Increasing stress resistance: methods and exercises. Formation and development of high stress resistance. Concept of stress and stress tolerance

Neat, prone to analytical thinking, mobile, stress-resistant, and so on. This list of qualities of an ideal candidate is well known to both job seekers and employers. The listed characteristics contain almost all CVs. But each applicant puts his own meaning into these words - depending on functional responsibilities specific position

Four types of stress tolerance

Filling out the “Personal Qualities” section in a resume is perhaps the least difficult for applicants. But such features as accuracy, resistance to stress, creativity, mentioned in almost every CV, have already set employers on edge. What are applicants guided by when specifying such a “standard set”? Do recruiters attach importance to it, and what is it? After all, everyone understands that it is unlikely that a person job seeker, admits to the employer that he is experiencing difficulties, for example, with the ability to control himself. On the contrary, most applicants will certainly indicate such a quality as stress resistance among their personal characteristics.

Stress is an English word that comes from the French estresse, which means depressed, depressed. This concept was introduced by the Canadian scientist Hans Selye; he defined stress as a reaction of neuropsychic stress that occurs in emergency circumstances and is designed to mobilize the body's defenses. Today, stress increasingly refers to stressful effects: significant physical and mental stress that leads to stress. The body's ability to cope with these overloads is called stress resistance.

For example, noise in a call center, bustle on the sales floor, long working hours, constant communication with big amount customers - all these are stressful situations.

Each applicant puts his own meaning into the concept of “stress resistance” - depending on his profession and functional responsibilities. Sales managers understand stress resistance as the ability to calmly respond to negativity from a client, and auditors understand it as a “last minute” plan or working from home. An applicant for the position of secretary thus tells the employer that he can get along with an authoritarian leader. Candidates for top positions have in mind the ability to soberly analyze the situation and make the right decisions in conditions of constant instability and changing priorities, without losing attention strategic goal. But HR can't read between the lines! According to statistics, it takes him about 5 seconds on average to process one resume. If the “Personal Qualities” section is a list of “fashionable” characteristics spotted in other people’s resumes, do not be offended that the recruiter will not attach any importance to them at best. Instead of indicating the abstract concept of “stress resistance” in the CV, recruiting managers recommend highlighting specific achievements and examples that directly or indirectly indicate that the candidate has the ability to overcome stressful situations with dignity. Moreover, each profession has its own types of nervous tension.

Results of a survey of managers on the topic “Stress at work” conducted by HR center specialists UNITY, showed that 35% of employees were forced to change jobs due to constant stress*. However, if in your resume you nevertheless emphasized your resistance to stress, then you have thereby shown that you are ready to work in such conditions without reducing the effectiveness of your work for a long time.

Types of stress resistance

Socionics is the science of processing information by the human intellect, which makes it possible to predict human behavior in a wide variety of situations, including stressful ones.

A separate block of it is devoted to the theory of stress resistance, according to which all people are divided into 4 groups:

stress-resistant;

stress-trained;

stress-inhibitory;

stress-resistant.

Pavel Tsypin, HR director of the agency Fleishman-Hillard Vanguard:

"Stress-resistant" characterizes the maximum possible rigidity in relation to external events. They are not inclined to change their behavior and adapt to external world. Their attitudes and concepts are unshakable. Therefore, any unfavorable external event or even a hint of its possibility in the future is stressful for them. In the most stressful, critical situation, people with stress-unresistant TIMs (types of information metabolism) are prone to increased emotionality, extremely excitable and unbalanced. You should not expect quick and constructive decisions from them in tense moments.

"Stress Trained" ready for changes, but not global and not instantaneous. They try to transform their lives gradually, effortlessly, painlessly, and when this is impossible for objective reasons, they become irritable or depressed. However, as stressful situations of approximately similar content are repeated, “stress-trained” people get used to it and begin to react to stress more calmly. Mature, experienced representatives of such TIMs are quite capable of being leaders in extreme situations.

"Stress-inhibitory" They are distinguished by the rigidity of their life principles and ideological attitudes, but they treat sudden external changes quite calmly. They are fundamentally not ready to change gradually, but can make a quick and one-time change in one or another area of ​​their life, for example, suddenly changing jobs. People who have TIMS of this group are able to be leaders during “spot” changes, after which their new status quo will immediately be fixed. If stress follows one after another, and especially if it is of a sluggish nature, they gradually lose their presence of mind and control over their emotions.

"Stress-resistant" are ready to relatively calmly accept any changes, no matter what their nature - long-term or instantaneous - they may be. On the contrary, everything stable and predetermined is alien to them and causes irony due to the general instability so acutely felt by representatives of the TIMs of this group. They usually themselves begin the processes of transformations or even revolutions, lead them, and at the most critical moment they can step aside, since, with all their love for change, they are not at all delighted with the possibility of causing damage to themselves. They know how to act effectively in unstable, crisis conditions, but are poorly suited to work in organizations with established traditions. Stress for them is only the most difficult events concerning themselves or loved ones. Often those who are “stress-resistant” choose professions that involve risk and constant exposure to extreme situations.

