31 Stress Management: Meaning, Sources and Strategies II

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Content Outline

 

1.     Objectives

2.     Causes of the Stress and /Sources of Stress

3.      Classification of Stressor

3.1.    Organizational Stressors

3.1.1.  Task Demand

3.1.2.  Physical Demand /Working conditions

3.1.3.   Interpersonal Demand

3.1.4.   Role Demands/Professional responsibilities

3.1.4.1.  Role Ambiguity

3.1.4.2.  Role Conflict

3.1.4.3.  Role Overload

3.2.        Life Stressors

3.2.1.      Life Change

3.2.2.      Life Trauma

 

1.  Objectives

 

This module will familiarize the learner with the Stress Management. At the end of the module, the learner will be able to,

  • List the causes of stress
  • Classify the stressors

 

2. Causes of the Stress and /Sources of Stress

 

A lot research has been done on teacher stress. A number of studies have unravelled the emotional consequences of teacher stress, such as burnout (Bauer, Stamm et al., 2006; Friedman, 2000; Krause & Dorsemagen, 2007; Montgomery & Rupp, 2005;Rudow, 1999). The researches have argument that the teacher’s work is psychologically stressful. The stress is caused by many reasons. The reasons could be physical to emotional. The knowledge of the cause, helps in better learning.

 

 

Other Causes could be

  • Intermittent fear  or continuous fear
  • Physical threats, social threats, financial threat, other threats.
  • Uncertainty
  • Lack of sleep
  • misunderstanding
  • Setback to your position

 

3.     Classification of Stressor

 

Anything that causes the release of stress hormones is called as stressor. According to the Business Dictionary “Physical, psychological, or social force that puts real or perceived demands on the body, emotions, mind, or spirit of an individual is called as stressor.” Some of the examples of the stressors are appearing for the job interview, first day of the new job or new course, buying a house, death of loved one, disaster, losing the job, illness, confronting physical danger etc.

 

The stressors with respect to teachers in the educational institutions can be classified in two broad categories

 

3.1.  Organizational Stressors

 

J.E. Newman Defined stress as “the condition arising out of interaction of people with their jobs and characterized by changes within people that forces them to drift apart from normal functioning.”

 

When people could not deal with situation of various demands at workplace, it leads to work related negative stress.

 

3.1.1. Task Demand

 

These stressors are related to the specific job performance, the responsibilities of the employee. The teachers are required to have multi-tasking skill. The school teachers have to accomplish different responsibilities apart from the teaching work like correction of notebooks, assignments, examination papers, attendance record, portfolio related work, contacting the parents, organisation of different programmes and paperwork related to it etc. The stress may arise while handling multiple tasks in the school. This excessive workload puts teachers under tremendous stress. This overload of work could be categories in two different forms Qualitative workload which includes the quality of the work completed and Quantitative workload which includes the variety of duties to be performed by the teacher.

 

3.1.2.  Physical Demand /Working conditions

 

This is related to physical setting or physical facilities available at the workplace. It includes inadequacy of light, and ventilation, lack of drinking water facility, excessive noise, unhygienic sanitation facility, lack of space in the classroom & staffroom, lack of safety measures etc.

 

3.1.3. Interpersonal Demand

 

The interpersonal stressors are related with group pressure, leadership and personality conflict. Each group is characterized by cohesiveness. The stress is experience when there is conflict between the group members. These conflicts arise due to differences in perception, working style, attitude among the group members. The colleagues may have different expectation from the person performing a particular task. The mistrust, jealousy in the groups also lead to stress.

 

Many a times the teachers are not included in decision making process. It develops feeling of neglected and which may lead to stress. In such kind of autocratic environment teachers feel frustrated and able to get satisfaction from the work that they are performing.

 

3.1.4. Role Demands/Professional responsibilities

 

There is expected behaviour attached to each job position. People expect a person to behave in a particular manner. These expectations brings stress with them. These stress inducing problems are Role ambiguity, role conflict and role overload.

 

3.1.4.1.  Role Ambiguity

 

Kahn [1983] stressed that if the work activities are not defined properly then the behaviour of the person who is performing the duty will not be as expected by others.

 

It occurs when the teachers are not clear about the task and responsibilities. They are not clear about the expectation from each activity. It leads to confusion in the minds of the teacher. The unclear instructions, vague descript on of the role of particular person by the supervisor or in-charge lead to this kind of confusion. The newly joined teachers face this kind of stress.

 

3.1.4.2. Role Conflict

 

The role conflict arises when the people have different expectation from the person about the performance of a role. It may also happen when the job demands are contrary to the person’s moral values.

 

3.1.4.3. Role Overload

 

When the expectation for the role of an individuals are beyond individual’s capacity, the role overload problem occurs.

 

3.2. Life Stressors

 

The classification of the life stressors is done in two categories

 

3.2.1. Life Change

 

This refers to meaningful change in individual’s life or work situation. These could lead to stress and eventually to disease.

 

3.2.2.     Life Trauma

 

This changes the attitude, behavioural pattern of the person. We could experience emotional turmoil.

you can view video on Stress Management: Meaning, Sources and Strategies II

References

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