Question:
I would appreciate any quotes on "workplace stress" or "job stress".
Answer:
People react defensively to situations in which they feel both
threatened and under pressure. The threat is usually not physical...
In the workaday world, the blows we receive most frequently are
psychological, and the deepest wounds we get from them are to our
motivation and our feelings of self-worth.
In my position you have to read when you want to write and to talk
when you would like to read; you have to laugh when you feel like
crying; twenty things interfere with twenty others; you have not time
for a moment's thought, and nevertheless you have to be constantly
ready to act without allowing yourself to feel lassitude, either body
or spirit; ill or well, it makes no difference, everything at once
demands that you should attend to it on the spot.
Every manager knows the problem of battling the daily, even hourly,
barrage of operating data that assaults his mind. The realization that
I could not track every detail of my business came as my days got
longer, my nights got shorter, and my leaden briefcase seemed
increasingly likely to unhinge my right shoulder.
The best things in life are nearest :
Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes,
flowers at your feet, duties at your hand,
the path of right just before you.
Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work
as it comes, certain that daily duties
and daily bread are the sweetest things in life.
What follows are not exactly "quotes" that can be attributed to any
person and I have forgotten where I got it from....it certainly speaks
to the cynic in me....somebody once said busy executives have begun
holding on to STRESS as a status symbol of sorts....telling those
around them that they are working real hard....well, for more stuff
along the same lines, read on.....;)))
Although the De Anza Health Office long been an advocate of stress
management, stress, tension, and burnout are still common complaints
of students, faculty, and staff alike. On account of this, we
have come to the following conclusion: YOU ALL WANT TO STAY STRESSED!
The following provides you with a few reasons why.
STRESS HELPS YOU SEEM IMPORTANT. Anyone as stressed as you must be
working very hard and, therefore, is probably doing something very
crucial.
IT HELPS YOU TO MAINTAIN PERSONAL DISTANCE AND AVOID INTIMACY.
Anyone as busy as you are certainly can't be expected to form
emotional attachments to anyone.
And let's face it, you're not much fun to be around anyway.
IT HELPS YOU AVOID RESPONSIBILITIES. Obviously you're too stressed to
be given any more work. This gets you off the hook for all the mundane
chores; let someone else take care of them.
IT GIVES YOU A CHEMICAL RUSH. Stress might be considered a cheap
thrill, and you can give yourself a "hit" anytime you choose. But be
careful, you might get addicted to your own adrenaline.
IT HELPS YOU AVOID SUCCESS. Why risk being "successful" when by simply
staying stressed you can avoid all of that? Stress can keep your
performance level low enough that success won't
ever be a threat.
STRESS ALSO LETS YOU KEEP YOUR AUTHORITARIAN MANAGEMENT STYLE. The
authoritarian style of "Just do what I say!" is generally permissible
under crisis conditions. If you maintain a permanently stressed crisis
atmosphere, you can justify an authoritarian style all the time.
Are you worried now about how to stay stressed? You'll have no trouble
if you practice the following clinically proven methods:
NEVER EXERCISE. Exercise wastes a lot of time that could be spent
worrying.
EAT ANYTHING YOU WANT. Hey, if cigarette smoke can't cleanse your
system, a balanced diet isn't likely to.
GAIN WEIGHT. Work hard at staying at least 25 pounds over your
recommended weight.
TAKE PLENTY OF STIMULANTS. The old standards of caffeine, nicotine,
sugar, and cola will continue to do the job just fine.
AVOID "WOO-WOO" PRACTICES. Ignore the evidence suggesting that
meditation, yoga, deep breathing, and/or mental imaging help to reduce
stress. The Protestant work ethic is good for everyone, Protestant or
not.
GET RID OF YOUR SOCIAL SUPPORT SYSTEM. Let the few friends who are
willing to tolerate you know that concern yourself with friendships
only if you have time, and you never have
time. If a few people persist in trying to be your friend, avoid them.
PERSONALIZE ALL CRITICISM. Anyone who criticizes any aspect of your
work, family, dog, house, or car is mounting a personal attack. Don't
take time to listen, be offended, then return the attack!
THROW OUT YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR. Staying stressed is no laughing matter,
and it shouldn't be treated as one.
MALES AND FEMALES ALIKE - BE MACHO. Never ever ask for help, and if
you want it done right, do it yourself!
BECOME A WORKAHOLIC. Put work before everything else, and be sure to
take work home evenings and weekends. Keep reminding yourself that
vacations are for sissies.
DISCARD GOOD TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS. Schedule in more activities every
day than you can possibly get done and then worry about it all
whenever you get a chance.
PROCRASTINATE. Putting things off to the last second always produces a
marvelous amount of stress.
