Work in a fast-paced city like Dubai can be a source of fulfillment and a sense of accomplishment. But, it can also be a cause of great stress. If you have ever experienced the ominous approach of a deadline, then you would know how much impact work can have on your physical and mental health. Stress is unavoidable, but there are some proven stress management techniques that can help individuals. Even the most taxing jobs can be managed if you learn how to manage your emotions.
The Psychological Basis of Stress Management Techniques
A stressful day at work can probably result in a headache or a sleepless night. You might also find yourself feeling short-tempered and impatient. However, the effects can be more than just temporary if the stress is sustained. Chronic stress can cause anxiety and insomnia. There are even physical effects like hypertension, inflammatory bowel syndromes, and Type 2 diabetes.1 In addition, overly stressed people can develop unhealthy coping mechanisms such as eating disorders2 or alcohol abuse.3
Fortunately, there are effective ways to deal with stress, and psychology offers some major theories for coping.
Transactional Model of Stress
One of the most popular is called the transactional model of stress, which was developed by Richard Lazarus and Susan Folkman. In their book Stress, Appraisal, and Coping, they state that stress arises from the way a person perceives the stress. They also take into consideration the cognitive and behavioral ability to manage the stressor.4
The transactional model has been adapted to workplace environments and is called the job demand–control theory.5 This framework states that there are two factors in stress at the workplace: workload and how much control people have over their work. If the workload is high, but the control is low, then it can result in more stress. According to this theory, social support in the workplace is needed to manage the relationship between workload and control.
Social Support Theory
The next basis for social management techniques is the social support theory. Like in the transactional model, it recognizes the importance of having a support system to help manage stress. However, it expands it further. Here it explains that social support is essential for managing anxiety because it helps ease overwhelming feelings and develops solutions to respond to the stressors. In this theory, social support refers to immediate family and friends as well as peers and mental health professionals.6
Conservation of Resources Theory
One of the theories most relevant to the workplace is the conservation of resources theory. Most experts use this because it holds a realistic view, puts less pressure on the person experiencing stress, and is predictable.7
The conservation of resources theory is based on the notion that people feel stressed when they do not have the necessary resources to address whatever it is that is triggering the stress. It also notes that there are resources that may or may not be available to a person, such as money, skills, relationships, or self-esteem. The stress occurs when these resources feel threatened or unavailable.
Stress Management Techniques for Work-Related Stress
1. Explore Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most widely used techniques to address negative emotions and mental health disorders.8 Its basis is identifying thought patterns and challenging them. These irrational and unhealthy thoughts are called cognitive distortions.
For example, you might have sent an email with the wrong attachment. Worriers might blow this situation out of proportion and worry about being fired. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps you approach this issue realistically. How big is the error? It is a one-time situation? Objectively, mistakes like these can be fixed and one does not affect overall performance. By being more aware of the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, cognitive behavioral therapy helps people change their mindset to improve their ability to cope with stress.
2. Try Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSS) is a technique developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn in the 1970s to help patients struggling with physical and mental illness. 9 It is a program that was first used in hospitals but is now applied in various situations. Usually done in a group, the strategy combines mindfulness meditation and yoga. There is no script, so the experience is different for each person. However, it does follow certain principles such as emphasizing discipline and effort in the meditative process as well as the challenging nature of the exercise.10
There is evidence that MBSR can decrease stress, anxiety, and even depression for those who practice it regularly.11
3. Include Progressive Muscle Relaxation in the Stress Management Techniques
Progressive muscle relaxation, a technique that involves tensing and relaxing specific muscle groups in a cycle, is known to help manage stress and other health problems.12 It works because there is a link between physical movement and overall well-being. Endorphins are natural hormones released by the brain, which help reduce pain and stress.13
The repeated tensing and relaxing of the muscle groups also teaches you to know the difference between them. As this technique is practiced more, you can recognize the cues and take steps to relax when you feel stress levels rising.
4. Visualize a Less Stressful Environment
Another psychological technique to try is visualization, which uses thoughts to produce calm feelings.14 In this method, guided imagery is used to achieve a less stressful state. It shares some frameworks with meditation, such as making sure that the practice is intentional. For example, the spine should be kept straight whether the person is sitting or lying down.
