What is stress, Causes and signs of stress

What is stress, Causes and signs of stress

Stress

       Due to globalization, the work/output characteristics have extremely changed. This change is so rapid and vivid in nature that a normal employee faces a lot of difficulties in sustaining his position in such competitive world. This creates stress for him which he never experienced ever before. So to face such situations he must develop techniques to overcome work and task related stress. 

        Predominantly college students deal with a huge amount of stress that most adults dd not realize or have forgotten. A lot of pressure is placed on the students from their teachers, their parents and their peers. undergoing physical and emotional changes. 

         Stress management for students vital for maintaining a healthy level of emotional and mental health.Stress management for students includes handling schoolwork challenges, keeping up with extracurricular groups and events as well as dealing with the everyday drama of being teenager.

          Stress can be defined as a state or condition in which a person fails to cope with a demand made by the environment Stress is any force that pushes a physiological or psychological factor of an organism beyond its range, producing strain within the organism.

Stress

             Stress is the “wear and tear”. our body experiences as we adjust ourselves with   continually changing environment; it has physical and emotional effects on us and can. create positive or negative feelings.

• As a positive influence, stress can help to compel us to action; it can result in a new awareness and an exciting new perspective. Positive stress is called as ‘Eu-stress’. ' This gives rise to a positive outcome through stressful environment. However, it is difficult to decide as to how much stress is useful to motivate the person and how much stress is distress,‘since for the same situation' the response of different persons is different. So in a particular situation a person may feel ‘Eu-stress' while in the same situation other person may experience stress.
• As a negative influence, it can result in feelings of distrust, rejection, anger and depression, which in turn can lead to health problems such as headaches, upset stomach, rashes, insomnia, ulcers, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. 

Signs of Stress

Stress can affect an individual both mentally and physically. The effects of stress are different for different people.

Causes of Stress

          Whenever our body feels that something is not favorable, then it tries to defend Itself. If this Situation continues for a long time, then our body is working overtime. 

         There are several causes of stress. Look at the following causes of stress. 

 Causes of Stress at Home 

• Death of spouse, close relative or friend.
• Injury or illness of any family member.
• Marriage of Self, son, daughter, brother, or sister.
• Separation or divorce from partner.
• Children’s educational performance.
• Hyperactive children.
• Argument or heated conversations with spouse, family members or friends.
• Financial worries. 
• Change of place or migration.

 Causes of Stress at Work

• Your relationship with peers.
• Support you receive from your colleagues and juniors.
• Excessive work pressure.
• To meet out deadlines.
• To give new results.
• Extra assignments on holidays. 
• Harassment. 
• Loosing performance

 Other Causes of Stress

•   Fear :intermittent or continuous.
•  Threats: physical threats, social threats, financial threat, other threats.
•  Uncertainty.
•  Lack of sleep.
•  Somebody misunderstands you.
•  Setback to your position in society. / Status withdrawal 

        Now that you know what causes the stress, you can proceed to find the way that is parted for you to manage it. You won't have to ask what stress is. You will be able to now recognize the signs and symptoms of stress and deal with it all better It is not an impossible task. \You can definitely get rid of it provided you work towards it. If you are not able to deal with it through your own efforts you must seek medical attention.

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who is time wasters and time savers, Tips to use time effectively

Use time effectively

Time Wasters

       There are many time waster that will really eat into your time of you allow them to. To free up your time you need to identify those time wasters, decide what you want to do about them and then take action. Time wasters can classified in two ways.

Time wasters

Disorganization

     A chaotic working area can slow your progress because you have to hunt around for what you need, wasting time in the process. Having a neat and clean working area can make you feel more effective and in control. The following structure shows the main causes of disorganization of work area.

    The old axiom “There is a place‘for everything and everything at its place" is the best advice for organizing the information you have. For example.

• Everything related to a project should be kept in one folder.
• Pen and pencils should be properly kept in the perm .
• Working table should be clean.

Procrastination or Distraction

 Procrastination is thief of time (Edward young).  

          We put things off because we don't want to do them, or because we have too many other things on our plates. The old axiom ” Hard work often pays off after time but laziness always pays off now” is best advice to remove the distraction.

