulcers
 Drug
 Alcohol
 Tobacco abuse
 Overeating
 Depression
 Muscle aches