Medical institutions such as Johns Hopkins Medicine recognize that the mind can be an effective tool for healing. In addition, there are studies that conclude that guided imagery can have effects on brain wave activity to reduce stress levels.15
5. Meditate to Get Relief from Stress
Meditation involves focusing your attention to have a heightened sense of awareness. There are different techniques in each practice, such as the use of mantras or breathing techniques to clear the mind. Despite these differences, it is shown that meditation can bring short-term and long-term benefits when it comes to managing stress.16
One of the most notable characteristics of stress is that it can have a physical manifestation. The heart rate can go up. It can cause pains such as headaches and stomachaches. In a 2018 study, people were asked to meditate over an eight-week period. Results showed that meditation has a positive effect on the body. The subjects of the study had changes in their regulations of inflammation, glucose metabolism, and blood pressures.17
Conclusion: Use Stress Management Techniques to Improve the Work Experience
There is no such thing as a stress-free job. Even work that you enjoy doing can have moments when it is overly tiring or overwhelming. When these moments occur, there are some steps that you can take to mitigate the effects of stress.
There are foundational theories in psychology that explain how stress works. Some of these are the transactional model of stress, social support theory, and conservation of resources theory. These are more than just stock knowledge because they helped create the frameworks of certain stress management techniques. Whether a person sees a professional for cognitive behavioral therapy or uses self-guided meditation, it is not impossible to experience a more pleasant working environment.
Cited Sources
- Muhammad S. Z., et al, (2021). Impact of Stress on Human Body: A Review. European Journal of Medical and Health Sciences. 3(3), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.24018/ejmed.2021.3.3.821 ↩︎
- Lim MC, Parsons S, Goglio A, Fox E. Anxiety, stress, and binge eating tendencies in adolescence: a prospective approach. J Eat Disord. 2021 Aug 3;9(1):94. doi: 10.1186/s40337-021-00444-2. PMID: 34344454; PMCID: PMC8330038. ↩︎
- Anthenelli R, Grandison L. Effects of stress on alcohol consumption. Alcohol Res. 2012;34(4):381-2. PMID: 23729049; PMCID: PMC3860387. ↩︎
- Folkman, S. (2013). Stress: Appraisal and Coping. In: Gellman, M.D., Turner, J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_215 ↩︎
- Häusser, J. A., Mojzisch, A., Niesel, M., & Schulz-Hardt, S. (2010). Ten years on: A review of recent research on the job demand–control (–support) model and psychological well-being. Work & Stress, 24(1), 1–35. ↩︎
- Cohen, S., & Wills, T. A. (1985). Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 98(2), 310–357. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.98.2.310 ↩︎
- Hobfoll, S. E. (1989). Conservation of resources: A new attempt at conceptualizing stress. American Psychologist, 44(3), 513–524. ↩︎
- Beck, J. S. (2011). Cognitive behavior therapy: Basics and beyond. New York: The Guilford Press. ↩︎
- Kabat-Zinn, J (2013). Full catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness. New York, NY: Bantam Dell. ↩︎
- Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society (2017). Mindfulness-based programs. Retrieved from http://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/mindfulness-based-programs/ ↩︎
- Carmody, J., & Baer, R. A. (2009). How long does a mindfulness-based stress reduction program need to be? A review of class contact hours and effect sizes for psychological distress. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 65(6), 627–638. ↩︎
- Mackereth, P. A., & Tomlinson, L. (2010). Progressive muscle relaxation: A remarkable tool for therapists and patients. In A. Cawthorn & P. A. Mackereth (Eds.), Integrative hypnotherapy (pp. 82–96). Elsevier. ↩︎
- Belvederi Murri, M., Ekkekakis, P., Magagnoli, M., Zampogna, D., Cattedra, S., Capobianco, L., Serafini, G., Calgano, P., Zanetidou, S., & Amore, M. (2019). Physical exercise in major depression: Reducing the mortality gap while improving clinical outcomes. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 9.
↩︎ - Chafin, S., & Ollendick, T. (2001). A review of empirical studies of psychoanalytically oriented treatments for PTSD. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 14(2), 249–263.
↩︎ - Zemla K, Sedek G, Wróbel K, Postepski F, Wojcik GM. Investigating the Impact of Guided Imagery on Stress, Brain Functions, and Attention: A Randomized Trial. Sensors. 2023; 23(13):6210. https://doi.org/10.3390/s23136210 ↩︎
- Burke A, Lam CN, Stussman B, Yang H. Prevalence and patterns of use of mantra, mindfulness and spiritual meditation among adults in the United States. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2017;17(1):316. doi:10.1186/s12906-017-1827-8 ↩︎
- Bhasin MK, Denninger JW, Huffman JC, Joseph MG, Niles H, Chad-Friedman E, Goldman R, Buczynski-Kelley B, Mahoney BA, Fricchione GL, Dusek JA, Benson H, Zusman RM, Libermann TA. Specific Transcriptome Changes Associated with Blood Pressure Reduction in Hypertensive Patients After Relaxation Response Training. J Altern Complement Med. 2018 May;24(5):486-504. doi: 10.1089/acm.2017.0053. Epub 2018 Apr 4. PMID: 29616846; PMCID: PMC5961875. ↩︎