           Typically these items include boring, difficult, and unpleasant tasks that ultimately need I completing. The following structure shows the main causes of procrastination:

Causes of procrastination

To Deal with procrastination one can do following things 

•  Set a deadline  
•  Set up a reward system.
•  Do it first.
•  Break job into small pieces.
•  Do it now.

Inability to say 'No'

       In some situations, time demands to say no to others. Of course you don't have to do everything that everyone wants you to to do, so how to say "No" is also a skill. There is a four step procedure that makes saying "No" safe and effective.

• Give a reason
• Be diplomatic
• Suggest an alternative
• Don't put off your decision

Environmental time waters

 To avoid environmental time wasters one can do following things:

• Don’t invite your visitors to be seated unless you have time 
• Keep your working table away from the door 
• Provide short answers to telephone calls
• Attend the meetings only when they are relevant to you.

Time Savers

• Experiment with reducing your sleep time.
• Find prime time during the day when your energy level is high
• Keep meetings short-keep the matter relevant
• Keep your desk and mind cluster free-look the idea with full attention.
• Learn to delegate-don’t try to do everything
• Learn to do two things at once polish your Shoes while watching news 
• Plan ahead to avoid delays: keep books while travelling

Tips to use time effectively 

1.  Set up a daily routine.
2.  Make a list of priority tasks
3.  Know your most productive task and most demanding task
4.  Fix a realistic deadline for all jobs and stick to them
5.  Analyze your interruption and avoid as possible 
6.  Use a diary for everything

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Time management, How to manage time in day to day life

Time management

         Due to advanced studies on time and motion it is expected that the employee shall be able to apply different techniques of the time management for completion of task/work he is assigned. He is not only expected to just complete the task but he must complete it , in given stipulated time without compromising with quality and quantity.

Time management

          In today’s .competitive world it has become necessary that the person shall be able to accomplish the task in the optimum time. Also various activities shall be properly sequenced, which have to be done in the desired time period and that too appropriately. In this chapter our main focus is on the purpose of time management, process of time ' management, the time wasters, and time savers and how to effectively use the time.

          Time management is a set of principles, practices, skills, tools and systems that work I together to get more value out of time with the aim of improving quality of life. Managing the use of daily schedules, for the purpose of achieving maximum throughput/ productivity in life.

Process of the time management:

          The personal time management includes the basic four skills:

1. Goal setting: What you want to be?
2. Planning: How to get there? 
3. Prioritizing: Listing thing that need to be done?
4. Delegating: A way of manipulating people to get them to do what you want.

Process of time management

 Planning

          The planning of time involves the assignment of time to the activities to be performed by setting the priorities.

         The time of activities may be a day, a week and a month or specified number of days. Planning is important but you also need to think about your attitude towards the time and time management.

Planning makes two contributions that brings order to your life.

•  It tells you how to get from where you are to where you want to be. 
•  It identifies the resources required to get you there. 

            Abraham Lincoln said ”If I were given nine hours to cut a tree, I will sharpen the saw for six hours” .It means weight age to planning makes work performance more easy and effective.   

           Time management does not mean managing time. It is planning, organizing, actuating and controlling activities with respect to time effectively. Following block diagram explains key points for time management.

Key points for time management

Prioritizaion

   Setting priorities is two step process:

The management grid

1. Listing things that need to be done.
2.  Prioritizing items ABC Method 
3. Priority A-(Must Do)-E.g. Today’s Class test 
4. Priority B-(Should Do)-E.g. registration for technical quiz 
5. Priority C-(Nice to Do)-E.g. cleaning of living room 

QUADRANT 1 - This refers to 'Urgent' & 'Important'

  This  means our task or work is 'Urgent' as well as it is 'Important' too e.g. when teachers have to assess the examination papers then it is urgent as well as important.

QUADRANT II - This refers to 'not Urgent' but 'Important'

   In this, the task is not urgent but it is important. This is an important quadrant for long term growth of an individual. However it may happen that people may try to  post-pone the activities in this quadrant and it may happen that they may fall in 1st Quadrant. So always try to find some time and devote yourself to carry out tasks belonging to this quadrant.