It is impossible to determine which of the four groups an applicant belongs to based on one resume. For correct diagnosis, a meeting with the candidate, that is, an interview, is necessary. It is not at all necessary that it will be stressful, but such a possibility cannot be ruled out. And if you have already stated in your resume such a quality as resistance to stress, you must be mentally prepared for the fact that the recruiter wants to check its presence using the stress interview method.

Stressful interview

The stress interview is probably one of the most controversial methods in the HR arsenal for assessing job applicants. Most recruiters are of the opinion that it should be used only in exceptional cases, when resistance to stress is truly one of the defining requirements for candidates for a vacant position.

“Most stress interviews are aimed at identifying the behavior of a person faced with non-standard situations in communication, testing reaction speed, creative skills, degree of good manners, and patience,” believes Anna Luzina, HR manager of the company. “Potential “victims” of stress interviews are candidates applying for positions related to working with people - customer service managers, HR managers, sales consultants, call center operators, receptionists.”

When conducting a stressful interview, the recruiter pays attention not so much to what you say, but to how you react to what is happening and how you navigate conditions that are uncomfortable for you. The most common techniques:

delay for some time in the start of the interview;

questions about the applicant’s shortcomings;

question about the reasons for leaving previous jobs;

interest in the candidate’s personal life.

However, it is important to remember that during the interview, not only the employer is choosing a suitable candidate, but you are also evaluating your future job. So, reader of the “Career Encyclopedia” Maria Vetrova shared her experience of passing a stress interview: “I came for an interview with the director of the company. They asked me to wait because he was delayed. About five minutes after the scheduled start of the meeting, the secretary came and said that the director had already freed himself, would now smoke and come. After another 15 minutes, she said that she was very surprised by his absence and that the director would probably come soon. He was 45 minutes late. I said with a smile that I had allocated exactly an hour for this meeting, so we had 15 minutes left. And after 15 minutes she really apologized and left.”

If the interviewer's behavior is, from your point of view, unacceptable, you have every right to tell your opponent that such principles of conversation are contrary to your beliefs and you do not want to continue communication in such an atmosphere. By the way, in the case described above, Maria Vetrova received a job offer.

The problem of stress and stress resistance occupies one of the important places in modern psychology. Many domestic and foreign researchers have studied it. The word “stress” was first encountered in 1303 in the verses of the poet R. Manning “... this torment was manna from heaven, which God sent to people who had been in the desert for forty winters and were under great stress.”

The first person to study stress was the Canadian scientist G. Selye. His letter to the editor, “The Syndrome Caused by Various Injurious Agents,” was published in the journal Nature on July 4, 1936. This letter provided information about standard reactions organism, which arose due to exposure to various pathogenic agents. These data laid the foundation for the study of stress.

According to G. Selye, “...stress is a nonspecific response of the body to any demand placed on it. In his book, he wrote that the factors that cause stress (stressors) are different, but they trigger the same biological reaction, which consists of activating the body’s adaptive abilities.

G. Selye identifies three stages of stress . The first is an anxiety reaction due to a person’s collision with a stressor, which is expressed in the mobilization of all the body’s resources. This is followed by the stage of resistance (resistance), when the body manages to successfully cope with external influences. If the effect of stress factors cannot be eliminated for a long time, then the third stage begins - exhaustion. The adaptive capabilities of the body are reduced, and non-renewable resources begin to be used. During this period, the body is less resistant to new influences, increasing the risk of disease.

Later, G. Selye proposes to divide stress into two types: distress (distress - exhaustion, unhappiness) and eustress. G. Selye considers Eustress as a positive factor, a source of joy from effort and successful overcoming, increasing activity. With this type of stress, the processes of self-awareness, comprehension, and memory are activated. Distress occurs only under excessive stress, when it is not the joy of overcoming that prevails, but a feeling of helplessness, hopelessness, impossibility and undesirability, “offensive injustice” of the required efforts.

Thus, the mental manifestations of the syndrome described by G. Selye were given the name “emotional” stress. This term includes emotional and mental reactions, syndromes, affective reactions, as well as the physiological mechanisms underlying them.

The first who tried to distinguish between the physiological and psychological understanding of stress was R. Lazarus. He put forward a concept according to which a distinction is made between physiological stress associated with a real stimulus and mental (emotional) stress, in which a person (based on individual knowledge and experience) assesses the upcoming situation as threatening and difficult. In recent years, the conventional separation of physiological stress and mental stress has been noted. Physiological stress always has mental elements and vice versa.

J. Everly and R. Rosenfeld believe that the emotional and mental assessment of these stimuli plays a certain role in the transformation of most stimuli (external or internal) into stressors. If the stimulus is not interpreted as a threat or challenge towards the individual, then the stress reaction does not occur at all. Thus, most stress reactions experienced by people are, in fact, according to Everly and Rosenfeld, self-created and last as long as they are allowed to.

