What does stress management achieve? Test: Strategic Management

Behavior modification especially necessary for employees who are characterized by increased activity, excessive assertiveness and living with a constant sense of time pressure. Behavior modification involves replacing a negative emotional response to a stressful situation with a positive one.

Individual stress management depends on the personal qualities of employees - that's why it is individual. There is such a thing as individual stress time limit. Some even do not care about long-term significant overloads, such workers easily adapt to stress without losing their ability to work. For some, even a small overload is enough to feel completely unsettled. And there is a category of workers who are mobilized by stress - only in a stressful situation are they able to work with full dedication.

Stress management is not just a buzzword. stress management- this is necessary condition normal professional activity. Work without stress is impossible, even the friendliest team and the most relaxed position do not guarantee complete relief from stressors. And if stress at work cannot be prevented, you need to be able to deal with it, and conscious stress management is your reliable ally in this fight.

Stress cannot be completely eliminated. As the founder of the doctrine of stress Hans Selye said, only death can be completely free from stress. Tension is part of life. The goal of stress management is to control the level of stress and manage tension in order to give the body time to recover and prevent prolonged stress from causing serious problems.

There are three main stress management strategies:

Getting away from the problem.

Problem change.

Change of attitude towards the problem.

The easiest option is to get out of a stressful situation. But what if you can't get away from the problem? There are two more strategies left: changing the problem and changing the attitude. It is no coincidence that stress management strategies are listed in this sequence: leaving, changing the problem, changing the attitude. Getting out of stressful circumstances is the quickest and easiest option. The strategy of avoiding the problem is also good because there is no need for psychological help. It all depends on the decision of the person himself. But, unfortunately, we do not always have the opportunity to get out of a stressful situation. There are problems that you can not or do not want to leave. There are problems that cannot be avoided (for example, those related to character, attitudes, attitudes, etc.). In such cases, strategies to change the problem or change will be most appropriate.

relationship to the problem. Of course, it is better to try to change the problem first. If the problem is unchangeable, and there is nothing we can do about it - it is impossible to get away from it or change it - we are left with a third strategy, the strategy of changing attitudes. When choosing the second or third strategy, the help of a psychologist or psychotherapist can be very helpful. There are dozens of different methods of cognitive behavioral therapy that allow you to quickly and successfully cope with stress.

1. organizational stress. Causes of stress in an organization

Organizational stress - mental stress associated with overcoming the imperfection of organizational working conditions, with high loads in the performance of professional duties at the workplace in a specific organizational structure (in an organization or in its division, firm, corporation), as well as with the search for new extraordinary solutions in case of force majeure .

Organizational stress is caused by intra-organizational factors of three levels: individual characteristics of personnel, group interaction, organizational environment, as well as external (macro-environmental) stress factors. In other words, organizational stress is manifested in the tension of the adaptive mechanisms of the individual in response to a certain organizational and production situation.

Organizational stresses also include role conflicts, high professional requirements, extreme working conditions for certain professions.

A common feature and the main cause of organizational stress is the presence of internal conflict between the requirements of the organization, the attractiveness of work in it, the expectations and real capabilities of the employee. Significant causes of organizational stress are leadership weaknesses and an unsatisfactory psychological climate. In the latter case, the professional mutual support of colleagues is violated. As a result, there is limited opportunity to discuss professional issues, get approval, support and comfort from the knowledge that colleagues are going through the same difficulties.

It is naturally more important for HR to deal with the causes caused by organizational factors in order to be able to influence the situation and manage stress effectively.

There are many factors that can cause stress at work. For example:

the need to make responsible decisions;

overload or underload;

insufficiently clear definition of job responsibilities;

too vague boundaries of authority;

unclear verbal instructions;

the need to perform difficult compatible functions;

uncertainty of areas of responsibility;

behavior of other employees that causes stress;

lack of professional communication;

inability to get advice on complex issues;

stressful internal company policy and management style;

unavailability of the leader;

high level of stress in the head;

insufficient illumination of the workplace;

too tight space;

poor ventilation;

uncomfortable temperature at the workplace;

unavailability of resources necessary for work;

poorly equipped workplace;

time-consuming and effort-consuming travel to and from work;

the need for regular business trips;

lack of enthusiasm for work;

routine, monotonous work;

low job satisfaction;

too high or too low pace of work;

unpromising future of the organization;

methods of work that conflict with the value system;

dissatisfaction with career development;

lack of prospects for professional growth;

the threat of early dismissal or transfer to a less paid job;

insufficient wages;

unfair assessment of work;

lack of non-material incentives;

tense relationships with colleagues, boss, subordinates, other employees;

inability to adapt to change;

insufficient possession of the skills necessary for the quality performance of work;

inadequate strategies of behavior in problem situations;

inability to work in a team, as part of a team;

dissatisfaction with the position on the career ladder;

introduction of new technologies;

business expansion;

lower income levels;

There are four main groups of causes of stress at the organizational level:

Incompetence of employees (or insufficient development of the necessary skills) that interferes with achieving the required results.

Upcoming organizational changes with an outcome incomprehensible to employees.

Poor organization of work, inefficient business processes leading to all sorts of disruptions.

Loss of faith that something can be changed. Lack of leadership response to initiatives.

The stressors listed above can be divided into those that a person can control and influence them by working with the causes of stress and those that do not depend or weakly depend on the individual and require a solution at the level of the organization as a whole. So, the first group of stressors to a very large extent depends on the efforts of a person. The second and third groups - to a lesser extent, and the fourth - depend very little. Therefore, in the first case, the employee can work very actively on himself and thereby reduce the level of stress. In the second and third cases, much will depend on the initiative of a person, the desire to take responsibility not only for himself, but also for the organization. And if the fourth situation takes place, management should already think about it - otherwise the only possible way to overcome such stress by the employee himself will be his departure from the organization.

Accordingly, the direction of the efforts of the personnel service can be concentrated either on individual employees, their knowledge, skills and attitudes, or on the organization as a whole or its individual divisions (optimization of business processes, competent implementation of changes, change in management style, adjustment of corporate culture in in line with the goals of the organization).

The methods proposed below are more related to working with the first group of reasons, as the most traditional in the work of the personnel service. However, the personnel service can successfully cope with the problems of the following levels. To do this, she must take an active part not only in the development and implementation of the company's personnel policy, but also participate in strategic development, accompany the process of organizational change, optimize business processes and work technologies, build information exchange between departments.

The productivity of employees depends on their psychological state. If a person is uncomfortable being in a team, he will not be able to cope with work efficiently and quickly. Stress management is an activity that is actively carried out in large enterprises. Experienced leaders, on their own or with the help of psychologists, assemble a team that functions well as a whole. And also the director or general manager ensures that employees are not burdened with any personal or production problems.

