SYNOPSIS

Stress In Life And At Work By Rita Agrawal

Compiled & Presented By:Pankaj Karamchandani M2-36

About The Author

Rita Agrawal is currently an ICSSR Senior Fellow and Visiting Faculty at the Institute of Management Studies,Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidhyapeeth,Varanasi.She earlier taught at the Department of Psychology,Guru Nanak Dev University,Amritsar,from 1979 to 1995 during which she also served as the Head of the Department.She completed her graduate and doctoral work at the Banaras Hindu University. She was also awarded American Field Service International Scholarship to study in the U.S.A.

About The Book

This book advocates a proactive approach while dealing with stress and emphasizes that stress should be studied in the context of all its result.The book contains and in-depth analysis of the dynamics of stress,particularly its sources,process and consequences.This book provides a comprehensive understanding of the physiology,effects and dynamics of stress and its management.This book contains jargon-free words which would be useful for both professional and scholars.

Contents
This book is divided into three sections,viz 1. Understanding stress 2. Stress at the work place 3. Coping with stress

Understanding Stress
This part of the book contains: The nature of stress:There is an altercation about the existence of stress.Some advocates say that there is no concept of stress and some says that its existence is in every part of life.To make it more clear let us see some myths and reality about stress: Myth 1:It is always deleterious for the individual Fact: Too little or too much stress(i.e. hyperstress or hypostress)is bad.An optimal level of stress,varying from individual to individual,is good and necessary Myth 2 :Stress can always result from unpleasant situations,experiences or events Fact :It can arouse from both the situations.The goal should be to strike a balance between the two,one should try to reduce hypo,hyper and distress and should maximize austress. Myth 3: Stress is a phenomenon of the western world Fact: It is an inevitable part of life,manifested universally as much in the East as in the West.

Its concepts:There are numerous

examples of stress in life and at work but the basic distinction of various examples of stress is made on the several types which are given below:

Eustress:Eustress is a type of short-term stress that

provides immediate strength. Eustress arises at points of increased physical activity, enthusiasm, and creativity. Eustress is a positive stress that arises when motivation and inspiration are needed. A gymnast experiences eustress before a competition. Distress Distress is a negative stress brought about by constant readjustments or alterations in a routine. Distress creates feelings of discomfort and unfamiliarity. There are two types of distress. Acute stress is an intense stress that arrives and disappears quickly. Chronic stress is a prolonged stress that exists for weeks, months, or even years. Someone who is constantly relocating or changing jobs may experience distress. Hyperstress Hyperstress occurs when an individual is pushed beyond what he or she can handle. Hyperstress results from being overloaded or overworked. When someone is hyperstressed, even little things can trigger a strong emotional response. A Wall Street trader is likely to experience hyperstress. Hypostress Hypostress is the opposite of hyperstress. Hypostress occurs when an individual is bored or unchallenged. People who experience hypostress are often restless and uninspired. A factory worker who performs repetitive tasks might experience hypostress.

Sources of stress
There are basically various types of sources of stress but the highlighted one are: Stress at work Stress in life

Stress At the work place

This section shows the various causes of stress at work.These causes may be summarized as below: Factors intrinsic to the job:These are related with the poor working conditions,long working hours,poor technology,under work and overwork. Role in the organization:It is all about defining the job which a person is doing.What kind of work is being expected by you from the organization Relationship at work:These include relationships with boss,with subordinates and with other colleagues of the organization Career development factor: These include the development in ones job i.e. in term of promotion,security and appreciation by the superior authority Organization structure and climate:It includes that in which type of organization are you working whether line,line and staff,functional etc Non-work pressure:It includes factors basically related to working womens.How they manage their time between their home work and office work.

Coping with stress

This part of the book deals with the methods to reduce or minimize stress.These methods may be summarized as below: The ABC Strategy: Awareness,balance and control is the main components of this strategy. Change your thinking:Try to find out positive things in every kind of work you do,be assertive and be open minded Change your behaviour:Be assertive,get organized,ventilate your thinking and try to diversify and distract your thinking Change your lifestyle:If you are addicted to some alcoholics or smoking then try not indulge in these types of activities and eventually try to avoid them Maintaining diary:Tyr to keep your work records.Be specific about the work to be done by you. Exercise:It does not mean that one should be physically fit or try to keep fit physically but instead it basically means try to be mentally fit.Try to do mental exercise for eg meditation,gaining more knowledge about the work Time management:Try to manage your time in the best possible way so there is no scope for hyper or hypo stress.Try to get things done in the best possible or minimum possible time with quality output Sleep:This part says about your physical rest.Try to avoid excess sleep.The normal sleeping hours per day should be not more than 6-7 hours as per the book Being social:Try to interact with people,be a leader,be communicative,tell them your problems and insist them to do a part of your work.

Conclusion
Offering a perspective based on an academic orientation on the one hand,and the more popular literature on the other,this book provides a comprehensive understanding of the physiology,effects,and dynamics of stress and its management.This is a good book for us because as we are going to be in corporate organizations in near future,so the reading and understanding of this book will help us to cope with the word called as STRESS.