 QUADRANT III - This refers to 'urgent' but 'not important'  

   The tasks falling in this category must be attended. If you fail to do these types of tasks then it may be a great loss for you e.g. unscheduled visitors comes to the college, of ringing telephone has to be urgently attended. In this case task may not be important but it is ‘Urgent’ so better attend it. 

QUADRANT IV - This refers to ‘Not Urgent’ and 'Not Important’

  This refers to those tasks, which are neither urgent nor important. The achievers and savvy teachers stay away from this type of activities. Let us see some of the tasks those fall in this category. Chitchatting, gossiping, and passing the time in doing mediocre and useless activities, long talk on cell phone, or surfing on television channels without watching a single channel carefully.

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How to set the Goal, The major steps in goal setting

Steps to set the goal

Goal setting

        To achieve more in lifetime, it is necessary to set goal in a specific way so that one can attain the outcome .The following chart shows the process, the feedback and outcome of each step of the goal setting.

Steps to set the goal

 Goal Worksheet

           A goal is an end, a result, not just a task to be performed. It describes the condition we want to achieve. Goals are extension of your values. However, most people don't know where to start. By following a simple goal setting worksheet,  you can get started on making all of your dreams a reality.

GOAL worksheet (Sample worksheet)

  The following goal worksheet is given. The student are required to fill it by setting other goals than which is given in sample sheet.

worksheet

Goal setting Do's & Don'ts

Goal setting Do's and Don'ts

Guidelines to set goals effectively

1. State each goal as a positive statement: Express your goals in a positive way. That is a key component to setting goals that you can attain.
2. Be precise: Set a precise goal that includes starting dates, times and amounts so that you can     properly measure your achievement.
3. Set priorities: Set your attention to the most Important ones and follow each in succession. 
4. Write it down: Provides better keep track of what you are doing so as not to repeat yourself unnecessarily.
5. Keep operational goals small : Keeping goals small and incremental allows you more opportunities for reward.
6. Set realistic goals: By being realistic you are increasing your chances of success. 
7. Achieving your Goals :When you have achieved a goal, you have to take the time to enjoy the satisfaction of having done so. Absorb the implications of the . goal achievement, and observe the progress you have made towards other goals.

What is goal setting, Importance of goal setting

Goal setting

Smart

          Due to the global competition it is expected that the employee shall be a very goooq human resource who know very well his abilities and strengths and shall be able to associate them to accomplish personal as well as organizational goals. He must have the ability to distinguish between personal goals as well as organizational goals and he shall be able to deal with them without having a clash of personal goals with organizational goals.
          Goal is an essential part of human life. The goal set for oneself determines the essence of the life. Setting goals is the first step to turning dreams, ideas, wishes, into reality. In this article focus is given on the need of goal setting, smart goal, steps to attain a Goal.

Goal, Aim and Objective

Goal

           It is a statement containing the information about where you want to see yourself or' what you want to become or what you want to achieve in life etc. However the statement of goals also indicates the time period. Usually the goal statements indicate time frame which‘is long term may be 8-10 years.

           e.g. My goal is to become the general manager of a reputed multinational company.

Aim

           It is a statement containing the information about where you want to see yourself or what you want to become or what you want to achieve in life etc. However the time period prescribed in the statement of aim is lower as compared to goals. Usually statements of aim indicate time frame which is medium term may be 3-4 years.  

 Objective

          It is a statement containing the information about where .you want to see ' yourself or what you want to become or what you want to achieve in life etc. However the time period prescribed in the statement of Objectives is lower as compared to Aim statements. Usually the objective statements indicate time frame, which is short term, ' may be 6 months to 1 year.

         The most important thing is that even though the time frame varies in Goals, Aims and objectives still they should be on the same lines.

The following example will clear the difference between Goals, Aims and Objectives. 

Goal : My goal is to start my own work shop with modern machines. 

Aim : My aim is to complete the diploma in Mechanical Engineering in three years.

Objectives : My objectives are to get first class' In every semester.

Why Goal setting?