Definition

Stress management is a whole science that studies the interaction of people and their internal state. In simpler terms, the goal of this method of regulation is to eliminate the personal and work stresses that every employee experiences from time to time. The concept of stress management appeared relatively recently, in the 2000s. Today, many programs and methods are aimed at combating stress, which are used in thousands of enterprises. Thanks to the work of a psychologist with each employee who needs help, as well as thanks to general seminars, employees feel better, which means they work more efficiently. You need to deal with stress as soon as it appears. If you miss the moment, stress can quickly turn into depression. And pulling a person out of depression is much more difficult than helping a rhinestone solve a problem that has arisen.

The reasons

Stress management is the art of healing human souls. Stress is a consequence of the problem. If there is an effect, then there must be a cause. What are the most common causes of employee stress?

• Overload. If a person does not have time to rest and relax, drink tea or chat with a colleague, he will feel depressed. Stress is born from an overabundance of work, which hangs around the neck like an invisible stone, which pulls the employee into a pool of despondency.
• Second job. The lack of funds makes a person think about additional sources of income. One of the causes of stress in management is the fact that an employee has a second job. The thought of the problems that relentlessly haunts a person every day is frightening and depressing.
• Unfavorable team atmosphere. Employees must be on friendly terms, otherwise they Team work will be in question. People who cannot find a common language will constantly scandalize and decompose a healthy atmosphere in the team.
• Lack of development and career development. A person must be confident in his bright future. If he does not even have a chance to climb the career ladder in the future, he will not work at full strength and will not strive to fulfill the tasks assigned to him.

Control

Managing people is a difficult task. You need to be responsible for all decisions made, and also make sure that employees feel good and do not get depressed. Stress management is a set of techniques that allow, thanks to a certain set of actions, to establish good, long-term relationships in the team.

• Team atmosphere. The stress management program puts the creation of favorable relations between employees and management as the first point. Thanks to a friendly atmosphere, support and mutual assistance, people will work more efficiently, and therefore more productively.
• Distribution of responsibility. A person should understand the area of ​​his competence and not be afraid to take responsibility for his actions. If an employee is well versed in his specialization, he will not have problems with responsibility.
• Knowledge of duties. Stress management is to ensure that each employee knows his task well and can complete it on time. If a person is given a vague instruction, then you should not expect a good result.
• Equal division of labor. Each employee must know what he is doing and what he will get for it. Nobody wants to do extra work. Therefore, it is necessary to reasonably and fairly distribute responsibilities among team members.

Employee classification

An HR manager, when hiring a person, must pay attention not only to the abilities and competence of the future employee, but also to his ability to cope with stress. How can people be classified?

• Stress resistant. People who handle stress well can work in positions of responsibility. They will not have problems with the fact that they are afraid to take responsibility or not be able to resolve some kind of scandal.
• Amenable to stress. A person who cannot always overcome his emotions is ill-suited to the role of a leader. But you can take him to the role of an ordinary employee. If the employee is not constantly exposed to stress, he will be able to cope well with his duties.
• Not stress resistant. People who do not know how to manage their emotions are not suitable for working in a friendly team. Brawlers will demonstrate their character for any reason, so it is better not to hire such people.

Team selection

A good leader knows how to normalize relationships in a team. What needs to be done?

• Find a leader. Among employees there will always be an active person who will understand his profession better than others. He will be active and sociable. Such persons should be made unofficial leaders. Such personalities will be able to eliminate conflicts or prevent their occurrence.
• There must be only one leader. You should not take into one working group or a team of two people endowed with leadership qualities. They will constantly quarrel and find out which of them is cooler.
• Don't hire outsiders. Passive individuals who do not cope well with their tasks and are always dissatisfied with life, pull the whole team to the bottom. Such people destroy positive attitude and always trying to create unnecessary problems.

Conflict resolution

People cannot always exist in peace and harmony. There will be conflicts between employees from time to time. Disputes can be resolved using standard conflict management techniques. Stress management is a real art. The manager needs to act according to a clearly regulated plan.

• Find the instigator of the dispute. In any conflict there is an attacking side. When both employees are in a heated state, it is difficult to find the instigator. But an experienced leader or leader must be able to identify a scandalous person in order to subsequently spend time with her. educational work.
• Find out the motive of the dispute. Any conflict situation has a reason and a reason. To resolve the conflict, you need to find true reason. Often it will not lie on the surface, and to get to it, you will need to try.
• Come to a peaceful settlement of the problem. Any conflict can be resolved peacefully. Employees should not be allowed to inflate the dispute and become personal.

Relaxation

The cause of most conflicts and stresses in management is the excessive workload of employees. To normalize work activities, you need to introduce small breaks. A lunch break cannot compensate for normal rest. A person should unload his head every two to three hours. It is difficult to work in constant tension for half a day. For this reason, experienced managers introduce 10-minute breaks into the activities of employees. A person can drink tea at this time, chat with a colleague, or go for a walk around the enterprise. A change of activity allows you to quickly restore brain and physical activity, as well as improve the moral state of the individual.

Feedback

The basis of stress management is the satisfaction of the desires of employees. There will be less dissatisfaction in the team if people see the care of the boss for his subordinates. What could be the concern? From time to time, you should conduct a survey among employees about what exactly people lack in the workplace. Perhaps the workers are thirsty from time to time, and going to the kitchen and pouring water from the kettle is not always possible. Installing a cooler will help solve this problem. Maybe people in the second half of the day lose a lot of efficiency and would not be against additional sources of energy. In this case, it will be possible to install a coffee machine in the working kitchen.

Relaxation

The constant race exhausts a person greatly. Sometimes you want to lie down and do nothing. Employees should be given the opportunity to do so. If the company premises are large, one of the rooms can be taken as a place of rest. Install comfortable chairs and sunbeds in such a room. During a break or a short rest, any employee can lie down in a room and meditate. The main thing is to correctly designate the purpose of the room. In such a place you can not use gadgets, eat or talk. A darkened place is meant for solitude or a quick nap, not for friendly gatherings.

Working with a psychologist

The nature and causes of stress management lie not only in problems at work, but also in personal troubles. Not all employees have the time, energy, desire and opportunity to visit a psychotherapist. If such a procedure is mandatory, people will go to a specialist. A psychologist at an enterprise will be able to resolve both industrial conflicts and personal hostility. A specialist will help employees overcome their fears and phobias, successfully get out of a crisis or depression. Such sessions will reduce the stress level of each employee, which in total will help the team to better understand each other.

Having personal plans

Each person must understand what he is striving for. Any employee should see career prospects ahead of him. Personal ambition helps a person to work better and more productively. Thanks to his own desire, the employee will take advanced training courses and listen to specialized lectures with pleasure. If a person has no prospects, he will have nowhere to aspire to. A good leader must understand psychology and motivate a person with what is personally paramount for him. Someone wants to get good material condition, someone strives for recognition, and someone - for advanced training.

STRESS MANAGEMENT: SYSTEMS APPROACH
(Edition of the article "Stress management for financiers: the time has come!",
magazine "Management credit institution”, Moscow, February 2008)

ANNOTATION

This article describes the main directions of modern stress management and shows the most promising approaches to the issue of stress management. The material is presented in the light of the specifics of labor activity, although the proposed technologies can be used in solving problems of self-learning and self-development of the individual, as well as in interpersonal communication.