L.A. Kitaev-Smyk believes it is possible to understand “stress” as nonspecific physiological and psychological manifestations of adaptive activity under strong, extreme influences for the body, meaning in this case stress in the narrow sense. Nonspecific manifestations of adaptive activity under the influence of any factors significant for the body can be designated as stress in in a broad sense. He said that the individual severity of stress, in particular its unfavorable manifestations, largely depends on a person’s awareness of his responsibility for himself, for others, for everything that happens in extreme conditions, and on his psychological orientation towards one or another of his roles.

According to A.S. Razumov, existing stress factors can be divided into the following groups:

1. Stressors of vigorous activity: their impact on the body is carried out in the process of a person performing some purposeful activity. These stressors can not only disrupt the course of activity, but also strengthen and mobilize it. It can be:

A) extreme stressors - participation in combat and all other situations associated with risk;

B) production stressors - work with a high degree of responsibility, time pressure, and others.

C) stressors of psychosocial motivation - various kinds of competitions and competitions.

2. Stressors of assessments: can act on a person long or immediately before the activity, immediately after completion or after a long period of time after the action. Thus, many adults remember the offensive nicknames that teachers gave them at school. This also includes:

A) start-stressors and memory stressors - upcoming competitions, defense of a diploma, performance in a concert, sudden memory of the grief experienced.

B) stressors, victories and defeats - success in career, art, sports. Love, marriage, birth of a child, defeats, failures, lack of recognition in activities, illness loved one.

C) spectacle stressors - sports spectacles, films, theatrical performances, art and others.

3. Stressors of activity mismatch:

A) separation stressors: conflict situations, threats, unexpected but significant news and others.

B) stressors of restrictions - psychosocial and physiological: diseases that limit normal areas of activity, isolation, discomfort, sexual disharmony, hunger, thirst and others.

4. Physical and natural stressors: muscular stress, surgical interventions, medical procedures, injuries, darkness, bright light, strong unpleasant sound, vibration, pitching, height, cold, heat, earthquakes and others.

Thus, any stress is physiological, as it is accompanied by various physiological reactions and can arise due to pain, high and low air temperatures, noise, vibration, hypoxia, odor intolerance and other reasons, and is always emotional, since it has corresponding emotional experiences , stress can also be informational, which occurs due to suddenness, novelty of the situation, lack or excess of information. Any external stimuli or events that cause tension or arousal in a person are called stressors. In order not to lose track of your work rhythm, you need to have good stress resistance.

Personal stress resistance is the ability to overcome difficulties, suppress one’s emotions, showing restraint and tact. Stress resistance is determined by a set of personal qualities that allow a person to endure significant intellectual, volitional and emotional stress due to the characteristics of professional activity, without any particular harmful consequences for the activity, others and one’s health.

Many authors reduce resilience and stress tolerance to the concept of “emotional stability.” Defining emotional stability P.B. Zilberman does not mean the stability or stability of a person’s emotional experiences, but an integrative personality property, characterized by such an interaction of emotional, intellectual and motivational components of an individual’s mental activity that ensure optimal successful achievement of the goal of activity in a complex emotional environment.

L.M. Abolin gives his definition of the concept, understanding emotional stability as a property that characterizes an individual in the process of intense activity, the individual emotional mechanisms of which, harmoniously interact with each other, contribute to the successful achievement of the goal.

O.A. Sirotin includes in the definition of emotional stability parameters that characterize nervous and physical endurance - a person’s ability to successfully solve complex and responsible tasks in a tense, emotional environment without a significant negative impact of the latter on the well-being, health and further performance of a person.

Researchers V.A. Bodrov and A.A. Oboznov understands the term “stress resistance” as an integrative property of a person, which is characterized by the necessary degree of adaptation of the individual to the effects of extreme environmental factors and professional activity; determined by the level of activation of the resources of the body and psyche of the individual; manifests itself in indicators of its functional state and performance.

A.A. Baranov understands stress resistance as an integral psychological property of a person as an individual, personality and subject of activity, which ensures internal psychophysiological homeostasis and optimizes the impact of external emotional conditions of life. Accordingly, stress resistance can be considered as a property that influences the result of activity, and as a characteristic that ensures the constancy of the individual as a system.

Researcher B.B. Velichkovsky introduces the term “individual resistance to stress”, which is defined as a systemic property that determines the successful adaptation of a person to the effects of various psychosocial stresses and environmental factors without negative short-term and long-term consequences for mental and physical health, suggesting that the assessment of individual resistance to stress requires taking into account influence of both stable personality traits and situational components reflected in states.

V.A. Ponomarenko believes that in extreme situations the physiological mechanisms of the orienting reaction, the dominant, stereotypes, RAM can act as an obstacle to solving problems, and “the intellectual level of behavioral actions with the inclusion of moral reserves in the form of duty and honor based on the attitude towards one’s profession and towards oneself as a professional, forms a new meaning-forming goal - overcoming and victory.” Thus, the speed and readiness to switch from one level of behavior regulation to another is the foundation of psychological stability.