           Goal setting is the process in which an individual has to identify the goal, plan and decide the strategy to achieve the goal. Follow the decided strategy with any modification that is necessary to move on the correct path towards the achievement of an identified goal. 

• Goal setting focuses efforts and improves direction in life. 
• Goal setting causes to set priorities and becomes more organized. 
• Goal setting turns wishful thinking into reality. 
• Goal setting can improve self-esteem.
• Goal setting makes you responsible for your own life. It helps to define your own value system.
• Goal setting makes aware of strengths, which can be used to overcome obstacles and Salve problems.
• Goal setting points out your weaknesses. You can begin setting new goals to improve in those areas and convert them into strengths. 

Characteristics of Goal setting

           In order to succeed, one needs to plan out his work and work out his plan . It is often observed that good intentions and desires are not equally supported by sincere efforts. Achievement of success is the result of judicious combination of desire and relevant action. To start one needs. synergy between the head, heart and the hand in achieving his goals. The goal should be SMART.

        Specific , Simple, Significant, Stretchable.

        Measurable , Meaningful, Motivational Manageable. 

        Attainable, Appropriate, Achievable, Agreeable, Assignable, Actionable.

        Realistic, Relevant, Result-oriented, Result-focused, Resourceful, Rewarding. 

        Timely, Time-based; Time -boxed, Time-specific, Time-tabled, Tangible, Traceable.

Specific

         Specifics help to focus efforts and clearly define what we are going to do. To set a Specific goal you must answer the following questions: 

Measurable

          Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress to stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to continued effort required to reach your goal. “I want to read a book of 100 pages before my birthday" , shows the specific target to be measured. "I want to be a good reader“ is_ not as measurable goal.

Attainable

          After identifying the goals that are most important to you, begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. Develop the attitude, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. Begin to see previously overlooked opportunities closer to the achievement of goals.

Realistic

         Your goal is probably realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished. Additional ways to know if your goal is realistic is to determine if you have accomplished anything similar in the past or ask yourself what, conditions should exist to accomplish this goal.

Timely

       A goal should be grounded within a time frame. With no time frame tied to it there's no sense of urgency. If you want to lose 10 kg, when do you'Want to lose it? t'Someday" won't work. But if you anchor it within a time frame, "by May 1st“, then you've set your unconscious mind into motion to begin working on the goal.

How to become an active learner, Guidelines for effective learner

Guidelines for effective learner

Effective learner

Know yourself

              Consider when (morning/ evening/ night) and where (bright room with noise or quiet corner) you are at your best for learning.

Manage your time

             The first step in learning to manage your time, you have to identify what your goals are and then to establish priorities to achieve the goals. 

Improve your concentration 

            Learn to keep your attention focused on the task at hand-concentrate. When you are ih' class or ready to study, give. it your full attention.

Know what study means & how to do it

             Learning takes more than just going to class and doing home work. It is really a four-part cycle: 

                           Preview>>class>>review>>study

            When you establish a learning-cycle routine you will be able to learn more in less time with less stress.

Develop a thinker's vocabulary

            To develop a thinker's vocabulary, you must become sensitive to'words and develop, strategies for unlocking the meanings of new words and a process for remembering the new words and their meanings.

Become an active reader 

          To learn from study or reading material, you must be an active, thinking participant in the process, not a passive one. Always preview the reading and make sure you have a. specific purpose for each assignment. Read actively to fulfill your purpose and answer questions about the material. Keep involved by giving yourself frequent tests over what you've read. 

Become an active writer 

           Your writing must have: 

• A purpose 
• A controlling idea or thesis  
• Organized development of your idea with major and minor supporting. details, and 
• A logical conclusion.

Build listening & note taking Skills

         Accurately listening to a lecture and deciding what is important are two skills that must be mastered before you worry about how to write the Information m your notes. Taking notes demands that you: 

• Prepare for class
• Become an active listener
• Distinguish major from minor points
• Use a note-taking system
• Participate in class, and 
• Review often. 

Know how to study and prepare for examination

         Examination indicates how much you've learned. Preparing for examination will give you a better understanding of the material, reduce anxiety, and improve scores.

