Stress is a condition that makes one to have an unappealing emotional feeling. This condition can be brought about by several factors. One may for instance experience time pressure as a result of failure to meet deadlines in the workplace, lack of sleep due to a nagging issue that one is supposed to do or even long working hours without time to rest (Selye, 1956). However a little stress is said to be healthy in the medical field and it is all the same difficult for one to stay totally stress free. Each person has one or two things that nag him or her in life.
Researchers like Janis and Mann (1977) argues that stress has adverse effects. For example, it can affect the operations of a group if the members of that group tend to make decisions wholesomely regardless whether the decisions are good or bad. The individual members cannot make their own decisions but rely on the decision of others thus rendering the group as non-functional. This thus shows that stress can distort a person’s performance if not well managed.
Though stress is part of our lives we cannot assume the important role played by humor. It is not amazing to see a stressed person may be due to his or her hard life, peer pressures, pressure from the immediate family members and even a non-controllable situation creating a sense of humour. This sense of humor helps one to get relieved from his or her pressing situation and forget momentarily about his or her problems. That is why Healy and McKay (2000) suggests that people should put more value on humor as it can prevent them from suffering from severe effects of stress.
It is not a wonder that so many people nowadays are getting diseases like high blood pressure. This is not even enough as young youths in their early twenty’s are diagnosed with such disease. This is as a result of the hard life and poor economies that render them jobless. In return the level of stress has increased leaving these youths unproductive and stranded on what to do with their lives.
It is at this juncture that scholars like Burchiel and King (1999) argues that in life, most of the things we go through are beyond our control and power. However, this does not mean that we should torture ourselves wondering what to do. Rather, we should change our perspectives about these events. We should take these situations positively, in away that suits our purpose and more so in a humorous way which in return would help us to reduce the tension that is within us and not to say, the emotional breakdown that we may have experienced (Kurtz, 1999).
To sum up this discussion about stress and stress management, it is important to put in place the strategies that would reduce stress in our workplace, homes, institutions and the society as a whole. In this regard Sutherland and Cooper (2000) suggest that individuals should always try to be confident and focused in what they do. This helps in avoiding the disappointment which result from their life failures that renders them being stressed due to the denial that they receive from their colleagues and refusal to accept their mistakes and situations as they are. It is always important to accept that we are human beings and that no one is perfect, anyone can make a mistake and we learn through our mistakes. It is good to understand one’s weak areas so that one can concentrate on strengthening them (Holmes, 2000).
References
Burchiel, R. & King, C. (1999). Incorporating fun into the business of serious work: The use of humor in group process Seminars. Preoperative Nursing, 8 (2), pp. 60-70.
Healy, C. & McKay, M. (2000). Nursing stress: The effects of coping strategies and job satisfaction in a sample of Australian nurses. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 31 (3), pp. 681-688.
Holmes, S. (2001). Work related stress: A brief review. The Journal of the Royal Society of Health, 121 (4), pp. 230-235.
Janis, I. L. & Mann, L. (1977). Decision Making. New York: Free Press.
Kurtz, S. (1999). Humor as a preoperative nursing management tool. Seminars in Preoperative Nursing, 8 (2), pp. 80-84.
Selye, H. (1956).The Stress of Life.New York: McGraw-Hill.
Sutherland, V. & Cooper, C. (1990). Understanding Stress: A psychological Perspective for Health Professionals.London: Chapman.