IN modern research Stress resistance is considered as a personality quality consisting of a combination of the following components:

A) psychophysiological (properties, type of nervous system),

B) emotional component - the emotional experience of the individual, accumulated in the process of overcoming the negative influences of extreme situations,

C) motivational (the strength of motives determines emotional stability. The same person can show different degrees depending on what motives prompt him to activity. By changing motivation, you can increase (or decrease) emotional stability),

D) the volitional component, which is expressed in the conscious self-regulation of actions, bringing them into line with the requirements of the situation,

D) information component - professional preparedness, awareness and readiness of the individual to perform certain tasks,

E) intellectual component - assessment, forecast, decision-making on courses of action.

Some authors reduce stress resistance to the concept of “resilience.” Most fully and accurately, according to D.A. Leontiev, the concept of resilience was described by S. Maddi. Resilience is a system of human beliefs about oneself, the world and relationships with it, which consists of three components (involvement, control, risk taking) and contributes to the assessment of events as less traumatic and successful coping with stress.

The component of involvement (commitment) is defined as “the belief that involvement in what is happening gives the maximum chance of finding something worthwhile and interesting for the individual.” Control is the belief that struggle allows one to influence the outcome of what is happening, even if this influence is not absolute and success is not guaranteed. Taking risks (challenge) is a person’s conviction that everything that happens to him contributes to his development through knowledge gained from experience, no matter whether positive or negative.

Resilience promotes active coping with difficulties. It stimulates taking care of one’s own health and well-being (for example, daily exercise, dieting, etc.), due to which the tension and stress experienced by a person do not develop into chronic ones and do not lead to psychosomatic diseases.

Factors (resources) influencing stress resistance include (according to L.A. Kitaev-Smyk): innate characteristics of the body and early childhood experience; personal characteristics; a person’s orientation, his attitudes and values; factors of the social environment (social and working conditions, immediate social environment); cognitive factors (level of sensitivity, ability to analyze one’s condition and environmental factors, past experience and future forecast).

Despite the fact that various authors do not agree on the content of the concept of “stress resistance”, most of them understand stress resistance as a set of personal qualities that allow a person to endure stress - significant intellectual, volitional and emotional stress (overload), due to the characteristics of not only professional activities , but also everyday - without any particular harmful consequences for activities, others and your health.

A person’s stress resistance plays an important role in overcoming stress, because not only a person’s mental state, but also professional and everyday activities depend on it, because the higher the stress resistance, the better and faster stress is overcome and the less destructive impact it has on a person. Thus, a person’s resistance to stress is the most important factor in overcoming stress.

Translated from in English“stress” refers to pressure, tension, effort, as well as external influences that create this condition. It is assumed that the English word "stress" comes from the Latin "stringere" - to tighten.

The concept of “stress” has undergone significant changes over time and has become broader. The word “stressor” began to mean not only physical, but also purely psychological impact, and the word “stress” - a reaction not only to physical harmful effects, but also to any events that cause negative emotions.

Scientific articles on stress usually begin with complaints about the lack of clear definitions, and dictionaries give not just one, but many coexisting ones. The Concise Oxford Dictionary contains five definitions of stress, among them the following: motivating and coercive force; effort or large expenditure of energy; forces that influence the body.

Selye G. identified three stages of stress. The first is an anxiety reaction, expressed in the mobilization of all the body's resources. This is followed by the stage of resistance, when the body manages (due to previous mobilization) to successfully cope with external influences. During this period, increased stress resistance may be observed. If the effect of harmful factors cannot be eliminated and overcome for a long time, the third stage begins - exhaustion. The adaptive capabilities of the body are reduced. During this period, it is less resistant to new “harmfulness”, and the risk of disease increases.

Selye later proposed to distinguish between two types of stress: distress (from English word distress - exhaustion, unhappiness) and eustress. Selye began to consider eustress itself as a positive factor, a source of increased activity, joy from effort and successful overcoming. With eustress, the processes of self-awareness, comprehension of reality, and memory are activated. Distress occurs only with very frequent and excessive stress, in such combinations unfavorable factors when it is not the joy of overcoming that prevails, but a feeling of helplessness, hopelessness, a consciousness of excessiveness, unbearability and undesirability, “offensive injustice” of the required efforts.

In recent years, the convention of a complete separation of physiological and mental stress has been noted. Physiological stress is associated with a real stimulus. Psychological stress is characterized by the fact that during it a person evaluates the upcoming situation, based on individual knowledge and experience, as threatening and difficult. In turn, psychological stress is divided into informational and emotional. Information stress develops when information overload occurs, i.e. the person fails to cope with the task, does not have time to make the right decisions at the required pace with a high degree of responsibility. This type of stress is characterized by memory impairment, decreased concentration, and increased distractibility.

Emotional stress appears in situations of threat, danger, resentment, etc., when a person is left alone with his experiences for a long time. At the same time, there is an increase in tension, anxiety, and anxiety. Sleep gets worse. Neat people can become slobs, and sociable people can become withdrawn. Depression, helplessness, and emotional outbursts are possible. This type of stress is dangerous because it manifests itself in thoughts and phrases that contain a threat of suicide.