Beyond analysis existing problem the article outlines the main theoretical aspects this issue and proposed a number of practical advice for the prevention and management of stress. In particular, the article presents the technology "Systematic stress management", adapted to the professional activities of specialists working in various industries.

In general, the article substantiates the relevance for modern people of mastering stress management technologies and reveals the main means and methods for solving this problem.

INTRODUCTION

The high variability and complexity of the modern world leads to the fact that stresses become constant "companions" of a person. Moreover, the average level of stress of most people exceeds their psychophysiological capabilities, which leads to a decrease in the efficiency of their life, to a deterioration in health and well-being.

Most often, stress occurs in a difficult or new situation, in the case of a pronounced risk, time pressure, a possible or unfolding conflict - i.e. in those situations that almost constantly accompany the life of a modern active person. Moreover, in recent times more and more more people strive for conscious self-knowledge and self-development, and this activity is stressful by its very nature.

Thus, for a modern person, the possession of stress management technologies is a necessary condition for his effective activity, and especially activity in new areas for him. And, on the one hand, stress management technologies have been accumulated by mankind in sufficient quantities - at present, they are showing increased interest, especially among managers, businessmen, people of extreme specialties. Within the framework of modern management, a separate direction has even been singled out - “stress management”. Many psychologists and business coaches conduct trainings and seminars in this area, which are in great demand. However, often most of the proposed stress management methods are not scientifically substantiated, and are also poorly interconnected. And this is first factor, determining the relevance of this work.

Second factor due to the fact that most of the existing technologies are excessively cumbersome and difficult to learn and use, which does not allow them to be successfully used by people of many social and age groups, whose life, however, is accompanied by regular stress (schoolchildren, students, military personnel, etc. .).

The third factor which determines the relevance of this work lies in the fact that the use of all stress management techniques occurs, as a rule, ALREADY in a state of stress. And the successful application of these techniques is possible only if, having fallen into a state of stress, a person will be able, at least for some time, not to lose the ability to purposefully reflective activity. Only this will allow him to analyze and evaluate what is happening, choose an effective way to correct the situation, his behavior and / or state and apply this method, thereby getting out of a state of stress. Hence, it becomes obvious that simultaneously with the development of stress management skills in a person, it is necessary to develop the ability to withstand at least an average level of stress, at least for a short time, but at the same time without a significant decrease in the effectiveness of its activity. (To designate this mental property in this paper we will use the term stress tolerance. ) Thus, stress resistance must be developed simultaneously with teaching stress management methods, which, in our opinion, is extremely rare - existing technologies proceed from the fact that the subject's stress resistance is already developed to a sufficient degree, and this is far from always the case!

From this we can assume that for successful stress management a person needs:

A) To have a clear and fairly broad understanding of the main patterns of the emergence and development of stress and how to manage it, allowing in each specific situation to select or create the most effective techniques for managing stress levels.

B) Own a variety of interchangeable techniques that allow you to assess the level of stress in the current or predicted situation and adjust this level in accordance with your characteristics, the current psychophysical state and the nature of the ongoing or planned activity.

C) To have stress resistance to such an extent that allows you to successfully apply these techniques in conditions of developing stress.

Summarizing the above, we can state that modern people need a scientifically based, but at the same time simple and effective stress management technology, which includes methods for diagnosing and developing stress resistance.

This article attempts to present one of the possible options for such technology. This technology was created by the author, on the one hand, based on the experience gained in the most "stressful" professions (high performance sports, martial arts, divisions special purpose). And, on the other hand, the activity of managing psychological stress was described in the form of a theoretical model "Systemic stress management", on the basis of which a number of tools and methods were selected and developed.

The technology described in the article formed the basis of the training "Stress Management: a systematic approach", which is regularly conducted by the author over the past two years for a wide variety of participants. According to the feedback of the training participants and according to objective indicators (improvement of health and well-being, reduction in the number of errors in work, etc.), this technology has shown its availability and effectiveness.

STRESS MANAGEMENT: NO LONGER A LUXURY!

It is no secret that in most professional activities all production technologies have become extremely difficult to apply; in addition, they are constantly being improved and updated. In addition, the situation in the global economy, and especially in the Russian economy, has become so volatile and unpredictable that most technologies have to be modified “on the go”, often doing this in conditions of time pressure and lack of information, as they say, at your own peril and risk. In addition, the cost of employee error is growing every year, and this primarily concerns managers at all levels. All these factors lead to the fact that modern specialists constantly work under a kind of psychological pressure, which by no means increases the efficiency of their work. Moreover, in a number of areas, for example, in the field of finance, this problem is extremely acute. Where is the exit? The recipe is simple, though not easy to implement: learn to manage stress! And although this is by no means a simple matter, there is no other reasonable alternative.

Moreover, the more complex the activity and the conditions in which it is carried out, the more complex and “sophisticated” the stress management technologies should be. The time of a artisanal approach is irrevocably gone - today, it is possible to successfully solve stress management problems only with the help of effective and easy-to-use technologies. Practitioners intuitively feel this, and science speaks about this.

It is no coincidence that in the West significant funds are invested in stress management programs - the game is worth the candle. As a striking concrete example of attention to this issue, we can cite the unprecedented decision of the head of the London Underground, who seconded the entire top management to a 26-day stress management training. The result was stunning: during the year, all direct (organization of training) and indirect costs (decrease in profits) paid off only due to savings on fees sick leave. But surely the productivity of labor has increased due to the increase in the efficiency of employees; reduced unproductive costs associated with staff errors; new "inconvenient", risky, complex, but at the same time very profitable projects appeared, for which there was not enough gunpowder before.

There are encouraging examples in Russia as well. In particular, in 2007 one of the four “hot” projects of the Renaissance Insurance group was the Stress Audit program. But unfortunately for Russian business Still, this is not typical.

STRESS MANAGEMENT: MISSION ACCEPTABLE!

One of the provisions of the psychology of work reads as follows: "Any activity is ALWAYS carried out at two levels: at the first - "external" level, the main activity is carried out, and at the second - "internal" level, self-regulation activities are carried out." And the more complex the main activity is for the subject, than in more extreme conditions it is produced, the more attention should be paid to self-regulation activities. First of all, this applies to activities carried out under stress.

FROM STRUCTURE OF EFFICIENT ACTIVITIES,
PERFORMED AGAINST STRESS

Of course, if a person performs a job well mastered by him in the usual and comfortable conditions, then the activity of self-regulation is carried out by him in a minimum volume. But in modern conditions it is practically impossible to always work in zones of sustainable competence (according to subjective assessment - a zone of comfort and work zone). A change in external conditions, or a deterioration in the internal state, or the use of new methods of activity almost always lead to the fact that a person enters the zone of unstable competence (the zone of discomfort) or the zone of incompetence (the zone of fear). And in this case, stress is simply inevitable! And then the activity of managing stress is simply necessary, both to maintain the effectiveness of the main activity, and to maintain one's health and performance.

