How to Reduce Stress

1. In todays smaller Air Force, members are finding themselves doing more with less. This in-turn has caused numerous disagreeable situations on and off duty. It is incumbent for Air Force members to recognize, treat, and eliminate stress whenever practical to increase morale and mission accomplishment. This paper volition cover the emotional, behavioral, and forcible signs of stress as well as importance of air stress management in treating and/or eliminating stress.2. Before we can begin to reduce stress, we mustiness be able to recognize indicators that lead to orhelp identify stress. Air Force psychologist Capt. Neil S. Hibler has pullulateed a list of early warning signs (219). For our purposes we will discuss only a couple from each category. First, from the emotional category, is apathy. Apathy is the doldrums. Things you normally enjoy are no longer pleasurable. Along with apathy is rational fatigue. Being unable to concentrate or staying focus are only a couple of ex amples of mental fatigue.Emotional signs are very important to recognize, because if they are not noticed early on and addressed, behavioral or even bodily problems can surface. The behavioral category signs include being late to work, miserable appearance, and being accident prone are just a few examples of administrative problems. Legal problems are even more evident, such as, traffic tickets, indebtedness, and softness tocontrol violent impulses. As you can see, these signs of stress become more serious the longerTSgt Adams/H-Flt/0805/pfa/19 Jul 97they go untreated or reduced. Finally, is the physical category possibly the most serious of all.Stress not only effects the psyche of an individual, but the physical side of ones being can excessively be altered. Ailments such as headaches, insomnia, nausea, changes in appetite, and sexual problems can persist during times of stress. The individual may seek relief from stress by self-medicating and develop a dependence on chemicals that are harmful to the body. These signs are just a few of the more recognizable. Other signs can be very shrewd and even more dangerous to the individual and others. This is why it is paramount to detect stress early and if possible treat, reduce, or eliminate before damage is done.3. erstwhile signs of stress are identified, it is time to tackle them with a few frolic stress managementtechniques outlined in The Relaxation & Stress Reduction vade mecum (2211). A 1985 study conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics found that more than 50% of workers surveyed experienced moderate to heavy stress on the job. To in effect combat work-related stress, you first indispensableness to identify symptoms and sources of job related stress. This can be accomplished by taking and scoring the survey in the handbook. Next, you need to keep a log on how you respond to your specific job stressors.Label four columns stressor, feelings, thoughts, and behavior. After you have comp leted these task, setting goals and motivation is next. narrow down goals to respond more effectively to your job stressors. Develop a plan to react to stress you can anticipate or even avoid altogether. The estimation here is to gain more control of your work environment. Rewards are a very important part of motivation. Create a specific reward for any goal you establish and make sure to give yourself the time to enjoy your reward. The nextarea to consider is more difficult for most of us. Dealing with your boss, negotiating with co-workers, and ever-changing your thinking can be used to your advantage to help reduce stress. Dontside step these ideas, use them The last two strategies to consider in job stress management are pace and balance yourself, and know when to quit. Pace at your own tempo. Dont burn yourself out. This is one of the leading causes of stress at work. To effectively integrate job stress management into your daily lifestyle could take months, in just a day yo u can identify your job stressors and your responses to them. acquire started is the key4. We have discussed identifying stress by looking for emotional, behavioral, and physicalsigns of stress. Then, more importantly, we discussed ways to treat, reduce, or eliminate stress by applying techniques used in job stress management. Job stress accounts for billions of dollars lost annually in productivity, wages, and medical bills. Americans now know that job stress management makes personal and financial sense.