But no matter what definitions are given by different authors, the central link of stress is always assumed to be the same nonspecific reaction of the body, which, regardless of the cause of stress, has its own patterns of development. Let's try to understand this central (physiological and biochemical) link of stress in order to understand how mental experiences and emotional reactions turn into physical disorders: diseases of all organs or general physical malaise.

The complex physiological and biochemical changes that occur during stress are a manifestation of an ancient defensive reaction, formed during evolution, or, as it is called, the “fight and flight reaction.”

This reaction was instantly activated in our ancestors at the slightest threat, ensuring with maximum speed the mobilization of the body's forces necessary to fight the enemy or escape from him.

If we talk about stress resistance, then, first of all, let’s define this concept. Vardanyan B.Kh. defines stress resistance as a special interaction of all components of mental activity, including emotional ones. He writes that stress resistance “...can be more specifically defined as a personality trait that ensures a harmonious relationship between all components of mental activity in an emotional situation and, thereby, contributes to the successful performance of the activity.”

Zilberman P.B. draws his attention to one of the essential aspects of stress resistance, saying that resilience can be an inappropriate phenomenon that characterizes the lack of an adequate reflection of the changed situation, indicating insufficient flexibility and adaptability. He also offers his own and, in our opinion, one of the most successful interpretations of stress resistance, understanding by it “..an integrative personality property, characterized by such an interaction of emotional, volitional, intellectual and motivational components of the individual’s mental activity, which ensures optimal successful achievement of the goal of the activity in complex emotional environment."

Thus, stress resistance is a self-assessment of the ability and ability to overcome an extreme situation associated with a person’s resource or reserve, the potential of various structural and functional characteristics that provide general types of life activity and specific forms of behavior, response, adaptation, etc.

As follows from the above definitions of stress resistance, this phenomenon (quality, trait, property) is considered mainly from a functional perspective, as a characteristic that affects the productivity (success) of activity.

So, stress is a psychophysiological reaction that is an integral part of our lives. It is impossible to avoid it in the conditions of our existence, and this is not always necessary, because... stress has the ability to harden a person’s psyche and prepare him for more difficult situations in the future. Each person has his own concept of stress, everyone experiences this or that incident differently, so it is impossible to say that “this” should be avoided and “this” should be experienced.

Depending on its severity, stress can have both a positive and negative impact on activities (until it becomes completely disorganized). Stress resistance is a certain combination of personal qualities that allow you to endure stressful situations without unpleasant consequences for your activities, personality and others. In modern research, stress resistance is considered as a personality quality consisting of a combination of the following components:

1) psychophysiological quality (type, properties of the nervous system),

2) motivation (the strength of motives determines to a large extent emotional stability. The same person can detect different degrees of it depending on what motives prompt him to be active. By changing motivation, one can increase (or decrease) emotional stability),

3) the emotional experience of the individual, accumulated in the process of overcoming the negative influences of extreme situations,

4) the volitional component, which is expressed in the conscious self-regulation of actions, bringing them into line with the requirements of the situation,

5) professional training, awareness and readiness of the individual to perform certain tasks,

6) intellectual component - assessing the requirements of the situation, forecasting its possible changes, making decisions on courses of action.

A person’s resistance to the occurrence of various forms of stress reactions is determined primarily by individual psychological characteristics and the motivational orientation of the individual. It should be noted that extreme exposure does not always have a negative impact on the effectiveness of activities performed. More high level Stress resistance is distinguished by people whose value system is dominated by so-called spiritual values. On the contrary, the dominance of material values ​​leads to a decrease in the level of stress resistance and the formation of a kind of stress dependence. The latter is expressed in the emergence of a special worldview, according to which stress is an integral property of life in general. All people can be divided into 4 groups based on stress resistance.

Stress-resistant people are always ready for any changes and accept them with ease. They easily overcome difficulties in crisis situations. Stress-resistant people find it difficult to adapt to any changes; it is difficult for them to change their behavior, attitudes, and views. If something goes wrong, then they are already in a state of stress. Stress-trained people are generally ready for changes, but not instantaneous or global ones.

These people tend to adapt to their environment gradually, without sudden movements, but if this is not possible, they easily become depressed. If the same situations that cause stress are repeated, then stress-trained people get used to them and react to them more calmly. Stress-inhibited people will not change under the influence of external events; they have strong positions and their own worldview. However, such people can make a one-time change in a traumatic area of ​​life. If stress constantly accompanies such a person, then he becomes lost. Stress resistance is a fickle quality, and therefore it can be developed (increased) by training (psychotraining), the habit of daily intense creative work. There are three main factors influencing stress conditions: physiological, behavioral and subjective. L.A. Kitaev-Smyk adds to this list a socio-psychological factor, primarily changes in communication, as well as a psychological stress factor. The trace is highlighted. stages in the process of developing stress resistance. 1) Interpretation and assessment of the situation. The following are interpreted and assessed: a) the requirements of the situation, the magnitude of the load, the degree of threat (to well-being, health, authority, etc.), b) the capabilities of the body and personality, c) the relationship between the requirements of the situation and the capabilities of the person.