At COMPETENCE LEVELS (BY SUBJECTIVE SIGNIFICANCE)
AND CORRESPONDING PROFESSIONAL QUALITIES AND SKILLS

* Zone of high competence;
** Zone of average competence;
*** Zone of low competence;
**** Zone of incompetence.

adaptability- possession of the entire amount of information, skills and qualities necessary for successful activity in certain conditions. The degree of adaptation determines the size of the zone of high and medium competence.

adaptability- the ability to quickly (without entering into a state of severe stress) to rebuild existing skills and activate one's qualities in order to adequately respond to the requirements of the situation. It is necessary mainly for activities in the area of ​​low competence.

Resilience and stress management skills provide a person with the ability to carry out effective activities in a state of stress. They are necessary when you are in the zone of low competence and the zone of incompetence.

Based on this, the mission of modern stress management can be formulated as follows:

Mission of stress management is to help people maintain their efficiency and keep them safe as they operate in areas of low competence and incompetence.

Hence it follows that target group of stress management- these are people who want to remain effective, while maintaining their health and performance, when they carry out new or difficult activities for themselves, in conditions of high uncertainty, danger or time pressure, being in non-resource states (fatigue, discomfort, emotional arousal or apathy and etc.).

And sometimes to improve efficiency certain types It is advisable to increase the level of stress in activities, since simple - “routine” tasks are easier to solve at an increased level of stress:

AT RELATIONSHIP OF THE EFFICIENCY OF THE PERFORMED ACTIVITIES
AND LEVEL OF STRESS EXPERIENCED
WHEN SOLVING PROBLEMS OF DIFFERENT COMPLEXITY CLASS

And if we now look at the activities of modern specialists through the prism of the foregoing, it will become absolutely clear: the development of stress management technologies is a necessary condition for the effective environmentally friendly professional activity of a modern person.

ABC OF STRESS

So, for a successful life, a modern person needs to learn how to manage stress. But for the effective application of stress management technologies, some theoretical base is required - a description of the mechanisms of stress occurrence, as well as the mechanisms of its influence on human behavior and condition. Moreover, this description should be formulated simply, clearly and concisely. Our experience has shown that in most cases effective management For a stressful person, it is enough to understand several basic theoretical provisions, which we called the “ABC of stress”:

A) Stress is a universal adaptive reaction of a person to a dangerous or uncertain, but at the same time significant situation for him, in the absence of an adequate stereotype of behavior or when it is impossible to apply it.

B) Most often, stress occurs in a difficult or new situation for a person, in the case of a pronounced risk, time trouble, a possible or real conflict. C) Stress is a protective mechanism for controlling human behavior in order to maintain its survival. Objectively, stress manifests itself in the mobilization of the nervous, immune and cardiovascular and muscular systems. Subjectively, stress is experienced primarily as a state of tension.

D) Being an effective mechanism for managing a person in simple, "animal" situations, stress makes it difficult to carry out complex, purposeful, "human" activities, first of all, worsening the accuracy, speed and creativity of thinking.

E) The benefits of stress for a person: additional energy is released to solve the problem; the body "tells" what to do - run away, attack or hide; trains the nervous, immune and cardiovascular systems.

E) Cons of stress for a person: there can be too much energy; the body "prompts" mostly primitive reactions, often contrary to conscious choice; under severe stress the immune system exhausted, the nervous and cardiovascular systems are overstrained.

G) Stress "forces" a person to act not for development, but for survival. Therefore, until a person has developed his consciousness to a level close in strength to the level of his unconscious, stress management technologies are a necessary condition for his effective activity, especially in areas new to him.

In addition to these theoretical provisions, we have noticed that stories, parables and metaphors help to better understand what stress is and how it affects a person. Let's take one of them as an example.

O DRIVE AND STRESS (MINI-PARABLE)

Fire helped people become what they are now. Fire helper and protector of people! Fire will warm and cheer you up, with the help of fire you can cook food or drive away wild predators. But this is possible only if a person knows how to control fire. If not, then he can easily burn alive in the fire, at best, you can stay orphaned and naked in the ashes.

Stress is like fire. Only scarier.

STRESS MANAGEMENT: IF YOU WANT TO MANAGE - MEASURE

In addition to understanding what stress is, it is also necessary to clearly understand what stress depends on. In our opinion, the level of stress fundamentally depends on only two factors: on the degree of stressfulness of the situation and on the current state of the subject. The more stressful the situation and the less resourceful the state, the higher the level of stress will be; and vice versa.

However, in the case of a predominance of psychological stress factors, the strength of the stress experienced is determined not only by the objective degree of threat, but also by its subjective assessment, as well as confidence. this person in its ability to counter this threat. Hence the formula psychological stress will be like this:

And the key link here is the state of the subject! Agree that the state affects both the subjective assessment of the situation and the assessment of a person's capabilities. And this means that a change in state affects the strength of stress experienced non-linearly: a slight deterioration in the state sharply increases the level of stress, a small improvement in the state sharply reduces the level of stress.

So, by reducing the stressfulness of the situation and managing your mental state, you can effectively manage the level of stress. However, in reality, the degree of complexity of the tasks being solved periodically does not allow even a trained specialist to effectively manage stress - a person simply does not have enough “RAM”. And then you have to work under stress. And there is nothing to worry about if the stresses do not overlap. And to prevent this from happening, another element of stress management is needed - recovery.

Thus, these three tasks - managing the stressfulness of the situation, managing one's condition and recovering from stress - are the three elephants on which modern effective stress management stands.

THREE ELEPHANTS AND ONE TURTLE STRESS MANAGEMENT

You probably remember: in order not to drown in the world's oceans, elephants stood on a giant tortoise. What is this turtle on which three elephants of stress management stand? In our opinion, this turtle is the development of such a quality as stress resistance. But here the question arises: “Why do we need stress resistance if a person has learned to manage stress?!”. The answer to this question will be the following.

Since the need to apply stress management techniques is recognized by a person, as a rule, ALREADY in a state of stress, then for the successful application of these techniques a person needs the ability to carry out effective activities in a state of stress - the very stress resistance. In addition, as mentioned above, when solving complex problems, sometimes you have to work under stress - there is not enough time or attention for stress management activities.

From this it becomes obvious that, simultaneously with mastering the skills of managing stress, a professional needs to develop stress tolerance, which allows him to successfully withstand at least an average level of stress and at least for a short time.

In graphical form, all of the above can be represented in the form of a “Three elephants and one turtle” model.

And now let's take a closer look at each component of stress management and start with the "first elephant" - reducing the stressfulness of the situation.

ELEPHANT #1. REDUCING STRESS IN THE SITUATION

The potential for a situation to cause stress in people is commonly referred to as stressfulness. The degree of stressfulness of the situation is determined by the number and strength of individual stress factors present at the current time. From this it becomes clear that in order to effectively manage the stressfulness of the situation, it is necessary:

It is good to distinguish typical stressors.
Be able to determine the strength of their action on yourself.
Know enough effective and convenient methods for stopping (reducing strength) of these stress factors; be able to apply them.

