Grand Canyon UniversityPSYCHOLOGY PSY-565

Write an essay reflecting on a stressful job that you previously held, or interview someone who has had a stressful job.

1. Describe the factors that contributed to high-stress levels. What were, or could be, the consequences of that stress?
2. What might the organization have done to help reduce stress levels? Identify leadership behaviors as well as organizational policies.
3. How might an I/O psychologist assess the need for change and facilitate that change in your example?

Answer:

1.

Describe the factors that contributed to high-stress levels. What were, or could be, the consequences of that stress?

Many people are stressed out at work. It could be due to a project deadline or seasonal workload shifts. Alternatively, you may be subjected to long-term stress as a result of the nature of your job, a difficult boss or coworker, or office politics. So, how can you keep your professionalism, composure, and professional connections in tact? The key is to learn to manage your stress levels and to live and thrive in a demanding situation.

For example, if the obligations of their employment (such as hours or responsibilities) are greater than they can easily manage, a person may feel under pressure. Conflict with coworkers or superiors, frequent change, and dangers to job security, such as potential redundancy, are all sources of work-related stress.

Stressful Job Story

My former colleague Joana, CEO of MRoses LLC, a public relations firm with offices in Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, and Colorado Springs, Colo., shared her story about her stressful job when she was just starting her career. She stated, "We were working in the office every Saturday and most weeknights until 8, and everyone had the all-nighter war story to relate." 

She explained, "We live in a culture that emphasizes business and stress." "Stress is a valuable commodity. You appear more important and useful the busy and more worried you are. Is today's worker's stress level actually higher than a worker... [employed] back when there were no labor regulations or weekends? It makes no difference. Our perception is that we are the most pressured workers in history, and our perception is our reality."

2.

What might the organization have done to help reduce stress levels? Identify leadership behaviors as well as organizational policies.

Managers must be aware of the indicators of stressed personnel, which include incomplete work, decreased productivity, lower job quality, and blunders. They can also assist workers prioritize projects by easing up on deadlines and meeting with them. Even if managers only make demands on employees during off hours on a rare occasion, employees may never truly disconnect from work if they believe their manager could call them at any moment. This is not to say that managers are entirely to blame. Employees also do this to themselves, working longer hours in the nights due to perceived or real pressure to accomplish more.

How to Handle a High-Stress Job?

Determine the source of the problem. You must first understand what generates stress before you can handle it. 

Workplace stress is one of the most common sources of stress in people's life. Heavy workloads were indicated as a cause of workplace stress by 44 percent of respondents in a study conducted in the United Kingdom. Other typical occupational stressors can be classified into four categories based on their underlying causes:

1. Time stress arises as a result of a fast-paced work environment with unrealistic deadlines. When you suffer from this type of rush sickness, your productivity, relationships, and overall well-being suffer. 
2. Anticipatory stress refers to anxiety about the future. It could be because of a specific event, such as a presentation you're scheduled to give. Alternatively, you may have a more general fear of the future. Many people, for example, experience anticipatory stress about their job security.
3. Situational stress is brought on by conditions over which you feel powerless. These can be one-time occurrences, such as a supply line failure, or long-term ones, such as a sense of lack of autonomy or purpose at work. Workloads that are too heavy also fall into this category.
4. Interaction with other people causes encounter stress. Poor leadership, bullying, and dealing with irate or challenging people can all cause encounter stress. 

You can take suitable efforts to control your stress once you've understood the variables that contribute to it.

What Managers Can Do to Reduce Stress in the Workplace?

Identified leadership behaviors as well as organizational policies.

The following things should be considered by an organization and individuals in order to handle a High-Stress Job:

1. Make a Plan to Remain Calm. Even if you aren't aware of it, stress might cause you to stop breathing for several seconds. Deep breathing techniques might help you relax when you're agitated. Deep, calm breathing supplies oxygen to your body, lowering your pulse rate, relaxing your muscles, and allowing you to concentrate.
2. Take Control of Your Time. If you're dealing with a heavy workload or project deadlines, better time management can help you reduce stress and increase productivity. 
3. Boost Your Self-Control. Autonomy refers to the ability to choose how you want to do your tasks. Professionals in low-autonomy jobs are more likely to be stressed and dissatisfied than those in higher-autonomy jobs.
4. Prioritize your tasks. Conflicting objectives can cause a lot of stress at work, especially if you feel like you're always "fighting fires." Learn how to focus on what's important, not merely urgent. 
5. Exercise on a regular basis Regular exercise is one of the most effective strategies to cope with a demanding work. Exercise on a daily basis can help you manage with stress and improve your memory, creativity, IQ, and productivity.
6. Think Positively. Regardless of the type of work you do, your attitude has a significant impact on your stress level. You can choose to have a bad attitude about tasks, obligations, and people, or you can choose to have a positive attitude toward your work and relationships. Despite the fact that the amount of work is equal, the impact on your health and well-being is significant. Examine your abilities and resources. 
7. Assess your skills and resources. What are your main sources of annoyance? What areas of your life are you the most inefficient? What are the bottlenecks in your process? These circumstances frequently lead to a lack of tools, resources, training, or assistance, all of which can add to workplace stress.
8. Make Your Work More Meaningful. What aspect of your profession do you enjoy the most? What gives meaning and purpose to your work? These questions may appear easy, but they are crucial. You're more likely to acquire intrinsic drive if you understand what gives your task purpose.
9. How might an I/O psychologist assess the need for change and facilitate that change in your example?

3.

Applied I/O Psychology 

Since I/O Psychologists received specialized training in the science of human behavior in the workplace they can assess the need for change and facilitate that change that I have given in my example by:

1. Identifying training and development needs; 
2. Improving work-life quality; 
3. Creating and implementing training programs, as well as assessing their efficacy; 
4. Employees and company leaders are being mentored. 
5. Developing criteria for assessing individual and organizational performance; and 
6. Consumer preferences, customer satisfaction, and market strategy are all factors to consider.

Psychologists who specialize in the design, implementation, and analysis of psychological studies are known as I/O psychologists. They use their results to help solve human and organizational challenges in the workplace in a variety of ways.

Individual, social, and organizational dynamics in the workplace are studied and assessed by industrial and organizational psychologists. They use their findings to find answers to problems that improve the well-being and productivity of businesses and their employees.

Step-by-step explanation

Every job has its downsides and share of stress, but some jobs are more stressful than others. Maybe it's the tight deadlines, demanding schedule or simply the fact that the work involves life-and-death situations. But it's undeniable that some careers, even if they're glamorous or emotionally rewarding, can be especially stressful.

Everyone goes through periods of stress at work. However, if your job is constantly difficult, finding techniques to handle that stress is critical. Begin by determining the source of your stress. Next, double-check that you're effectively managing your priorities and time. Make sure you're getting enough exercise and that you have the tools and resources you need to execute your work. 

Talk to your boss about gaining more autonomy in your job and determining what gives your work meaning and purpose. This will aid in the development of your self-motivation and resiliency.

Managers can also help employees deal with stress in the following ways, according to experts: 

• Encourage your employees to participate in stress-reduction webinars, wellness tips or programs, and yoga or meditation sessions. 
• Set a good example by utilizing these resources. Make sure that employees are taking frequent breaks, and that you are taking them as well.
• Encourage employees to exercise on a daily basis, spend time after work with friends or a significant other, explore hobbies, listen to music, and take vacations.