Apart from some physiological stressors, all others do not directly affect a person; the image of the stressor, the interpretation of the stressor, and the situation are directly affected. 2) Assessment (analysis) of stress changes in your body. Often the “target” of stress is any particular system of the body or area of ​​the individual. Initial stress changes can be caused by a disorder or injury of one organ, increased load on 1 area of ​​the personality (for example, information overload), loss or change of 1 personally significant connection, significant social. quality. Then multiple reactions unfold and various consequences occur. 3) The most important stage is the adaptation process. It can be dominated by one of three directions: a) resistance b) adaptation c) avoidance of stressors. The direction of adaptation activity is determined, on the one hand, by the nature of the stressor, the specifics of the situation, and on the other hand, by personality characteristics and the body’s reserves. The ability to implement one or another type of adaptation to a stressful situation depends not only on motives and goals, personality traits, mental state, but also on what kind of stressor is acting, what is its strength, what situation the person is involved in, etc. A person has the opportunity to choose in response, activity, behavior, but the degree of freedom of choice is limited by the characteristics of a stressful situation.

In critical situations, the behavior of a person with stress resistance is generally carried out according to the following scheme: task - the motive it actualizes - implementation of actions leading to the implementation of this motive - awareness of difficulties - negative emotional reaction - search for ways to overcome difficulties - reduction of the strength of negative emotions - improvement of functioning . Psychotraumas (stress factors) can be classified:

1) by strength: shock (sudden), subacute (short-term, but emotionally significant), chronic (long-term). 2) by significance for the individual (significant and insignificant) 3) by the direction of information (introducing or depriving it) 4) by solvability 5) by duration Unfavorable conditions arise when the load exceeds a person’s stability. Moderate emotional stress activates a person’s reserve capabilities

Behind last decades A number of attempts have been made to identify the main stressful situations. But it turned out to be very difficult to determine the degree of difficulty and stress of various situations. The same event can cause strong opposition in different people, give rise to negative feelings, or pass almost unnoticed. That is, the same stimulus affects different people differently. IN modern works A number of authors associate the study of an individual’s resistance to stress with the predominance of certain “coping strategies.” The successful experience of a difficult life situation is varied in its plot, and, accordingly, a person’s strategies for coping with difficulties are different. (Strategy of self-control, seeking social support, taking responsibility, strategy of avoidance, positive reappraisal, etc. In modern studies of the problem of stress resistance of the individual, much attention is paid to the psychological, personal determinants that determine a person’s response under stress.

The intensity of a stressful state depends not only on the conditions of exposure to stressors, but also on the motivational and social characteristics of a person, which are a significant determinant of his behavior under stress. Age and gender characteristics in the manifestation of stress resistance and coping strategies have been established. Compared to younger people, older people use less energetic forms of coping. Young people are active strategies, older people are passive.

Men either do nothing or take direct active action. Women - passive strategy or seeking help. The degree of reaction to stressful events in middle-aged people is much higher than in older people. Research shows that a person's age and gender influence how they respond to stress. Canadian researchers from the Montreal Heart Institute and the University of Montreal say that men and women react differently to stressful situations, and the difference occurs not only at the psychological, but also at the physiological level.

Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education "Irkutsk State University" (FSBEI HPE "ISU") Department of Commerce and Marketing COURSE WORK in the discipline "Management" on the topic "stress and stress resistance" Completed by: student of group 11222 Emelyanova E.V. Checked :Associate Professor Lapshin A.N.Irkutsk 2013

Topic: “STRESS AND STRESS RESISTANCE”CONTENTINTRODUCTIONCHAPTER 1. THEORETICAL CONCEPTS OF STRESS ANDSTRESS RESISTANCE 1.1. Concepts, types and symptoms of stress 1.2. Stages of stress development 1.3. Causes of stress1.4. Stress resistance and its concept, types, advantages CHAPTER 2. COMBATING STRESS IN STAFFIRKUTSK ENTERPRISE 2.1. Description of the enterprise2.2. Stressful situations using the example of an enterprise2.3. Proposals for methods to increase stress resistance of personnel CONCLUSIONAPPLICATIONLIST OF SOURCES USED 2

INTRODUCTION As is known, stress is an important social problem that indirectly affects the stability of behavior in an organization and the life of society as a whole. The relevance of this problem has especially increased in recent years for the Russian population, which is associated with the processes of socio-economic changes. Most of society experiences social stress, which leads not only to material difficulties and instability of a person’s social status, but also to the experience of prolonged psycho-emotional stress. Thus, a significant part of the population is susceptible to social stress disorders. At the same time, people lose social adaptability, become uncertain about the future, and experience doubts about the meaning of life due to the devaluation of traditional values. On the other hand, the intensification of the economic and social life of society leads to a deterioration in the health of the population, which leads to a loss of the ability to meet the requirements of professional activity, ability to mastering a profession. In recent years, a new type of pathology has been noted - information neuroses, which arise with an increasing flow of information and a lack of time for processing it and making responsible decisions. All these factors affect a person’s performance, the effectiveness of their execution of job descriptions and, in general, the success of the organization. The purpose of my course work is to learn what stress and stress resistance are. My task is to find best practices combat stress. The objects of research are stress, as the cause of many diseases, and stress resistance, as one way to combat it. During the writing process, I used only modern literature and modern scientific sites from the Internet.3