What are the main stress factors? In our opinion, there are six such factors:

1. Significance of the situation. The criterion is the price of refusal. What value will I lose if I refuse to perform this activity or stay in this situation?

2. Novelty and uncertainty. The criterion is the lack of knowledge, skills, and information necessary for the successful implementation of this activity or for being safely in this situation.

4. Risk. The criterion is the cost of an error. What value will I lose if I do the wrong thing?

5. Time pressure. The criterion is the lack of a margin of time sufficient for calmly considering options for behavior, or for switching to a more resourceful state, or for repeating work in case of an error.

In order to better understand the influence of these stressors on the level of stressfulness of the situation, one can use the RPF - the Rule of Five Fingers. It is as follows:

In order to grab any object with the hand, the effort of the thumb and at least one of the remaining four is necessary. In the five-finger metaphor, Factor #1 (Situation Significance) corresponds to thumb, and all other factors - to the remaining fingers. Thus, if the significance of the situation is close to zero (if I can easily refuse this project), then even with the maximum strength of other factors, the stressfulness of the situation will be insignificant. And vice versa: even the high significance of the situation will not cause stress if a person is competent in this activity, feels comfortable, knows about all upcoming changes, has the right to make mistakes and has an unlimited supply of time. In the form of a formula, this rule can be expressed as follows:

STRESS= Significance x (Novelty and uncertainty + Risk + Load + Time pressure)

When quantifying each factor on a 5-point system, the maximum level of stressfulness of the situation is 100 points. As a rule, 70 points is a critical threshold, typical for extreme situations in which there is a high probability fatality, and 30 points is the threshold of high stress, when the use of special events is already required.

If we talk about the most effective approach to reducing the stressfulness of a situation, then it is most beneficial to reduce the significance. If you always have a few spare options, then most likely you will not need them. Moreover, do not forget that the subjective significance of the situation in the implementation of responsible projects should be underestimated, and the significance of "passing" projects should be exaggerated. The great Chinese commander Sun Tzu said about it this way: “Do great things easily, do small things carefully.”

A very effective approach was developed by Japanese samurai. The samurai spent some time every day preparing for death. Moreover, what is paradoxical: the samurai, who managed to develop in themselves the installation that "they have already died", died in battles less often than the rest. This principle - the "principle of the samurai" can be interpreted as follows: "Act as if the worst has already happened!". A similar principle was professed by European knights. He sounded like this: “Do what you must and let it be, what will be!”.

In general, the algorithm for reducing the stressfulness of the situation may look like this:

Pre
1. Take inventory of your life values, rank all your values ​​on a 5-point scale (which corresponds to one point, two points, etc.).
2. Describe the current or upcoming stressful situation, "get used" to it.
3. Analyze and calculate the situation according to the formula of stress. Choose priority areas(the most severe stress factors).

Downgrading
1. Determine the options and cost of failure. What ways do I see of getting out of this situation and what will I lose in each of the cases considered? What are the consequences (negative, positive)?
2. How can I reduce the objective and subjective cost of abandonment? How can I objectively and subjectively reduce the likelihood and/or negative consequences of rejection? Increase positive?
3. What can I lose if I start a stressful project? What to buy? Can I leave the project while it is being implemented? At what cost?
4. Draw up a comprehensive de-emphasis plan and implement it.

Reducing Novelty and Uncertainty
1. Simulate and analyze the upcoming situation.
2. Lose possible options development of the situation, determine what information is missing.
3. Collect the necessary information. With a clear lack of information, prepare "psychologically".
4. Compile a profile of your competence in this area.
5. Compare your profile with the necessary one. Define "gap".
6. Analyze ways to increase your competence and / or reduce the complexity of the upcoming activities. Find non-linear (psychological) options.
7. Make a comprehensive plan and implement it.

Reduced Load and Risk
Similar to the Significance factor, but taking into account the fact that losses due to discomfort occur during the activity, and due to risk - in the event of an error.

Lack of time
Use time management and common sense.

ELEPHANT #2. MENTAL STATE MANAGEMENT

The mental state is a holistic characteristic of the human psyche in the current period or moment in time. The current mental state determines the originality of all processes occurring at a given moment in the human psyche: attention, thinking, imagination, will, behavior, etc. The current state depends on many factors: on the properties of a person’s personality, on a long-term state, on the current situation and on its assessment by the subject, on the actual needs of the subject and on his capabilities.

Mental states are a way of involuntary control of human behavior in order to adapt it to environment. The advantages of this are saving time and effort on the conscious regulation of behavior. Cons - in the stereotyping of emerging reactions and in resistance to a conscious choice of a person in the event of a new or developing activity (a typical example is the state of fatigue during training).

As a rule, states, as a mechanism for managing a person, represent his ancient, animal part, often opposed to reason. That is why people who seek to implement the principle of freedom of choice almost always face the need to master the methods of self-regulation. In addition, recurring states gradually change their corresponding personality traits: if a person is regularly in a state of laziness, he becomes lazy, in a state of courage - courageous, etc.

In general, the algorithm for mastering self-regulation methods can be described as follows:

1. Create a map of states - identify and systematize the main known states, designate them in a convenient way, remember their objective signs and subjective experiences accompanying them.
2. Learn to easily distinguish both qualitatively and quantitatively different states.
3. Learn to move from one state to another: first to neighboring states, then to more and more distant ones.
4. First, use indirect techniques - movement, breathing, external influences, etc. Over time, strive to move from state to state solely due to volitional effort.

One of the simplest and at the same time effective systems for describing mental states was created in Soviet sports.

It shows that in case of inadequate overexcitation, one should calm down, and in case of lethargy, one should mobilize. Moreover, with a strongly pronounced accentuation of the starting state, you can use the “whirlpool” method - first apply a short-term effect of an amplifying character. And to strengthen and stabilize the starting combat readiness, you can use the "pendulum" method - to accelerate, and then calm down. Or “meditate” and then shake things up.

All special methods of self-regulation are based on the idea of ​​the relationship between the current state of a person and the level of complexity of tasks that he can effectively solve in this state. And if in a state of fatigue you cannot effectively solve complex creative problems, then you are certainly capable of solving the problem of pouring from a bucket or brewing strong tea. And after that, when the state changes in the direction of cheerfulness, you can return to the main activity.

The only difficulty is that in negative states, consciousness narrows, critical thinking decreases, and a person often does not understand that his current state interferes with his effective activity. Or it seems to a person that self-regulation is even more complex activity, so it’s better to just “endure” or “pull up”. To solve this problem, a person can be helped by the habit of self-reflection and a set of simple methods self-regulation, the technique of which is available in the most obscured state.

FROM CREATION OF SELF-REGULATION METHODS

The principle of selection of most methods of self-regulation is "internal-external-internal". Any parameter of behavior is distinguished, reflecting the internal state of a person, but amenable to volitional control (breathing, facial expressions, character of movements, etc.). After that, this parameter is voluntarily changed in the direction in which it is desirable to change the state.

