Stress is the result of differences between what is ideal and what is real. It's an outcome of opposing external or internal pressures and tensions; an effect - not a cause. Ignored negative stress can cause reduced performance or personal damage.
Sources of stress: Activities, Self, Environment and Other People
Promana's Endurance group is made up of three sets of factors.
The first set consists of four visible sources of stress – their environment, their activities, how each person might contribute to their own stress, and how others affect them:
Stress factor #1: Activities
Activities, by their nature, require people to spend energy and take action, sometimes resulting in positive or negative stress. This can happen when people are under pressure to perform at or beyond their limits, when they experience inner tensions as they tackle things they may not be comfortable with, or when they have little or no respite from activity or responsibility. Undertaking activities we would rather avoid brings added stress. Where people and their activities are mismatched in any way, they have essentially three choices:
- first, adapt to the activities;
- second, adapt the activities to suit; and
- third, get out of the firing line.
Ideally someone might adapt their activities in some way to make them compatible with the ideal, but that is often not possible. Nor is it always feasible to modify personal behaviours to accommodate what is required, although coaching and retraining may help. The third option of quitting or replacing may be the only practical step. The cost of change is one of the issues when choosing the most useful approach, in both monetary and personal terms.
People can be stressed by their activities when their efforts are spent on doing the same tasks over and over again, without challenge or relief from monotony. Much of what they do seems to be unnecessary and they see their activities serving no useful purpose. Their role may be repetitive so that there is always more to do without even looking for it, or they often have to redo what they thought was finished. They may have to switch context between tasks, constantly restarting afresh when they're interrupted. If people have a high level of activity, which is sometimes intense and concentrated, they're potentially overloaded with things they need to get done.
Paradoxically, some stress is desirable from activities, otherwise people can lose their drive to perform. The trick is to balance positive pressure and tension with appropriate challenge and relief, to suit the individual person.
Stress factor #2: Self
Self and who we are can be a cause of stress. The way we view the world, our expectations of it and how we handle what comes at us may all increase pressures on us or raise inner tensions. A structured person in an unstructured environment, or vice versa; someone who lacks the training, experience or support needed in their situation; or who lacks social skills when interacting with others, may become stressed. It is difficult to change parts of who we are. Inherited or deeply ingrained characteristics and entrenched habits will likely require too great an effort over a long period to be worthwhile, even if it were desirable and possible to alter them. Other areas for improvement such as technical and social skills, however, may be dealt with quite easily, given time and material resources.
Self-stressing people over-extend themselves and may act as though only they can do what is necessary. They take on more than they can handle and bring their problems on themselves. They try to resolve complex issues alone when it would be more appropriate to get support. They accept more to do when they already have enough, saying 'yes' too easily. They allow others to make use of their time, tolerating interruptions that cause more pressure when they go to resume a previous activity. They create their own pressure and tension quite apart from what their environment, activities and others may contribute. To escape self-induced stress, people avoid taking on issues and activities that they believe are beyond their capacity to perform.
Stress factor #3: Environment
Environment plays a significant part in creating the pressure that people have to bear. Issues such as noise, cold, heat, dirt, poor layout, long hours with few breaks, or too little to do and no way of filling in time may bring pressure and tension. Almost everyone is affected by their environment; the question is whether or not any resulting stress is positive or negative. People can hardly feel OK in an environment that is hostile or barren so morale suffers, individually or collectively. It cannot be good for the people, the team, or the organisation.
Generally, we accept what is natural in our environment for what it is – wind, rain, sunshine – and cope with these while harnessing them as we might. Often we do worse with manmade environments, but there is no excuse for poor organisation and sloppy management of what we create around us. What people put together, people can improve and control. This is one source of stress that can be reduced and brought under control, if not eliminated.
People who are affected badly by their environment find their surroundings hinder their efforts. They are put off balance by the activities around them and their flow is disrupted by what is going on. Their surroundings are unsuited to their work because shift and change around them disrupts their efforts. They may think they lack the space needed for what they do, for example, or the materials they have don't match their needs, or they try to get by with inadequate equipment. They may need more support than they have available to them. The atmosphere around them can add to their problems and they may be put off by the politics in their environment.
Stress factor #4: Other people
Others become a source of stress when they are uncooperative, irritating, absent, inaccurate, forgetful, indifferent, negative, obstructive, incompetent – and more. All or any of these and many other similar issues contribute to pressure and tension. But we need to be sure that this is real, not just perceived, as it may be just the way the stressed person sees things. We need to compare one with many and many with each other to have substantial insight. Is one person’s response to this stress a comment on the others, really, or on the person? Is it a common perception among the people who work in this group or team? Anyone may lay the blame on ‘the others’ but that doesn’t mean they are really at fault. We need to examine behaviours and responses carefully before we attribute stress to ‘everyone else but me’. It may be true. Or it may be the person who doesn’t belong in the mix. Or it may be poor management and supervision.
