Understanding Stress
by Lade Olugbemi
Last time we took a look at managing stress for leaders. Stress is something that affects a lot of people in general. Not just managers. Sometimes we know we are stressed only when things have got a little out of hand.
So what are the symptoms of stress?
The symptoms of stress
It is important to ensure that we avoid stress as much as possible. There are emotional, mental and behavioural symptoms of stress. Lets take a brief look at the three.
EMOTIONAL SYMPTOMS
Do you exhibit some of the below?
- Depressive feelings, anxiety, tearfulness
- Feeling that one can’t cope
- Irritability, anger, frustration, over-sensitivity
- Loss of motivation and commitment
- Cynicism/loss of sense of humour
- Low self esteem/feelings of inadequacy
MENTAL SYMPTOMS
- Inability to plan, concentrate and control work
- Indecisive – or making poor decisions
- Muddled thinking/confusion
- Poor memory
BEHAVIOUR SYMPTOMS
Have there been changes in behaviour recently?
- Comfort eating (i.e. eating when not hungry) or loss of appetite
- Increase in smoking or drinking
- Decreased productivity or deterioration in quality of work
- Poor relationships with colleagues or clients
- Poor time management
- Nervous habits (fidgeting, impatience, nail biting)
- Disregard for personal appearance
- Lack of confidence – socially withdrawn
- Increased sickness absence
The above lists of symptoms is not exhaustive, nor are any of the behaviours in themselves necessarily indicative of an someone experiencing stress!
Sometimes, a pattern of uncharacteristic behaviour that continues for some time may indicate an underlying problem. As a leader you need to be aware of and sensitive to a member’s change in behaviour. This is especially when they consistently show any of the above changes.
If the signs go undetected, or are not acted upon, the long-term effects of stress will often be serious both for the individual, the team, workplace, church, family and the community.
Health problems and diseases that have been linked to stress
Before we go, lets take a look at some of the health issues that may arise as a result of stress. This shows the importance of stress management and taking steps to minimize and avoid stress as much as is possible.
- high blood pressure
- ulcers
- alcoholism
- asthma
- diabetes
- nervous breakdowns
- coronary heart disease
- chronic depression and anxiety
- increased blood pressure
- skin rashes
- chronic digestive illness
- cardiovascular and heart disease
…So if you can, do avoid stress
STAY mentally safe out there.
Do you know when you are stressed? Is there something peculiar about how you handle stress? Please tweet and share this post so we can help others minimize stress. Thank you.
About Lade
Lade Olugbemi is a lawyer and a senior manager working at one of the Local Authorities in London, UK. She is passionate about mental well being. She serves on the board, delivery groups and operational panels of several governmental initiatives. This exposure highlighted the major gap in information held about mental well being and illness in the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities not just in the UK but also in the countries of origin. Lade is the CEO of The NOUS Organisation, a registered company creating awareness through workshops, seminars and community work. She is also a director of REOPASS, a Family Navigating Organisation supporting families in crisis, and working with victims who have suffered domestic abuse. The team NOUS are available to speak at community events and also organize mental health awareness seminars and workshops.
Lade can be contacted by email on: thenousorganisation@gmail.com
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