Stress Management

Abstract

<h2>Summary</h2> Stress and its effective management is currently receiving a high profile in the health and caring professions. This paper examines two issues. First, that confusion about causes of stress at work exists with a need to establish a more useful framework than leagues from within which to identify pnssure areas in the caring professions. Second, to examine beliefs that only experts can manage stress. It is suggested that three key institutional hctors of large public organisations like the MIS arc dated to stress at work and these are identified as ambiguity, conflict and overload. It is further suggested that managing stress is both an organisational and a personal task. The organisation can adopt formal or informal support systems. Individuals need to examine existing coping habits and explore new ones. Some of these are identified as refocusing, targct setting. systematic relaxation, pacing and assertiveness. It is concluded that for pmhionals who work with the injured and people in pain to have poor self-help habits is professional irresponsibility and for organisations to lack support systems is professional neglect