scholarly journals Stress at Work and the Role of Physical Activity in Its Management and Reduction

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 27-34
Author(s):  
Zenel Orhani ◽  
Marsela Shehu

Abstract Work related stress is thought to affect an individual’s psychological and physical health in different ways. The aim of the study is to identify the level of stress at work and the impact that the involvement in Physical Activity has for the overall psychological well-being and healthy lifestyle. The sample of the study includes 416 subjects aged 25 - 64 years old, 177 males and 239 females from different professions in Tirana. Instruments used are “Workplace Stress Survey” by The American Institute of Stress (AIS) and “Employee Physical Activity Survey” by EDB Sonoma County, California. The second questionnaire was modified and adapted by the authors for the purposes of this study. For statistical data processing and qualitative descriptions SPPS statistical software package, version 20, Microsoft Office Excel 2007 has been used. The data show that subjects are at a moderate level of stress at work (60.1%), thus stress is present. The dominant gender with work stress is represented by females (60.8%). Referring to the type of profession favoring PA, subjects claim that they cannot be involved in PA in the workplace (78.1%). The subjects are characterized by a low level of PA performance even in their free time; on average they spend 1 - 2 hours/week for 1 - 2 days. As a conclusion, we can say that involvement in PA for managing and reducing stress in the workplace and not only, it is considered as one of the most important factors, it mainly focuses on reducing anxiety and irritability, and increased concentration in individuals′ professional tasks.

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 2566-2580
Author(s):  
Paul Hampton ◽  
Ezekiel A. Chinyio ◽  
Silvia Riva

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand more precisely the culture and interpersonal behaviours associated with stress. Design/methodology/approach The research was conducted using a qualitative approach through an ethnographic methodology in relation to three companies. The greater part of the data collection period was structured into observations that ranged between 2 and 4 hr per day, 1–3 days per week, for a period of six months. A total of ten sites were explored; and on each site, the observations involved activities by 5–20 people. Findings The results showed the pivotal importance of interpersonal relationships in coping with the uncertainty of working conditions, the coordination of teamwork and managing responsibilities and power interactions. It was found that the impact of stress is multifaceted, affecting the physical status, interpersonal relationships, work performance and emotional well-being of construction workers. The workers who were studied emphasised five sources of support that help moderate work-related stress: additional tools such as communication systems and software, a facilitated access to professional help (e.g. psychological services), organisational changes in leadership, provision of resources for the well-being of personnel (e.g. job training) and better teamwork. Practical implications The study underlines the importance of dedicated services for stress management and specific training-related abilities devoted to reinforcing positive person–organisation dynamics. In particular, the abilities should relate to managing the impact of stress in terms of physique, interpersonal relationships, work performance and emotional well-being. Originality/value This is one of the first studies to adopt a psychological perspective for understanding construction scenarios and phenomena and was conducted by a qualified psychologist.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Janna Olynick ◽  
Han Z. Li

Despite a recent resurgence in the study of organizational culture, insufficient attention has been paid to the impact of the types of organizational culture on employee well-being and productivity in Canadian settings. This study investigated which types of organizational culture are most closely related to employee levels of work-related stress, enjoyment of work and self-perceived productivity. A secondary research interest was to identify the dominant culture type at the studied university in northern Canada. A total of 193 staff members from various departments (e.g., academic services, facilities, student life) completed an online survey containing questions on organizational culture, stress, enjoyment of work and productivity. Three intriguing findings were generated from the data: (1) All four types of organizational culture – clan, hierarchy, adhocracy, market – were identified at the institution; (2) the hierarchy culture was most prevalent, followed by the adhocracy culture, the market culture and then the clan culture; and (3) the type of organizational culture was significantly related to stress, enjoyment of work and productivity. Employees working in a clan culture reported the lowest levels of stress, and highest levels of enjoyment and productivity, followed by those in the adhocracy and hierarchy cultures, lastly the market culture. Important implications include: (1) Organizational leaders need to take into account the role organizational culture plays in employee well-being and workplace functioning, and (2) Organizational leaders should implement strategies to create a workplace culture that promotes employee well-being and productivity.


