SEPT MANDATORY TRAINING STRESS SEPT MANDATORY TRAINING Introduction

SEPT - MANDATORY TRAINING STRESS

SEPT - MANDATORY TRAINING Introduction Stress is how we feel about our interaction with the environment, the people and events around us and how we feel that we cope with the demands placed upon us or that we encounter.

SEPT - MANDATORY TRAINING Introduction These pressures, demands, situations and events are sometimes called ‘stressors’ and can exist in our personal lives as well as at work. General life stressors Work stressors Experienced stress (individual to ourselves) Consequences Stress itself is not an illness – it is a state but if stress becomes excessive and prolonged, mental and physical illness may develop.

SEPT - MANDATORY TRAINING Work Related Stress The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) defines work related stress as: "The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them at work. " Work related stress by definition therefore has negative consequences for individuals and it also adversely affects businesses and the wider economy. According to the HSE 1 worker in 7 reported that they find their work either very stressful or extremely stressful (2007). 11 million working days was lost to stress related symptoms such as anxiety and depression (2005).

SEPT - MANDATORY TRAINING Work Related Stress However work is generally good for people if it is well designed. Pressures such as deadlines if correctly managed and achievable can be positive and can help us to achieve our goals and perform better. Where these pressures become excessive stress can result which can lead to negative effects on the individual and their work. The following slide shows the effect stress has on performance.

SEPT - MANDATORY TRAINING Stress and Performance

SEPT - MANDATORY TRAINING Factors in Work Related Stress HSE has identified six factors that can lead to work related stress if they are not managed properly. 1. Demands: Employees indicate that they are able to cope with the demands of their jobs. 2. Control: Employees indicate that they are able to have a say about the way they do their work. 3. Support: Employees indicate that they receive adequate information and support from their colleagues and managers. 4. Relationships: Employees indicate that they are not subjected to unacceptable behaviours, e. g. bullying at work. 5. Role: Employees indicate that they understand their role and responsibilities. 6. Change: Employees indicate that the organisation engages them frequently when undergoing an organisational change

SEPT - MANDATORY TRAINING Stress Outside of Work Many of life’s demands beyond work can cause stress, particularly relationships and money problems. A person can experience more stress outside of the working day than during it, or vice versa and stress from one can affect the other. Finding the correct balance between work and all the demands, responsibilities and rewards of everyday life can be difficult. Conflicting demands are stressful and when you feel stressed it can get in the way of sorting out these demands or can even affect everything you do. The less control you have over potentially stress-inducing events and the more uncertainty they create, the more likely you are to feel stressed. Even the typical day-to-day demands of living can contribute to your body's stress response.

SEPT - MANDATORY TRAINING Stress Outside of Work The following list shows some of the major causes of stress Death (of a loved one) Moving house including taking out a mortgage Marriage Divorce or separation from a partner Family arguments Debt or money worries Experiencing prejudice or discrimination Lack of friends or a support network Change in health status for you or a close family member or friend Living with someone with an alcohol, drug problem or other addiction Poor living environment Giving up smoking or going on a diet.

SEPT - MANDATORY TRAINING Personal Factors What affects how we respond to stressful situations? What one person finds stressful another person might find routine or rewarding and this depends on many factors including their personality and whether they feel they have the resources to cope with the situation or challenge. For example thought of parachuting from an aircraft may be highly stressful for one person but thrilling and enjoyable for another. A person may be nervous the first time they make a parachute jump but with repeated jumps they become more confident and less nervous. How a person reacts to any situation depends therefore on their personality, personal experience and skills but is also affected by such factors as: their background and culture; their age; their health status and disability.

SEPT - MANDATORY TRAINING Personal Factors Stressful conditions are therefore ‘filtered’ through our personalities, perceptions and prior experiences etc. NIOSH Model of Job Stress

SEPT - MANDATORY TRAINING How Stress affects an Individual Stress causes a surge of hormones in your body. These stress hormones are released to enable you to deal with pressures or threats – the so-called "fight or flight" response. Adrenaline increases your heart rate, elevates your blood pressure and boosts energy supplies. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, increases sugars (glucose) in the bloodstream, enhances your brain's use of glucose and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues. This is a useful response to short term ‘fight or flight’ events and the level of these hormones quickly return to normal. But when the stressors of your life are always present, leaving you constantly feeling stressed, tense, nervous or on edge, that fight-or-flight reaction stays turned on leading to numerous adverse reactions including an increased risk of heart disease.

SEPT - MANDATORY TRAINING How Stress affects an Individual Kiecolt-Glaser et al (1984)

SEPT - MANDATORY TRAINING Signs and Symptoms of Stress Please note that whilst these are indicators of stress they can also result from other conditions. If you are concerned about yourself please seek advice from your GP. If you are concerned about a colleague try to convince them to see their GP.

SEPT - MANDATORY TRAINING What can you do? You can talk to your line manager - they can only help you if they know there is a problem. If you feel you cannot do that then you can speak to your union representative who can raise the issue on your behalf. Try to channel your energies into solving the problem than just worrying about it and see if changes can be made that reduce the stress for you while recognising the needs of your colleagues and the Trust.

SEPT - MANDATORY TRAINING Trust Resources The Trust has the following resources available on the Intranet and can be found by typing ‘stress’ in the search box. • Tackling Work-Related Stress - a Guide for Employees • Managing the causes of work related stress • Stress Test • Take control of stress • Techniques to tackle stress The Trust also has a systematic and planned approach to promoting and supporting flexible working practices. This is part of the Trust’s commitment to support work life balance and work force planning. Further information can be found on the Trust HR section of Trust Policies.

SEPT - MANDATORY TRAINING Further Information The NHS ‘Choices – Your Health, Your Choices’ website provides further information on stress including a more detailed list of the ways stress affects individuals NHS Choices website (stress) The NHS Choices website also provides information on self-help ways to manage stress which can be found here The HSE also provides information on managing stress HSE Stress self-help

SEPT - MANDATORY TRAINING When to see your GP about your stress levels If you've tried self-help techniques and they aren't working, you should go to see your GP. They may suggest other coping techniques for you to try or recommend some form of counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy. If your stress is causing serious health problems, such as high blood pressure, you may need to take medication or further tests. Mental health issues, including stress, anxiety and depression, are the reason for one-in-five visits to a GP.