People who are stressed by others show it by reacting to pressure from those around them, and by being sensitive to tensions in the group; they relax when others are less tense. They are limited by the pressure others put on them, and the issues others create make them tense. They have to put up with situations caused by the people they are in contact with and they feel the strain that this creates. They can’t help getting caught up in events begun by others and they are affected when others play at politics. If it weren't for others, their life could be peaceful!
The intangibles: Ambiguity, Deprival, Conflict and Frustration
The second set deals with less tangible stress factors: issues of ambiguity and uncertainty; deprival of ways and means to perform; conflict between people; and frustration when trying to make headway or achieve.
Stress factor #5: Ambiguity
Ambiguity leads to stress because continuing uncertainty, confusion or lack of clarity about intentions, structure or processes causes both pressure and tension. People feel pressure to make decisions without being clear on one or more aspects; they become tense when they can’t make an informed choice yet are expected to decide. This could result from an unclear situation, for example, where one does not know what to do or how get it done; from contradictory pressures or demands; or from lack of understanding between people.
Where ambiguity causes stress, people are confused by mixed messages and they need more clarity to know what to do. What they are told has more than one meaning, so they have to choose between conflicting or vague options. They are unsure what is expected of them yet they have to cope with conflicting demands. The goals they are given may be blurred, the processes they must use may be unclear to them, or they may have to use untried or unready systems. They are given vague standards to reach and they are unsure how to go about what they have to do.
Stress factor #6: Deprival
Deprival causes stress when people don’t have the ways or means to get on with what they want or are required to do. Lack of information, tools, materials, cooperation or support are all different forms of deprivation, as are lack of food, shelter, sleep, love and exercise. Substituting one thing for another may appear to supply a needed input, but the quality and quantity also need to be fair substitutes. Failure to fill any gaps leads, for example, to dietary deficiencies where foods are concerned, confusion where rumor takes the place of facts, and lowered productivity when materials and facilities are below standard.
Deprived people see themselves as having no real means of playing their part or achieving what they have to do. They cannot do what is wanted without resources, inadequate systems or the proper processes. Denied the backup they need, with too few resources and lacking support, they become handicapped. When what they need is withheld from them, they have limited without freedom to act.
Stress factor #7: Conflict
Conflict may be a sudden and abrupt cause of stress, or build over a long time. Generally we think of conflict between people, but we may also be in conflict with our environment, with our competitors’ activities, or even within ourselves. This conflict within may result, for example, from something as simple as poor organization and opposed objectives, causing external pressures, or it may be something more complex such as feelings of regret, guilt and concern for others on the one side, and simultaneously, personal needs, ambition and self-centeredness on the other side, causing inner tensions. Conflict may be hidden below the surface or right out in the open. It may ongoing and regular, or sporadic. Conflict may be one against many or group against group. Some conflict may be desirable to stimulate interest and action. It becomes an issue when it wears people down, creates ongoing unrelieved tensions, or gets in the way of achievement.
They see things differently to others and disagree with the way things are done. They struggle hard for what they believe in, pursuing different goals to others. What they want is at odds with others' wishes. They feel pressure when others oppose them, and disagreement makes them tense so they keep clear of hostile people. They try to work on regardless of the conflict around them, although the systems and processes they use don't mesh together, hindering their progress.
Stress factor #8: Frustration
Frustration builds to stress over time when we are constantly unable to achieve some end. We may fail to create understanding with someone, to improve the quality or quantity of output, to make ends meet within a tight budget, or to find enough time to do all that has to be done, as some examples. Failures lead to frustration. The pressure of continuing frustration increases inner tensions. For a time people may go along with the situations, issues and exchanges that cause it but there are limits of tolerance and endurance. When they pass those, they stop going along with the flow and express their frustration through emotions such as anger or tears, or by avoiding the causes and triggers.
Sometimes it seems that no matter how people try, they can't succeed. They can’t overcome the obstacles in their way so they are thwarted in attaining their goals. Their attempts at progress are foiled as others stop them from doing what they want. They feel tense when they are unable to do as they wish or can’t complete what they start. They are frustrated by their own inability and by others letting them down. They can't get others to do what they want and they are held back by many things beyond their control.
Responses to Stress: Conceding, Conforming, Confronting and Containing
Our third set of stress factors contrasts four responses to stressful conditions: flight from the stressful situation; passive acceptance of the conditions; vigorous reaction against those conditions; or proactive coping.