The main forms of self-regulation are the following: Movement; Breath; Meditation; Verbalization; Visualization; External influences. In addition, a negative mental state can be adjusted by changing the context, by shifting attention, etc. As another method that has become widespread thanks to NLP, one can single out the so-called "anchors" - signs associated in consciousness with desired states.

M SELF-REGULATION METHODOLOGY

When correcting starting states, as well as with any self-regulation, it is optimal to use the following algorithm:

1. Determine the nature and severity of the current state.
2. Assess the nature of your current or upcoming activities.
3. Determine the optimal state.
4. Choose from your arsenal or come up with a method of self-regulation that is adequate to the task and the current situation (the state itself, the amount of time, the situation).
5. Apply this method, tracking the effect. If necessary, make adjustments to the method or replace it with another one.

The most simple and effective methods self-regulation are given in this table:

P GROWING METHODS FOR CORRECTION OF START STATES

However, the current self-regulation is only the tip of the iceberg. If you are in an exhausted physical or mental state, if you are sick, if you have a period of depression, then it will be quite difficult to quickly change the current state. But if you introduce a comprehensive program for managing your mental states into your life, not only the effectiveness of operational self-regulation will increase, but the overall emotional background of your life will also increase. So it's a very cost effective investment of time.

Conventionally, the practice of self-regulation can be divided into four large parts: 1) Prevention of negative conditions. 2) Maintaining positive states. 3) Correction of the state in case of its deterioration. 4) Improvement of the baseline.

P ROPHYLAXIS OF NEGATIVE STATES

Prevention of negative conditions consists of two main approaches: a) from the strengthening of psychophysiological health and b) from the rational construction of one's life. Metaphorically, this can be described as follows: in order for a machine to serve for a long time, it must be: a) made strong and b) properly operated. Since the human body is also a kind of machine, this principle is 100% suitable for it.

The main directions of this section of self-regulation:

1) Physical activity.
2) Rest and sleep.
3) Nutrition.
4) Special procedures.
5) Improving the environmental friendliness of living conditions.
6) Mental hygiene.

P MAINTENANCE OF POSITIVE CONDITIONS

Maintaining positive states requires constant monitoring - you need to "keep abreast" of your condition. However, this is not enough. Maintaining a stable positive state requires constant internal effort. In almost any situation, it is worth giving yourself a little slack and the state begins to “move out”. And the more acute, the more stressful the situation, the more effort is required.

To ORRECTION OF MENTAL STATES

Correction of the mental state is required if the state could not be "followed". Moreover, the sooner the deterioration of the condition is detected, the less forces it can be restored. Mild irritation and deep depression require different efforts to adjust. In the early stage worsening of the state of it can be adjusted by a single effort of will. A little more "launched" phase can help the process of "reflection" of the state - a reflection of the current state and analysis of the reasons for its deterioration. But if this is not done, then the negative state will stabilize, and special techniques are already required for its regulation.

At BASE STATE IMPROVEMENT

The principle of improving basic mental state is reflected in folk wisdom: "Do it well - it will turn out badly!". The recipe is simple: not just maintain the current state, but constantly improve it. This idea - the idea of ​​a super-task (according to Stanislavsky) - allows a person to automatically "work through" all the previous levels of regulation of mental states. Even if you can't "shift" your baseline, at least it won't get worse. As the saying goes: "To stay in place - you need to run with all your might!".

In improving the baseline, two main areas can be distinguished:

1) Improving the quality of the state. Striving from simpler and less resourceful states to more complex and more resourceful states. Naturally, for the formulation and solution of this problem, a scale of states is simply necessary.

2) Increasing the stability of the state. Reducing situational fluctuations or, as they sometimes say, mood swings.

ELEPHANT #3. SELF-HEALING

In the animal world, strong stresses follow each other with interruptions sufficient to restore all body systems and replenish energy reserves. In addition, natural stresses are usually short-lived. In the human world, it is often the other way around, which necessitates such a section of stress management as Recovery. Restorative measures help the body to get “in shape” faster, especially if it is known that immediately after one stressful situation, the next one is coming.

Recovery strategies can be of two types. Figuratively, they can be called "Whirlpool Strategy" and "Second Wind Strategy". The whirlpool strategy involves the conscious complete passage of stress; typical example: vacation. The motto of this strategy is “Wait until the dividends accumulate”.

The principle of "Second wind" implies a minimum recovery, sufficient to continue the fight. A typical example: a cup of coffee on the run. The motto of this strategy is "Take another loan."

The choice of strategy depends on personal choice, but it is worth considering the degree of exhaustion, current circumstances, individual characteristics of the individual, etc. It should be noted that when training stress resistance, you should not get carried away with means of recovery. The body must cope with the load on its own.

O BASIC RECOVERY TOOLS

1) Psychological means: autogenic training, muscle relaxation, music and light music, psychoregulation, hypnosis.
2) Psychohygienic means: interesting leisure, positive films, communication with nature, comfortable living conditions, good communication.
3) Organizational means: balanced activity, correct daily routine, activity planning.
4) Medico-biological agents: massage, water procedures, baths, rational nutrition, proper rest and sleep.
5) Pharmacological agents: preparations of ginseng, golden root, vitamins and minerals, bioactive additives, aromatic oils. Special place takes a good green tea. A properly organized tea procedure has not only pharmacological, but also a pronounced psychological effect.

When planning recovery (as well as all other stress management activities), one should keep in mind the effectiveness of an integrated approach. Applying one measure from different groups, you can get a more significant effect, spending a total of less time and effort.

If we talk about minimizing investments in stress management, then we should talk about one of the most effective methods recovery - analysis of the situation that caused stress. With an excess of energy, this is a great way to channel this energy for good. With a lack, this is a way to mobilize. The main thing is that this activity should be directed from the past to the future.

BUT EVENT ANALYSIS LGORITHM

1. Recapitulation. What's happened? What did you feel? What were you experiencing? What did you understand?
2. Understanding. What have you learned new about yourself, about your activities, about the World in which you live? How can you use this knowledge to improve your life? Where can you and want to go next?
3. Choice and Goal setting. Set your next goal and set yourself up to achieve it no matter what. (Do not forget about the specificity of goal setting).
4. Planning. Define: What? How? How? When? you will do. Keep the plans connected to the decision, and the decisions to the experience of the original situation.
5. Accounting. Mark those of the planned actions that you have carried out. In case of "forgetfulness", mentally return to the past event, thereby maintaining your motivation.

BIG TURTLE. INCREASING STRESS RESISTANCE

As already mentioned, simultaneously with mastering the skills of managing stress in a person, it is necessary to develop stress tolerance, which allows him to successfully withstand at least an average level of stress and at least for a short time. Only this will allow him to analyze and evaluate what is happening, choose an effective way to correct the situation, his behavior and / or state and successfully apply this method, thereby getting out of a state of stress.

The main approach to the development of stress resistance is voluntary, conscious, regular dosed stressful effects, against which any activity is purposefully performed. The methodology for developing stress resistance coincides with general principles training (consciousness, focus, regularity, systematic, etc.), the difficulty lies in the selection of exercises. Since the core experience of stress is tension and discomfort, it is these signs that help to select exercises for the development of stress resistance.