Master Every Course 

         True education IS not about cramming material into your brain. True education is the process of expanding your capabilities, of bringing yourself into the world.

How information is processed in our mind, General guidelines to improve memory

How information is processed?

      When information is processed it passes through three stages as shown in Fig.

Encoding

              Not all the information that comes through our five senses is likely to be remembered The selected information is deposited into short term memory which is processed for encoding.

               Unless the information is significant to you it will be lost before it can be passed to long term memory. As information passes-from the senses into STM and onwards LTM it must be encoded to make it memorable.

                Try this exercise. Read these numbers once and see how many you can remember.

Now read the following set of numbers once and see how many you can remember

              You probably remembered fewer numbers from the second list. This is due to a limitation of our short-term memory to the "magic" number of seven bits oi information. Items 5, information in excess of seven are likely to be lost and may even displace any remembered items. Try the following puzzle comprising a matrix of twenty-five letters.

             Although the number of items here exceeds the magic seven, you may well have been able to recall the puzzle by using a technique called Chunking. Chunking relies on grouping items together using pattern recognition strategies and is enhanced by associating items with other scraps of information that reside in LTM and using these as a cue to recall.

           By using Chunking you can associate a word‘ ZOMBIE, with other information RAMBO. This associative "key" to memory is known as a ”mnemonic“.

Store

           Short Term Memory is very temporary and any information placed there is likely to be lost unless active steps are taken to transfer the learned data to Long Term Memory. In order to make the transition to LTM, a process called Rehearsal is required. You probably used rehearsal to remember items in the exercises from the previous page. Rehearsal is an operation through which information is systematically reviewed. Any information that is used regularly becomes well rehearsed (remembering your phone number) and is more likely to be committed to LTM. Less useful information will require a greater conscious effort to become a part of LTM. Greater conscious effort means Concentration.

Retrieval

        The learning and retrieval process is Influenced by a number of factors including the. complexity of the material. Following are the tips for learning and retrieval of information:

• Things that are relevant or interesting to you. are much easier to learn.
• Use what you already know to aid your understanding of hew information.
• Learn only’what needs to be learnt. 
• Identify the type of material to be learnt. 
• Adjust your rate of teaming to the material. 
• Test yourself'.
• Use what you have learnt regularly. 
• Avoid studying similar material consecutively. 

General guidelines to improve memory

               There are some basic things you can do to improve your ability to retain and retrieve information from memory.

• Pay attention

             You can’t remember something if you never learned it, and you can’t learn that is encoded into your brain if you don’t pay enough attention to it. It takes about eight seconds‘of intent focus to process a piece of information through your hippo campus (area of brain associated with memory) and into the appropriate memory center. 30, no multitasking when you need to concentrate! If you distract easily, try to receive information in a quiet place where you won't be interrupted. 

• Acquisition of information

            Most people are visual learners; they learn best by reading or otherwise seeing what it is they have to know. But some are auditory learners who learn better by listening. They might benefit by recording information they need and listening to It until they remember it. 

• Involve all senses

           Even you’re a visual learner, read aloud what you want to remember. It you can recite It rhythmically, even better. Try to relate information to colors, textures, smells and tastes. The physical act of rewriting information can help imprint It onto your brain. 

• Relate information

          Connect new data. to information you already remember Whether it’s new material that builds on previous knowledge, or something as Simple as an address of someone who lives on a street where you already know someone. 

•  Organize information

           Write things down in address books and datebooks and on calendars; take notes on more complex material and reorganize the notes into categories later. Use both words and pictures in learning information. 

• Understand and interpret 

             for more complex material, focus on understanding basic ideas rather than memorizing isolated details. Be‘able to explain it to someone else in your own words. 

• Rehearse and over-learn 

            Review what you’ve learned the same day you learn it, and at intervals thereafter. What researchers call “spaced rehearsal” is more . effective than “cramming.” If you’re able to “over-learn” information that recalling becomes second nature, so much the better. 

• Have positive attitude 

           Tell yourself that you want to learn what you need to remember, and that you can learn and remember it. Telling yourself you have a bad memory actually hampers the ability of your brain to remember, while positive mental feedback sets up an expectation of success.