Some stress is desirable, especially in-built tension. Without that a structure collapses but, equally, over-stressing has the same effect. We come to terms with stress through ‘fight or flight’ – natural and spontaneous reactions to pressure and tension – or through a ‘go with the flow’ coping response. Going with the flow actually allows for two approaches, one active and one passive, which we may call ‘conformity’ and ‘containment’. In the first of these, for example, someone is taken wherever the stream carries them, passively, whether they want to go there or not. Maybe they will come out OK, maybe not. In the second, the person makes every effort to influence where they are taken – even when they lack personal or environmental resources, they still try. They fumble about until they gain some sort of control, even for a moment, for example, as a footballer handles a wet and muddy ball, or a kayaker tries to stay in control through the rapids.
Stress factor #9: Concede
The flight factor, Concede, ranges from minor level disengagement, to individual quittings to major walkouts; these may be physical, mental or emotional withdrawals. People concede by fleeing physically from a hostile situation to find a more satisfying and accepting environment, perhaps a new job or a new life. They concede mentally by shutting out thoughts or by ignoring situations that bother them. They might do that by sleeping, or creating an alternative virtual world where imagination replaces reality. And by shutting off feelings about issues that press on them, people might escape emotionally. Ending one’s own life is the ultimate form of flight. People who feel stressed may remove themselves physically when pushed too far, or may have done so already by conceding emotionally or mentally. Withdrawal, a behaviour which we highlight in out Time Actions assessment, can be related to fleeing from stress.
These people keep away from strife, avoiding awkward situations and walking away from trouble. They keep clear of tricky issues and take the easy way out. They turn their backs on trouble and keep away from conflict to avoid stress and strain. They look for calm and quiet and let others have their way to keep the peace at any price.
Stress factor #10: Conform
Choosing to Conform makes things easy for us by minimizing our need to think, decide and make an effort. ‘Go with the flow’ is a charming mantra, but it accepts the power of the stream over the power of the person. It may be the least stressful of the four responses, but it is still an acknowledgement of stress – why else do we need to conform? To go against the flow is potentially more stressful at first, but potentially more productive and satisfying in the longer term, as people take control of their own destinies.
These people go with the flow of events, taking things in their stride while they wait for ‘the right moment’ to come. They fit in with changes around them and move with the trend and the tide of events. They go along with the others wherever the current takes them. They go at the pace of the people around them and take things as they come while waiting to see what develops.
Stress factor 11: Confront
To Confront is to display a willingness to stand your ground and battle for your beliefs. There are many ways of fighting, some covert, and some open. The degree of overt aggression or covert deceit used in the ‘combat’ and where that leads is one issue. Assertiveness may actually increase resistance and generate even harder reactions. Deceptive tactics may similarly bring a strong response and loss of trust (if that matters) as others defend their territory. Either course may lead to a complete breakdown in relationships when a fight is tough and long, remembering that we are discussing a response to stress. Flaring tempers, a forceful manner or cool and calm determination are all ways to stand our ground, not to be ‘wrong’, not to be displaced, not to be trampled.
These people stand up for their rights and take a strong stand on issues, meeting trouble head on. They push for what they believe in and don't give in easily. They use all necessary force and force an opening when their way is blocked. They dig their heels in when they're pressured and make an issue of what's right. When they are pushed, they push back, making a stand and putting up a fight when it's important to them.
Stress factor #12: Contain
Contain is the most productive single response of these four factors. Without knowing exactly what to do or how to go about it, people do try to bring situations under control. The wet and greasy football in play, mentioned earlier, has chaotic dynamics. No-one can truly predict how the ball will behave, who will make what move or what will happen next, but everyone on the field wants to get possession. That’s their job. So they do their best, fumbling for control. How well they do will depend on their fitness, skills, discipline, collaboration and use of rehearsed drills – and the competition they face.
These people look for ways to cope as they try to sort things out. Sometimes, they're not sure what to do but they deal with things as they come. They wonder what to do next and look for a way to cope, learning as they go. They defer action when they're not sure and work things out as the issues become clearer to them. They come up with an answer in the end.
Reality is a mixed response
In reality, we use mixes of all four responses interactively. Containment is a middle way between conformity and confrontation, both in strength and in approach. Containment is a form of passive acceptance that changes nothing and leaves causes unaltered. Confrontation increases tensions, pressures and resistance and may lead to bloodshed, at least metaphorically. Those who are most effective at coping with stress tend to favor a blend of confront/contain or conform/contain. They stand their ground or go with events, while looking for some proactive means of changing elements of their situation.