Раздел 3. Введение в профессиональную коммуникацию
Тема 19. Стресс
В данном разделе ставится цель ознакомить обучаемых с одной из тем бизнес курса – стресс на рабочем месте. В результате успешного изучения данной темы, обучаемые должны: ЗНАТЬ, что такое стресс в повседневной жизни и на работе, причины стресса на рабочем месте, как справиться со стрессом, различия в отношениях к стрессу у мужчин и женщин, лексику, связанную со стрессом на работе и в повседневной жизни. УМЕТЬ правильно анализировать причины стрессовой ситуации на работе, причины, приводящие к изменению профессии, связанной с меньшим стрессом. Кроме того, обучаемые должны быть ОЗНАКОМЛЕННЫ с лексико-грамматическим материалом, необходимом для ведения дискуссий таких, как “анализ уровня стресса на работе и способы его снижения”. |
Оглавление
What stress is. 1
Positive and negative stresses. 2
The ways to get away and to avoid stress. 2
The ways to relax. 2
Stress at work. 3
Stressful situations at work. 3
How to manage stress. 3
Test yourself 4
Библиография. 5
Рассмотрению подлежат следующие вопросы:
- понятие стресса
- положительный стресс, который стимулирует рабочий процесс
- понятие отрицательного стресса, ведущего к проблемам здоровья и морального состояния человека
- ситуации, связанные со стрессом в повседневной жизни и на работе
- способы избежать стресс и как справляться с ним
- причины, вызывающие стресс на рабочем месте
- возможные решения проблем, связанных со стрессом
- уровни стресса в различных профессиях
- грамматические конструкции, наиболее типичные для обсуждения данной темы.
What stress is
Stress – is continuous feelings of worry about your work or personal life that prevent you from relaxing.
Positive and negative stresses
It is not work that kills men it is worry”, said an American preacher.
Any work is a good thing itself but some problems connected with it can worry a person and just kill him. People like work that is rewarding and gives them satisfaction. A reasonable amount of pressure may be necessary: many employees want work that stretches them to have the feeling that it can sometimes be different but that it is also stimulating and challenging. This is necessary if one is to have a pleasant feeling of achievement.
Negative stress
But when pressure builds up it is easy to feel overwhelmed by work and this can produce feelings of stress. It goes without saying that in our life there are a lot of situations which are stressful for us:
· Going to the dentist
· Being stuck in a traffic jam
· Going to the hairdresser
· Finding a place to park
· Organizing a party
· Having an interview
· Flying
And we should admit that stress levels today are higher that they used to be but people love to talk about stress.
The ways to get away and to avoid stress
Naturally that people want to get away from the feeling of stress, from what they call “the rat race”. They are looking for more relaxed ways of living and working: people are looking for better quality of life, a healthier job. Perhaps they are looking for more quality time with their partners and children.
The ways to relax
People can relax in many ways:
· Playing a sport
· Reading
· Having a bath
· Shopping
· Watching TV
· Walking
· Listening to music
· Massage
· Meditating
· Spending time alone
· Having a short nap during the day
· Dancing
· Changing their counties
Stress at work
But the most time of our lifetime we spend at work. People “burn out” that they may never be able to work again. The general consensus is that most jobs have become more demanding with longer hours and greater pressures.
Stressful situations at work
Some situations can be more stressful at work:
1. writing a report with a tight deadline
2. meeting important visitors from abroad for the first time
3. dealing with a customer who has a major complaint
4. making a presentation to senior executives
5. leading a formal meeting
The main causes of stress at work today are: firstly, increasing job insecurity. That is many people these days feel they can lose their jobs. They feel they may not have a job next month or next year.
Secondly, working long hours is becoming common across the whole of Europe. People spend at work more time, compared to the time they spend at home, what is called the work-life balance. Other stressful situations at work are: deadline, workload, endless meetings, competition and conflicts with colleagues, too much paperwork and difficult boss.
How to manage stress
For people to manage stress they first have to find out the main reason for it. And each problem needs a different solution, so it is important for people to find out what their particular problem is and then once they have done this to think about the possible solution.
Men and women deal with stress differently. Women are more flexible and are able to change the way they behave and adapt to new situations. They also seem to cope with the pressure better than men, although working women have a double pressure on them: children, housework, as well as work in a paying job. Women are able to manage stress better than men who have more stress – related illnesses. They have the ability to express emotion which men find difficult to do. Also they are able to seek social help when they are in trouble: to go to people and talk about their problems, while men prefer to pretend that problems don’t exist.
A whole stress industry has grown up with its counselors giving advice on how to avoid stress and how to lessen its effects. Whatever the truth people love to talk about the stress of their work. This stress might even be part of their job satisfaction.
No discussion can be held without using Grammar which is typical for different situations of communication.
As for tenses they are Past Simple and Present Perfect in this case, though other tenses can be used. There are some examples:
· Stress levels have increased in recent years.
· The role of women has changed dramatically over the past 100 years.
· I resigned two months ago.
· He has worked as a stress counselor since 1999.
· I saw a stress counselor last week.
And for making the dialogues, asking the questions:
· Have you ever been late for an important meeting?
· Yes, I have.
· When was it
· It was two months ago.
The following expressions and words are used more often for describing stress situations at work:
· writing a report with a tight deadline
· negotiating a very valuable contract
· asking your boss for a pay rise
· dealing with a customer
· working long hours
· too much paperwork
· not enough breaks during working hours
· a difficult boss
· lack of promotion opportunities
· to cope with, to avoid stress, manage stress, get away from the feeling of stress
· stress-related illnesses
· to resign, to dismiss
· to swap one work for another
· to give up a job
· to realize an ambition
· anti-social hours
· to take work home
· to work your way up through a company
· workaholic
· work load
· flexi-time system
As a result of studying this topic students should take part in the discussion how to lessen the effects of stress at work. Some articles from Financial Times help them to organize the discussion.
Test yourself
1. What is stress?
2. What kinds of stress do you know?
3. What can positive stress give to an employee?
4. What stress situations in daily life do you know?
5. How do people try to get away from the feeling of stress?
6. Why aren’t people often able to work again?
7. What situation can be called more stressful at work?
8. What are the main causes of stress at work?
9. How can people manage stress?
10. How do men and women deal with stress?
11. Who is more flexible (men or women)?
12. Who has more stress-related illnesses?
13. Who can give you advice how to avoid stress and to lessen its effect?
Библиография
1. D. Cotton, D. Falvey, S. Kent. Market Leader, Course Book, Pre-Intermediate Business English. L.,2002.
2. A. Pilbeam. Market Leader, International Management, Business English. L.,2003.
3. S. Robbins. First Insights into Business. L.,2005.
4. P. Strutt. Market Leader, Business Grammar and Usage, Business English. L., 2003.
5. G. Tullis, T. Trappe. New Insights into Business. L., 2005.
