INTRODUCTION Stress has been called the invisible.

It is a disease that may affect you, your organization, and any of the people in it, so you cannot afford to ignore it.

EVOLUATION OF STRESS:
The Garden of Eden began as a tranquil stress environment. However when Adam was given the tantalizing chance to eat the forbidden fruit, he was trust into mankinds first stressful situation. Adam was offered a choice and, as we know, decision-making is the breeding ground for conflict, frustration and distress.

DEFINITION:

Stress in individual is defined as any interference that disturbs a persons healthy mental and physical well being. It occurs when the body is required to perform beyond its normal range of capabilities. Stress is the way that you react physically, mentally and emotionally to various conditions, changes and demands in your life. High levels of stress can affect your physical and mental well being and performance. The results of stress are harmful to individuals, families, society and organizations, which can suffer from organization stress. Ivancevich and Matteson define stress as individual with the environment.

Behr and Newman define job stress as a condition arising from the interaction of people and their jobs and characterized by changes within people that force them to deviate from their normal functioning.

Stress is a dynamic condition, which an individual is confronted with an opportunity, constraint or demand related to what he or she desires and for which the outcome is perceived to be both uncertain and important. Stress is associated with constraints and demands. The former prevent you from doing what you desire, the latter refers to the loss of something desired. Stress is highest for those individuals who perceive that they are uncertain as to whether they will win or lose and lowest for those individuals who think that winning or losing is certainty. Canadian physician Hans Selye (1907- 1982) in his book the stress of life 1956 popularized the idea of stress. According to Selye, the General Adaptation Syndrome consists of three phases. Ce level begins to decline irreversibly. The organism collapses
.

Alarm Reaction: The first is the alarm phases. Here the individual mobilizes to meet the threat. The alarm reaction has two phases. The first phases includes in initial stock shock phase in which defensive mechanism become active. Alarm reaction is characterized by autonomous excitability; adrenaline discharges; increase heart rate, ulceration. Depending on the nature & intensity of the threat and the condition of the organization the period of resistance varies and the severity of symptoms may differ from mild invigoration to disease of adaptation.

Resistance: The second is the phase of resistance. The individual attempts to resist or cope with the threat. Maximum adaptation occurs during this stage. The bodily signs characteristic of the alarm reaction disappear. It the stress persist, or the defensive reaction proves ineffective, it may overwhelm the body resources. Depleted of energy, the body enters the phase of third. Exhaustion: Adaptation energy is exhausted. Sings of the alarm reaction reappear, and the resistance level begins to define irreversibly. The organism collapses. Pestonjee has attempted / identified three important sectors of life in which Stress originates. These are Job and the organization The social sector Intrapsychic sector Job and organization, refers to the totality of the work environment (task, atmosphere, colleagues, compensation, policies, etc.). The social sector refers to the other such factors. The Intrapsychic sector encompasses those things, which are intimate, and persona, like temperament,

values, abilities and health. It is contended that stress can originate in any of these sectors or in combinations thereof. In the figure below it can be seen that the magnitude of stress emanating from the stress to learner limit of the individual to handle these stress. This indicates a balanced state.

O RGA NI ZAT IO N- IN DI VI DUAL NO RM AL INTERAC TION PATTERN S.T .L ST R ES S T OL E RANC E LE VE L

In the figure we find that job and organization loads have increased and have made a dent in the personality. In this stage, we find minor surface changes taking place, which are quite manageable.

MIN IOR SURFAC E CHANG ES

Adaptation attempt
a)

Extra effort b) Excessive concern of task c) Worries d) Anxiety In the stage three and the figure below, we find that job and organizational loads have become unmanageable and interact with intrapsychic loads. This is the stage at which he negative consequences of the stress become apparent. Most of the stress related diseases emerge at this point. When the situation persists we move into the next stage in which we start operating beyond the stress tolerance limit.

MAJOR SUR FAC E DISFI GURATION

Frantic copying 1. Extra ordinary effort 2. Worry and anxiety about the self 3. Onset of physiological symptoms 4. Aggressive tendencies Several types of breakdowns and cracks are observable in this stage i.e., fourth stage. If unchecked the situation may culminate into the last and most intense phase wherein complete disintegration of personality takes place. At this stage, the individual requires proper psychological and medical care. The figure below depicts the fourth and fifth stage. STRESSORS OR LOADS

BREAKD OWNS AND CRA CKS: FAILURE IN C OPING

A. Work related symptoms Lack of concentration Affected clarity of thinking & decision making Frequent absenteeism Affected team work Aggressive behavior B. Physiological symptoms

Headache / Migraine Insomnia Lack of appetite Digestive disorders Sexual disorders Temperamental changes. Pestonjee has also developed a model to explain how we cope with stress reactions. It is called the BOUNCE model because the behavioral decomposition taking place due to stress tense to get reflected in interpersonal reactions. The reactions are received & analyzed by the environment, which in turn, bounce back signals to the individuals to bring about a change either at the orgasmic level or at the response level.

TH E B OUN CE MOD EL STRESS ORS

BORNOUT STRESS SYNDROME (BOSS):Boss can lead to at least four types of stress related consequences such as, depletion of energy reverses, lowered resistance to illness, increased dissatisfaction and pessimism and increased absenteeism and inefficiency at work. Veningle and spradley have identified five distinct stages of BOSS. HONEYMOON STAGE:This stage can be describe as accounting for the euphoric feeling of encounter with the new job such as excitement, enthusiasm, challenge and pride. Dysfunctional features emerge in two ways first; the energy reverses are gradually depleted in coping with the demands of a challenging environment. Second, habits and strategies for coping with stress are formed in this stage which is often not useful in coping with later challenges. FUEL SHORTAGE STAGE:This stage can be identified as composed of the value feelings of loss, fatigue and confusion arising from the individuals overdraws on reverses of adaptation energy. Other symptoms are dissatisfaction, inefficiency, and fatigue and sleep disturbances leading to escape activate such as increased eating, drinking & smoking. CRISIS STAGE:When these feelings and physiological symptoms persist over period of time, the individual enters the stage of crisis. At this stage he develops escape mentality and feels oppressed. Heightened pessimism, self- doubling tendencies, peptic ulcers, tension headaches, chronic backaches, blood pressure. HITTING THE WALL STAGE:This stage of BOSS is characterized by total exhaustion of ones adaptation energy, which may mark the end of ones professional career. While recovery from this stage elude may be resourceful to tide over the crises.

TYPES OF STRESS: It the stress for the day to day adaptability of man to his
environment and results in the maintenance of internal steady state (homeostasis) it is know as neustress. For example, one produces neustress in order to breath, work.

Stress is through of in negative terms. It is thought to be caused by something bad (for example the boss gives a formal reprimand for poor performance). It the stress response is unfavorable and potentially disease producing, this is known as distress. Constant worry in a susceptible individual can lead to ulcers. If the stress response is favorable and results is favorable and results in improvement in physical and / or mental functioning, it is called estruses. This is the positive, pleasant side of stress caused by stress caused by good things. For examples an employee is offered a job promotion at another I.