Author(s):  
Marta Makara-Studzińska ◽  
Krystyna Golonka ◽  
Bernadetta Izydorczyk

The purpose of the study is to analyze the importance of individual resources in firefighting, one of the highest risk professions. Firefighters from 12 different Polish provinces (N = 580; men; M (mean age) = 35.26 year, SD = 6.74) were analyzed regarding the perceived stress at work, burnout, self-efficacy, and a broad range of sociodemographic variables. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Link Burnout Questionnaire (LBQ), and the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) were used in the study. To explore the relationships between work-related stress, burnout, and self-efficacy, separate regression models for each burnout dimension were analyzed. The results revealed that self-efficacy is a significant moderator that changes the direction and strength of the relationships between perceived stress and psychophysical exhaustion, sense of professional inefficacy, and disillusion. However, self-efficacy did not moderate the relationship between stress and lack of engagement in relationships (relationship deterioration). The results indicate that self-efficacy in firefighters is a crucial personal resource that buffers the impact of perceived stress on most burnout symptoms. It may be concluded that in high risk professions, special attention should be paid to developing self-efficacy as an important part of burnout prevention programs, pro-health activities, and psychoeducation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-91
Author(s):  
Huiru Tong ◽  
Xiaoming Li ◽  
Shan Qiao ◽  
Yuejiao Zhou ◽  
Zhiyong Shen ◽  
...  

Work-related stress can negatively impact health care providers’ (HCPs) ability to provide care. We examined the sources of work-related stress experienced by HCPs who provided medical care for people living with HIV/AIDS and the impact of the stress on HCPs’ well-being and work performance. We conducted in-depth interviews with 46 HIV/AIDS HCPs in Guangxi, China. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and imported into NVivo V.11 for data management and data analysis using a thematic approach. We found that the key sources of stress at work included general work-related sources and HIV/AIDS-related sources. All stress was seen to have a substantial impact on the HCPs’ individual well-being, family and social life, and quality of care they provided. We recommended that government and health care facilities should take measures to improve institutional culture and professional development for HIV/AIDS HCPs. More professional training schemes should be provided to strengthen HCPs’ competence, improve universal protection from occupational exposure, and reduce the stigma toward HIV/AIDS patients and their care providers.


Author(s):  
Helen Oliver ◽  
Owen Thomas ◽  
Robert James Copeland ◽  
Ian Hesketh ◽  
Matt Jukes ◽  
...  

An app-based physical activity intervention (#SWPMoveMore Challenge) was completed by 239 workers from one UK police force using a quasi-experimental design. Impacts were assessed against minutes of movement, individual difference and work-related stress variables using quantitative and qualitative approaches. The concept was feasible and translatable to a UK police population and the intervention significantly benefited direct measures of physical activity and perceptions of vitality, job stress, job satisfaction, negative coping strategy use and engagement at work. The intervention was also motivational in helping individuals take-up and maintain physical activity and positively impacted morale and comradery within the work-force.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Bogaerts ◽  
Marianne van Woerkom ◽  
Yasemin Erbaş ◽  
Elien De Caluwé ◽  
Carlo Garofalo ◽  
...  