CHAPTER 1. THEORETICAL CONCEPTS OF STRESS AND STRESS RESISTANCE 1.1. Concept, types and symptoms of stress Stress (from English stress - pressure, pressure, tension) is a state of mental stress that occurs in a person when operating in difficult conditions (as in Everyday life, and in specific circumstances, for example during space flight). The concept of stress was introduced by the Canadian physiologist G. Selye (1936) when describing the adaptation syndrome. Stress is a common and frequent phenomenon. We all experience it from time to time, whether it's feeling empty in our stomach during a presentation in front of a class or feeling extra irritable during an exam session. Minor stress is inevitable and harmless, but excessive stress leads to problems for individuals and organizations. The author of the book “Stress and the Manager”, Dr. K. Albrecht, notes: “Stress is natural element human existence... We need to learn to distinguish between an acceptable degree of stress and excessive stress... Zero stress simply does not exist.” Managers are concerned with the type of stress characterized by excessive psychological or physiological stress. Research indicates that physiological signs of stress include ulcers, migraines, hypertension, back pain, arthritis, asthma and heart pain, and psychological signs include irritability, loss of appetite, depression and decreased interest in interpersonal and sexual relationships. Excessive stress is not only impairs individual performance and well-being and is costly to organizations. Dr. Albrecht states: “It is now clear that many employee problems that lead to unnecessary costs and decrease 4

efficiency, and also affect the health and well-being of people, is a generation of psychological stress. Stress directly and indirectly increases the company’s costs and reduces the quality of working life of a large number of employees.” Types of stress include: spatial, temporal, living stress, food, informational, communication stress, social and psychological.1). Spatial stress. It arises in a person as a result of the opportunities provided to him by technical progress and movement in space, high speed covering long distances. But our subconscious, instinctive stereotypes of interaction with space are still tuned to walking on the earth's surface, with its natural limitations.2). Temporary stress. This refers to the unnaturally accelerated rhythm and pace of life. As a result of this, the course of our internal biological clock also changes. All stress affects them unidirectionally, causing them to accelerate. And then time begins to flow faster for the body with all the ensuing consequences.3). Living stress. Firstly, these are multi-apartment buildings, which themselves are a source of hidden stress associated with limited space. This hidden stress is further aggravated by the separation from the ground in multi-story buildings. Secondly, being above the ground at a height greater than the crowns of trees (3-4th floor) is perceived by our subconscious as something unnatural. Thirdly, “visual pollution” of the environment around us is also added. We are surrounded entirely by an artificial environment. Also added are concepts such as “noise pollution” and “vibration”, as well as “thermal”, “electromagnetic” and “chemical”. All these stressful situations cause the so-called

assessments of a person's appearance, constant Bad mood when an attempt to solve a complex problem fails.7

1.2. Stages of stressThe first stage of stress development is the mobilization, as if by alarm, of the body’s adaptive capabilities - the “anxiety stage.” The author of the concept of stress suggested the limitations of the body's adaptive capabilities. It manifests itself already in the first stage of stress. “No organism can be in a constant state of anxiety. If the agent is so strong that its significant impact becomes incompatible with life, the animal dies while still in the alarm stage, during the first hours or days. If it survives, the initial reaction is necessarily followed by a “stage of resistance.” This is the second stage – balanced expenditure of adaptation reserves. At the same time, the existence of the organism, practically no different from the norm, is maintained in conditions of increased demands on its adaptive systems. Due to the fact that “adaptive energy is not limitless,” sooner or later, if the stressor continues to act, the third stage occurs—the “exhaustion stage.” “We still don’t know what exactly is being depleted, but it’s clear that it’s not calorie reserves.” At this stage, as well as at the first, signals arise in the body about the imbalance of the stressful demands of the environment and the body’s responses to these demands. Unlike the first stage, when these stages lead to the disclosure of the body's reserves, in the third stage these signals are calls for help, which can only come from the outside - either in the form of support or in the form of eliminating stress that debilitates the body. With short-term strong extreme influences Various symptoms of stress are clearly manifested. Short-term stress is a comprehensive manifestation of the onset of long-term stress. Under the influence of stressors that cause long-term stress (and only relatively light loads can be withstood for a long time), the onset of stress development is erased, with a limited number of noticeable effects.

