What is stress management? Definition, methods, exercises

Deadlines, appointments, family life, loneliness - in everyday life and at work, we encounter situations that quickly stress us out. We often don't even realize that we are stressed or simply carry on as before. Until we can no longer cope and, in the very worst case, burnout threatens. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies stress as one of the greatest health risks of this century. 

Good stress management helps to make it easier to cope with work and everyday situations and gradually reduce stress levels.

1 What is stress and what are the symptoms of stress?

1.1 How does stress arise?

A stress response is an emergency program in our body that was vital for the survival of our ancestors: if danger threatens, for example from a tiger, the body runs a program that prepares it for fight or flight. The sympathetic nervous system, a part of our autonomic nervous system, ensures that our body releases adrenaline.

Adrenaline increased:

Adrenaline inhibits:

The stress response makes our body stronger, faster and less sensitive to pain for fight or flight. Once the tiger has disappeared, the parasympathetic nervous system is activated and puts the body back into a resting state.

From a medical point of view, stress is a physical reaction that is intended to make the body particularly efficient in the short term - and has no pathogenic effects. Prolonged stress, on the other hand, can seriously damage body and soul.

Chronic stress makes itself felt in the body through increased cortisol levels.

Chronic stress can have the following consequences:

The most important things when dealing with stress are therefore exercise and rest periods, which allow the body to return to normal operation.

You may also be interested in this article: "Anti-stress: exercises for relaxed productivity"

 

1.2 What causes stress in the workplace?

Fortunately, tigers are rarely seen in the workplace.

Nevertheless, the job is full of stressors. An excessive workload, deadline pressure, interruptions and disruptions, information overload and poor workplace conditions are the main stressors in the workplace, according to the 2021 study by the German health insurance provider "Relax, Germany".

However, what exactly triggers stress in an employee can vary greatly. Stress, stressors and stress symptoms are as diverse as we humans ourselves.

Company stress management can create a framework to provide preventative and acute relief.  

1.3 Test: Do you know your personal stress intensifiers?

Use this test to find out what triggers stress in you personally:

Test: "My personal stress boosters"

2 What is stress management?

Stress management refers to all methods and strategies for preventing, reducing or coping with stress.

Personal stress management encompasses the individual's methods for dealing with stressful situations.

Workplace stress management primarily aims to create an atmosphere for employees in which they can work in a particularly creative and productive way. However, many offers in this area also help to improve employees' personal stress management.

3. develop stress competence

3.1 What methods of stress management are there?

Especially in our fast-paced world, we find it difficult to avoid interruptions and the flood of information. This means that stress cannot be avoided.

If we can't get rid of stress, we have to learn to live with it and cope with stressful situations. This means increasing our personal stress competence so that we can recognize delicate moments early on and counter them with the right strategy.

It also helps to strengthen your own resilience, i.e. to build up stress resistance. If it is not possible to avoid stressful situations, you can at least change them in order to prevent stress.

There are different methods of stress management. Everyone has to find out for themselves which method suits them best. Effective stress management should include a variety of stress management methods.

Below we provide an overview of possible stress management strategies.  

3.2 Multimodal stress management (Kaluza)

Multimodal stress management goes back to the psychologist Gert Kaluza, who still uses this principle. The model shows different levels of stress management that start at different points. The environment plays a key role here, as do personal attitudes and how we deal with stressful situations. 

 

 

3.3 What is the Kaluza stress model?

Prof. Gert Kaluza, psychological psychotherapist, trainer and coach, has been considered one of the leading experts in the field of stress management since the 1990s. Numerous health insurance companies recommend the stress management program he has developed.

At its core, the model states that stress is made up of three key factors. This so-called "stress traffic light" consists of:

1. All external circumstances that trigger stress. So-called "stressors" include time pressure, arguments and information overload. ("I get stressed when...")
2. All internal circumstances that trigger stress. These "personal (mental) stress intensifiers" are, for example, your own thought patterns, negative beliefs and the urge to be a perfectionist. ("I put myself under stress by ...")
3. All physical reactions to stress. Such "stress reactions" can manifest themselves on three levels. Stress can manifest itself physically, e.g. through heavy sweating, or behaviorally, e.g. through excessive irritability or in a cognitive-emotional way, e.g. in the form of a blackout. ("When I am under stress, then ...")

3.4 The three pillars of stress competence

Kaluza has designed the three pillars of individual stress competence on the basis of this model.   

Instrumental stress competence

Reducing stressors with the help of instrumental stress competence:

Mental stress competence   

Change your inner attitude thanks to mental stress competence:

Regenerative stress competence

Defuse stress reactions through regenerative stress competence:

 

 

4 What is part of company stress management?

When we hear the word stress management, we probably think first of relaxation, breaks and yoga. However, Kaluza's stress model clearly shows that stress management needs to be taken a step further. Although stress is individual, it is possible to create a framework for all employees in which personal stress competence can be trained.

4.1 Organizational level: reducing stressors

Of course, the workload is sometimes difficult to manage. But optimized work processes can reduce the workload for individual employees.
Invest in professional training and prevent excessive demands.

Trust your employees and free yourself from rigid working hours and compulsory attendance.

Flexible working time models make it possible to adapt to personal performance curves and provide scope for reconciling private and professional interests.

Offers on time and self-management can help to cope better with the workload

4.2 Reducing personal stressors

Of course, colleagues or managers are not always the right people to deal with difficult childhood memories and the resulting personal stressors. But there are many ways in which a company can offer its employees support in this regard.

Offer a neutral point of trust where employees can turn to if necessary.

4.3 Relaxation programs for employees

It's no coincidence that company health programs (link to Health homepage) are booming. Business yoga, massages or free sports programs create a healthy balance to everyday working life and also ensure greater motivation among employees. After all, employees who feel respected and valued by their employer in their personal matters build a bond with the company.

You may also be interested in this article: What is business yoga?

5. simple and effective exercises for stress management

1. quick relaxation with the 4-7-8 breathing exercise

2. three simple yoga exercises for the back

3. sensory mindfulness exercise

4. finger yoga: relieve neck tension in 3 minutes

6. stress management with the pme Familienservice

Whether it's communication training for managers, support in establishing a healthy error culture, a varied health day or a hybrid OHM concept?

We would be happy to make you an offer for customized, company stress management.

Get advice from your business customer advisor or contact the advisors on our 24/7 service hotline: 0800 8010070-80.

Lectures and seminars against stress

In our calendar of events you will find a wide range of offers for stress prevention.

To the calendar of events

 

 

Sources:

www.tk.de/resource/blob/2116464/9ff316aaf08870ed54aa8a664502ac67/2021-stressstudie-data.pdf

www.gkm-institut.de/downloads.html

coachinglovers.com/coaching-tool/stress-ampel-nach-kaluza/

coachinglovers.com/stressmanagement/stressmanagement