O MAIN PRINCIPLES OF SELECTION OF EXERCISES
TO INCREASE STRESS RESISTANCE

Environmental friendliness. No harm to the body, desirable benefit.
load reserve. The training load can be increased as you practice almost indefinitely.
Dosage. The load is easy to dose, choosing the optimal "step".
Simplicity. simple technique performance and trouble-free equipment help you focus on the exercise.

D VA BASIC APPROACHES TO INCREASING RESISTANCE TO STRESS

1. Method of Russian special forces: "It's hard to learn - easy to fight"
In Russian special forces, officers and sergeants traditionally cultivate a high level of mental pressure on the fighters, and this is organized in such a way that the impact does not stop even for a minute. As a result, those who adapt to this stress begin to treat this level of stress as normal.

2. Method of Japanese top managers: "Vaccination against stress"
In a number of Japanese firms, senior management is taken to paramilitary camps once a quarter, where they are subjected to the highest physical and mental stress, including beatings and moral humiliation. According to some reports, after that, in these firms there is a sharp rise in labor productivity, and in relations between managers - a marked decrease in the number of conflicts and misunderstandings.

O BASIC MEANS AND METHODS OF INCREASING RESISTANCE TO STRESS

2. Temperature effects. Both cold and hot. Convenient way- baths. AT hot water increase the load by increasing the temperature, the residence time is 5-10 minutes. AT cold water increased load by increasing the duration of the procedure, the temperature is minimal.

3. Holding the breath. On inhalation or on exhalation "to the stop." Sitting on the floor Keeping still and relaxed. Concentrating on feelings.

4. Fasting. 1-2 times a week without stopping daily activities.

5. Pain effects. Massage with a broom in the bath. Pressure foot massage. Iplicator Kuznetsov. "Iron Shirt" - shock hardening of the body and other exercises from the arsenal of martial arts. By the way, martial arts are an excellent method of developing general stress resistance, as well as a method of correcting your basic mental state and recovering from stress.

HOW TO REMEMBER AND MASTER ALL THIS? !

To begin with, it is best to go from the resource: give yourself a certain amount of time per day and per week. And fill this time with the most convenient activities for you to master and implement stress management. It is helpful to occasionally reread the beginning of this article to keep you motivated. And be methodical in planning and in implementing your plans.

M FORMATION METHOD
AND ACCOUNTING FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRAINING PROGRAM

1. Load planning. What? How? How? you will do. It is necessary to choose the exercises that are suitable for you, determine their volume and intensity.

2. Schedule training. What will you do when? Determine the number, duration and timing of training sessions. Then distribute the load between them, taking into account the fact that a number of exercises can be performed during the day.

3. Accounting for the implementation of the training program. How will you record your actions and their results? What will you do with this information? The most optimal is the daily filling of the task execution table and weekly monitoring of the amount of work performed. In ancient times, this system was used by Buddhist monks, and now it has become widespread in sports.

In the process of this activity, you should remember about the UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES of any training:

1. Purposefulness and consciousness.
2. Optimal load.
3. Continuity and systematic training.
4. Dynamism (constant load increase).

M IMPLEMENTATION METHODOLOGY

The transition from educational to practical tasks should occur gradually, with some “overlapping”. When introducing new technologies into practical activities, it is better to start with solving problems of medium complexity and responsibility (easy tasks do not motivate, and complex ones are too stressful).
The optimal sequence for introducing new skills: 1) “Slow” medium-significant tasks. 2) "Slow" highly significant. 3) "Fast" mean. 4) "Fast" highly significant. *For "fast" temperament types, the second and third steps can be reversed.
“In work” it is best to have three forms: one is being learned, the second is being improved, the third is being introduced.

STRESS MANAGEMENT AND CORE ACTIVITIES

Having analyzed the main approaches to stress management, you should link stress management with time management and answer the question “What to do when?”. Since stress management is of an auxiliary nature, it is advisable to “tie” all stress management activities to the stages of the main activity. By dividing the main activity into three stages (preparation, implementation, analysis), we get temporary “markers” for the three main tasks of stress management. And in addition to this, let's not forget about the need to maintain and develop stress tolerance.

And in conclusion, here are some simple practical recommendations that will help specialists increase their effectiveness in case of getting into a stressful state.

O ORGANIZING EFFECTIVE ACTIVITIES IN THE EVENT OF STRESS

When starting any activity while under stress, two trends should be considered:

1) Wrap-in effect- in case of proper organization of work, the state will improve.

2) Reducing the stressfulness of the situation- in case of proper organization of work, the number and strength of stress factors will decrease.

It follows that in case of stress, it is best to adhere to the following sequence of actions, if possible:

General principles
Less significant actions first, then more significant ones.
First the simpler ones, then the more complex ones.
First well mastered, then mastered worse.

In case of overexcitation:
First, more energy-intensive, then less energy-intensive (principle of "fuel dumping").
First, individual actions, then interactions with a partner (inadvertently do not “injure” a partner).

In case of apathy:
First, less energy-intensive actions, then more energy-intensive ones (the "buildup" principle).
First, interactions with a partner (the principle of "recharging"), then individual actions.

In case of strong unwillingness to do something:
In a chaotic manner (the principle of "Swiss cheese").

COMPLETE STRESS MANAGEMENT ALGORITHM

In general, the stress management algorithm can be divided into three stages: Modeling and planning; Examination; Implementation.

1M DRESSING AND PLANNING

1. Describe the current or upcoming stressful situation.
2. Assess the complexity of the task and determine the optimal level of stress for solving it (medium, low, high).
3. Assess the perceived or current degree of stress in the situation.
4. Assess your long-term mental state and your level of stress resistance.
5. Evaluate the potential or actual level of stress and your perceived effectiveness in solving this problem.
6. Determine to what extent it is desirable to reduce (increase) the level of stress and / or increase your stress resistance.
7. Based on the task and your capabilities, allocate the necessary resource: temporary, emotional, financial if necessary.
8. Develop an action plan to manage stress in this situation:

to reduce the stressfulness of the situation;
to improve their long-term mental state and health and to increase their resistance to stress (basic, situational).
on self-regulation (select methods of self-regulation that are convenient for oneself and adequate to the situation; if necessary, master new ones or improve mastery of old ones).
recovery after the end of a stressful situation.

2. CHECK

1. Conduct a thought experiment: Imagine that all the activities have been implemented and evaluate the changes that have occurred in the level of stressfulness of the situation, one's state and the level of stress resistance. Make adjustments to the plan if necessary.
2. Perform a similar operation in relation to measures to manage stress within the situation, as well as to recovery measures.

3. IMPLEMENTATION

1. Start implementing the plan.
2. Conduct regular monitoring of the level of stress in your condition; compare it with what was planned.
3. If necessary, make adjustments to your plan.

