It's no secret that there is a near-epidemic of stress and
stress-related diseases in the United States. Here with the cure is
The Stress Management Sourcebook, filled with useful
stress-assessment tests and practical, holistic stress-reduction
techniques.
Foreword
Most of us know what stress is and how it feels to be really
"stressed." Some of us have a pretty good idea about how to reduce the
stress we face. Stress management, the joy of stress, resolving job
stress, relaxation, and stress management for dummies are just a few of
the topics readily available on most bookstore shelves. Every human
resource and organizational behavior university textbook has chapters on
stress management. It is a case of information overload rather than
underload, yet people are feeling more stress than they ever have
before.
Why is there still such a need for this information today when, as
recently as the 1980s, futurists were predicting the emergence of a more
humanist and kinder society? In it, people would be less stressed, more
motivated, and more capable to enjoy life, especially in Western
societies where we would witness the downfall of bureaucratic,
impersonal organizations. They would be able to appreciate the benefits
of education and technology, freeing them from the drudgery and boredom
of work. People would be absorbed in tasks which encouraged them to
fulfill their interest and needs. Futurists predicted a shorter work
week, more flexible schedules, decentralized work units, more time for
leisure, and a greater ability to be involved with our families and
communities.
On the way to the future, however, we witnessed a number of things we
did not expect. New forms of work offer little autonomy and freedom to
make decisions, while rules and procedures inhibit initiative and
commitment. It is an age of merger mania, downsizing, and shifts in
ownership. It is an age of individual competitiveness, where people are
asked to do more and work harder. Many people face sixty-hour work
weeks, and the dual-earner family is a necessity for financial survival
for many. People are expecting more for less, and many feel they must
meet these expectations if they want to survive, let alone succeed.
Despite our knowledge on the subject, people are still stressed.
Workload and interpersonal conflict in the workplace are top problems
people talk about, while absenteeism, lost productivity, and divorce are
common manifestations of these problems. Heart attacks and strokes have
been the number one and two causes of premature death during the past
few decades, in spite of the fact that we have better medical
technology, drugs, and emergency services to deal with them.
Why does this book unashamedly claim that it can make a difference,
despite the overload of information already available? This book
recognizes that the stresses you face are unique, personal, and
situational, and that your stress management strategies must respond to
your unique stresses. This book will help you develop a stress
management program that is congruent with your needs.
If a program of change is to work, it has to provoke you to change. It
is futile to tell a stressed person to quit working so hard, because she
is likely to really enjoy work and its challenges. A stressed person
will not naturally accept ideas like relaxing, exercising, socializing;
if she does, she will probably pattern them after the way she works,
often illustrating a competitive, aggressive interpersonal style.
In almost every area of life, personal change is the most difficult step
to take. Change requires an understanding of the need for change,
altering values and beliefs, and following through on a program that can
be successful in the long term.