Forensic healthcare workers deal with patients with severe psychiatric and behavioral problems that put them at an increased risk of developing work-related stress and burnout. Working with this target group of patients during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic with far-reaching restrictive measures can negatively affect the psychological well-being of forensic workers. Research suggests that resilience can buffer workplace stress and contribute positively to psychological well-being. However, research on resilience, psychological well-being and work-related stress among forensic healthcare workers is still lacking. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the interrelations between psychological well-being and resilience on the one hand and work-related stress and Covid-19 fear-related symptoms on the other hand. Self-report data were obtained from 318 healthcare workers (73.9% women) working in three Forensic Psychiatric Centers (M age = 44.20, SD = 14.31) and are in direct contact with forensic patients. The data were analyzed using network analysis. Consistent with previous research, the results showed that workplace stress and fear associated with the Covid-19 pandemic can be detrimental to workers' psychological well-being, while resilience can serve as a protective factor against being personally attacked or threatened by patients at the workplace. Last but not least, we identified highly central symptoms, namely tremors due to the fear of the coronavirus and anxiety when other people coughing, which would be the best candidates for future treatment targets. This knowledge can help clinicians optimize interventions to reduce workplace stress and fear due to the pandemic. Future studies should aim to replicate our findings in a larger and more representative sample of forensic healthcare workers.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 267-269
Author(s):  
Evgeny Teplukhin ◽  
Natalia Lymareva

This article discusses on the current topic of healthy lifestyle and sports among young people. The importance of granting the right to choose elective classes in physical education and sports, as well as the impact of physical activity on students' well-being, is described.


2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 24-28
Author(s):  
Edit Lezha ◽  
Gezim Dibra ◽  
Jozef Bushati ◽  
Bujane Topalli

Frequent and rapid changes are influencing factors in the quality of human life. Work intensity, the difference between material and spiritual needs of employees and their needs balance, are more general factors that cause stress at work. These requirements may be perceived as positive or negative challenges. Requirements imbalances can lead in procrastination which increase work related stress and concern in managing it. So stress is a consequence of the interaction of employees with conditions that surround them, but, on the other hand employee themselves can affect their own level of stress that they are experiencing in workplace. Organizations that make work-life balance possible are more likely to retain the employees in whom they have already invested and avoid the significant costs associated with replacing them. Also, this research aimed to explore how employees perceived occupational stress and what kind of strategies they used in order to minimize occupational stressors in workplace.


2021 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 33-42
Author(s):  
S. Simeonova ◽  
R. Nikolova

Abstract The importance of the dominant psychological and physiological aspects of occupational stress models is a significant topic for researchers working in the field of medicine. Modern society faces significant problems in the detection and management of stress due to its growing impact on the functional state of working individuals. Ensuring safe and healthy working conditions is necessary to deal with the adverse effects of occupational stress on health. Controlling and reducing stress is possible by revealing the causal psychophysiological links in the mechanisms of work-related stress. Scientifically based stress management is based on the categories and concepts underlying occupational stress models. Modern work-related models of stress describe and study not only the adverse characteristics of the work process, but also the factors that stimulate the health and well-being of the individual. Monitoring occupational stress is part of the process of neutralizing and eliminating it. In today’s dynamic world, it is not enough to expect only quality performance of the professional duties of employees, but the commitment of managers working in the field of health care is needed to analyse and manage the dominant psychological and physiological aspects of occupational stress models and prevent adverse aspects of models of this type of stress at work.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirela DAMIAN ◽  
Antoanela OLTEAN ◽  
Cosmin DAMIAN

Children and adolescents do not practice enough physical activity or have too much unbalanced nutrition, and the consequence of these unhealthy and bad habits is overweight that can lead to obesity, impairment of health and, implicitly, the quality of life.The objective of the study is to summarize the evidence of published literature on the impact of sedentary lifestyle on the health of children and adolescents, the benefits of regular physical activity, as well as recommendations for their correct performance.Results: All researched works combines regular physical activity with important health benefits. Children and adolescents aged 5-18 must be physically active for at least 60 minutes a day, with intense physical exercise being associated with the majority of authors with a better physical condition and well-being. The physical activity program should include exercises that address all fitness components: cardiorespiratory capacity, muscle strength / fitness, flexibility and body composition.Conclusions: Some action is needed to promote a healthy lifestyle and increase physical activity to at least 60 minutes a day, in order to reduce the sedentary behavior among children and adolescents due to excessive use of the Internet, social networks or audiovisual media. Implementation and support of programs to promote physical activity among them is necessary, given the increasing number of overweight and obese persons.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document