Stress Audit of Managers working in Bank

Stress means a type of pressure on an individual which can cause strain, anxiety, constant worry, nervous tension, hassle or even trauma in extreme cases. Stress is a topic which provokes interest in all areas of life and its profile in the workplace is increasing. Available data shows that stress is the cause of a considerable amount of reduced effectiveness at work, absence from work and of reduced quality of life. In this context, Stress is defined as 'an abnormal state when a person develops an unwanted response to external factors (stressors)'. Everyone has pressures in life and Pressure is defined as 'a state of increased motivation in response to demands enabling a person to achieve a higher level of performance'. Thus, pressure may be perceived as a normal reaction and stress as an abnormal response. The whole topic is complicated by the fact that individual responses to the same stimuli may vary and what might be 'good' pressure for one individual, may become 'bad' stress to another. Stress produces numerous symptoms which vary according to persons, situations, and severity. These can include physical health decline as well as depression. According to the St. Louis Psychologists and Counseling Information and Referral, the process of stress management is one of the keys to a happy and successful life in modern society. Although life provides numerous demands that can prove difficult to handle, stress management provides a number of ways to manage anxiety and maintain overall well-being. Work-related stress is a pattern of reactions that occurs when workers are presented with work demands that are not matched to their knowledge, skills or abilities, and which challenge their ability to cope. These demands may be related to time pressure or the amount of work (quantitative demands), or may refer to the difficulty of the work (cognitive demands) or the empathy required (emotional demands), or even to the inability to show one’s emotions at work. Demands may also be physical, i.e. high demands in the area of dynamic and static loads. When the worker perceives an imbalance between demands and environmental or personal resources, this can cause a number of possible reactions. These may include physiological responses (e.g. increase in heart rate, blood pressure, hyperventilation), emotional responses (e.g. feeling nervous or irritated), cognitive responses (e.g. reduced attention and perception, forgetfulness), and behavioral reactions (e.g. aggressive, impulsive behavior, making mistakes). When people are in a state of stress, they often feel concerned, less vigilant and less efficient in performing tasks. Work-related Stress occurs in many different circumstances, but is particularly strong when a person’s ability to control the demands of work is threatened. Insecurity about successful performance and fear of negative consequences resulting from performance failure may evoke powerful negative emotions of anxiety, anger and irritation. The stressful experience is intensified if no help is available from colleagues or supervisors at work. Therefore, social isolation and lack of cooperation increase the risk of prolonged stress at work. Conversely, work tasks with a high degree of personal control and skill variety, and a work environment with supportive social relationships; contribute to workers’ well-being and health. When demands exceed one’s abilities and knowledge, but one is able to perceive this as an opportunity to work towards achieving a state of balance, a situation of learning and development may arise. The stress process can be summarized in a model that illustrates the causes of stress, (short-term) stress reactions, long-term consequences of stress, and individual characteristics, as well as their inter-relations.