OPTIMISTIC NOTE OR SOMETHING ABOUT OPTIMIZATION

Yes! The introduction of stress management into your life requires certain costs. But there is also good news With regular practice, stress management activities will become as habitual as other activities. Moreover, it will naturally be planned and carried out within the framework of your main activity as if by itself, practically without requiring additional time and special efforts. But until this happens, it is recommended to pay special attention to stress management. However, it is advisable to constantly optimize the process of stress management. The main approach to optimizing this process is the combination method. Its essence is this:

Of course, stress management activities should be planned in a special way. But at the same time, all stress management activities (to reduce the stressfulness of the situation, to self-regulate, to restore) should be carried out so that they are part of the main activity and vice versa (the main activity should be planned and carried out "with an eye" to the regulation of stress).

For example, accurate goal-setting, adequate self-motivation, and careful planning not only increase the efficiency of the main activity, but also optimize the level of stressfulness of the situation, as well as correct the current mental state and increase confidence in achieving the goal.

And a thoughtful analysis of each completed project or part of it not only allows you to improve in your core business, but also significantly speeds up the recovery process after stress.

With this approach, the need for special measures will arise only in the event of force majeure and with targeted activities to expand the boundaries of one's competence.

INSTEAD OF CONCLUSION

Despite the apparent complexity of the proposed technology, its successful application requires only a desire. Any adult with a higher or secondary special education is able to master it, regardless of their specialty.

In our opinion, any professional should be able to manage stress. But, first of all, this applies to people in "difficult" - stressful professions: financiers, managers, doctors, politicians, teachers. They are the ones who can get the most out of this technology.

Stegantsev Andrey Valerievich(Moscow) – psychologist and business coach. President of the Union of Independent Business Coaches, Consultants and Coaches. Active member Russian Association transpersonal psychology and psychotherapy.

Along with conflicts, stress plays an important role in people's lives. Even in a well-managed organization, situations arise that negatively affect people and cause them to feel stressed. Excessive stress can be devastating to the individual and, consequently, to the organization. Thus, the manager must understand this and learn how to neutralize stressful situations in order to ensure the full effectiveness of the organization.

Stress- the emotional state of the body, which is caused by excessive pressure on the personality and subsequently has a demoralizing effect on it. For example: a situation of lack of time; simultaneously a large number of events or information that a person is not able to evaluate and accept; an unpleasant event in the family, etc. Stress is an essential component of human activity.

Note that stress is characterized by the presence of three phases; anxiety, resistance and exhaustion.

People tolerate these phases of stress in different ways, depending both on their personal and on many other factors: some show a reaction of rivalry and fight it, others go.

Depending on the type and nature of stress, there are physiological and psychological. The type of stress that is relevant to leaders is characterized by excessive psychological or physiological stress.

Physiological stresses occur when there is an accumulation of a critical mass of fatigue from stressful situations. The results of such stresses are diseases (stomach ulcer, migraine, hypertension, pain in the heart and back, arthritis, asthma, etc.).

Psychological stresses are divided into informational and emotional. Information stress occurs in a situation of information overload, when a person does not cope with tasks, does not have time to make a decision, etc. The work of a manager, his subordinates in stressful situations can lead to improper performance of duties. It is important for the leader to take care of the rational organization of the work of subordinates, the creation and strengthening of the moral and psychological climate in the team, which will largely eliminate stressful situations. Emotional stress manifests itself in situations of threats, danger, image. A person becomes irritable, loses his appetite, falls into depression, her interest in communication decreases. The main causes of stress are the following: organizational factors - overload, underload, inconsistency, poor quality of planned targets;

conflict of roles, when conflicting requirements for work are presented to the employee, or tasks are given that go beyond his official duties;

the uncertainty of the role in the future, when the person has the uncertain duties of her work, to whom she is subordinate and what rights she has;

commitment, increased responsibility to people, as well as participation in meetings and meetings, saturated in the organization;

responsibility for completing the task, especially in an uncertain future;

constant change, the need to adapt to rapid technological changes, the acquisition of new skills, the implementation of additional responsibilities;

relationships with subordinates - inability to manage a critically minded or unorganized team, difficulties in opposing the authorities;

relationships with colleagues - unhealthy competition and rivalry, insufficient support from the team, difficulties in achieving cooperation;

job insecurity associated with the fear of downsizing, aging, early retirement;

feelings caused by work or career - disappointment when reaching a career height, lack of prospects, slow promotion;

the influence of the organization associated with a tense climate, authoritarian leadership style, lack of information, insufficient participation in the labor process;

external influence, including; conflict of requirements of the organization and family; domestic problems; giving priority to work rather than family; constant business trips.

These reasons can be combined in various ways, being acute for leaders who have pressure from above and below. Positive life events can also cause a lot of stress.

Stress, along with a negative one, can also have a positive effect, consisting in the fact that it helps to mobilize a person's efforts to perform work. Because stress is inevitable, a manager must learn to manage it.

Stress management- this is the process of purposeful influence on the personnel of the organization in order to adapt a person to a stressful situation, eliminate sources of stress and master the methods of neutralizing them by all personnel.

Managers should learn to manage stress and use the following to do so: ways :

develop a system of priorities in their work (what to do "today", "tomorrow", "when the time comes ...");

learn to say "no" when the stress limit is reached, after which it is impossible to take an additional load;

develop an effective and lasting relationship with your supervisor, teach your supervisor to respect your workload;

do not agree with a manager who makes conflicting demands (do not touch the aggressive position, just explain what specific problems become contradictory for you)

tell the manager that you are not sure about a number of tasks, but do not become a complainer;

determine the goal of your career, which, according to your self-assessment, is real, check which abilities and qualifications you lack;

find time every day to disconnect and rest;

take time to relax when you are under unprofitable pressure;

be realistic about what you can achieve and do;

follow the diet and exercise.

To achieve high productivity and low level stress needed :

determine the reasonable amount and type of work for subordinates in relation to their abilities;

allow subordinates to refuse orders if they have good reason to do so;

clearly define specific areas of authority, responsibility and production tasks;

use a leadership style depending on the specific situation;

provide adequate rewards for performance; more often act as a mentor.

One of the urgent tasks of modern management is to find ways to increase a person's stress resistance. The manager's resilience is his ability to consciously resist prolonged stress. It is known that prolonged exposure to even mild stress creates serious danger for the mental state of the manager and his health.

You need to know that stress is also a necessary condition for life. Renowned Canadian physiologist Hans Salee, who first described stress, believes that life without stress is unthinkable. It is not stress itself that has negative consequences, but distress as its component, which should be avoided.

Everything related to distress brings illness, depression, loneliness, certain functional neuroses into our lives, while euphoric stress means health, pleasure, happiness.

Principles of a wise attitude to life(according to G. Salier) to be able to distinguish the main from the secondary;

to know the degree of influence on events, that is, to know the real assessment of both our own capabilities and the situation in which we find ourselves; be able to approach the problem from different angles; prepare yourself for any unexpected events;

to perceive the activity as it is in reality, and not in our imagination;

try to understand others;

be able to gain positive experience from what is happening; "Earn the love of your neighbor".