manifestations of adaptation processes. Therefore, short-term stress can be viewed as an enhanced model for the onset of long-term stress. And although short-term and long-term stress differ from each other in their conspicuous manifestations, they are nevertheless based on identical mechanisms, but working in different modes(with different intensities). Short-term stress is a rapid expenditure of “superficial” adaptation reserves and, at the same time, the beginning of the mobilization of “deep” ones. If the “superficial” reserves are not enough to respond to the extreme demands of the environment, and the rate of mobilization of the “deep” ones is insufficient to compensate for the expended adaptive reserves, then the individual may die with completely unspent “deep” adaptive reserves. Long-term stress - gradual mobilization and consumption of both “superficial” ones. , and “deep” adaptation reserves. Its course may be hidden, i.e. reflected in changes in adaptation indicators, which can only be recorded using special methods. Maximum tolerated long-term stressors cause severe stress symptoms. Adaptation to such factors can be provided that the human body has time, mobilizing deep adaptive reserves, to “adapt” to the level of long-term extreme environmental demands. The symptoms of long-term stress resemble the initial general symptoms of somatic and sometimes mental painful conditions. Such stress can turn into illness. The cause of long-term stress can be repeated extreme factors. In this situation, the processes of adaptation and readaptation are alternately “turned on.” Their manifestations may seem fused. In order to improve the diagnosis and prognosis of the course of stressful conditions, it is proposed to consider conditions caused by long-term 9

intermittent stressors. At present, the first stage of stress has been relatively well studied - the stage of mobilization of adaptive reserves (“anxiety”), during which the formation of a new functional system of the body, adequate to the new extreme demands of the environment, basically ends. The second and third stages of stress development, i.e. the stage of sustainable consumption of adaptation reserves and the stage of their depletion, few studies have been devoted - conducted either in natural conditions, which made it difficult to obtain reliable and comparable data, or in experiments with animals. With a long stay in extreme conditions, a complex picture of changes in a person’s physiological, psychological, socio-psychological characteristics arises. The variety of manifestations of long-term stress, as well as the difficulties of organizing experiments with multi-day, multi-month, etc. the presence of a person in extreme conditions are the main reasons for its insufficient study. The similar total duration of the first two periods of stress in various extreme conditions is noteworthy. If these conditions approached the maximum tolerable for humans, then the total duration of these periods in completely different stressful conditions averaged about 11 days. The authors of studies of human life in extremely unfavorable conditions describe a period of unstable adaptation to these conditions. This period can be considered as the third period of the first stage. Its duration varies widely (up to 20-60 days). 10

1.3. Causes of stress The cause of stress can be external and internal. External causes are our life changes, everything that is not under our control or is to a small extent. And internal reasons are in our mind, for the most part they are born of our imagination. The main causes of stress are: 1). Finance. Most researchers consider finances to be the main cause of stress. These are home and car purchases. Losing money as a result of losing. Debts to the bank or to other people. And unsuccessful attempts to obtain funds; 2). Job. Work is closely related to finances, so it can be called the second leading cause of stress. It seems like work and career are constant sources of stress. Most people worry about obtaining and maintaining adequate employment. People about new types of work and responsibilities are constantly striving to move up career ladder and overload themselves with work; 3). Health and safety. Most people believe that personal health is one of the main causes of stress. For some it is obesity or a desire to lose weight. Other reasons may be bad habits such as smoking, alcohol abuse or drug addiction. An equally common cause of stress is illness or injury. Personal safety is also one of the main causes of stress.4). Family. Each member of our family can be a source of our stress. Regular disputes between spouses and other family members. Children get into trouble, get married, leave home. Pregnancy, illness of loved ones. There are many reasons for stress.11

5). Personal relationships. Friendship, dating, breakup, marriage, divorce, remarriage and so on, relationships are one of the major causes of stress. All people want love, but don't always get it. Some resort to online dating, some are promiscuous, and some become reclusive.6). Personal problems. Topping the list of personal problems is lack of control. Every person wants to gain control over their own life, and sometimes over the lives of other people. When control is weakened or absent in one area or another, we experience stress. We want to control everything that happens at home or at work, we want to control our time, we struggle with bad habits and trying to change our lives. Stress increases when we fail.7). Death. This is perhaps one of the most excruciating causes of stress. The death of a loved one is always tragic. Even the death of a beloved animal can cause stress. Another reason for stress is the expectation of death. Nobody knows when she will come, but the years fly by, sometimes you don’t have time to realize how quickly time flies.8). Impossibility of self-expression. This is not the most common, but it is a common cause of stress. Almost every person wants to represent something of themselves. To be someone significant to his loved ones and the people around him. Unfortunately, not everyone succeeds. Every new day for a person brings new reasons for stress, and at the same time, all these reasons seem to be connected with each other into one huge network, in which we get entangled and cannot always get out of it. But people and scientists are constantly looking for ways to deal with stress, also finding out its causes and their elimination. And one of these ways of fighting is stress resistance. 12

1.4. Stress resistance and its concept, types, advantages Modern life is extremely stressful, perhaps because the rhythm has become more dynamic, perhaps people have become more ambitious and strive to be on time and achieve the maximum. To this you can also add ecology, nutrition on the run, radiation from various types of equipment and much more. Unfortunately, genetic code humanity does not change as quickly as the environment, and the most vulnerable in such a situation is the human psyche. Sometimes the tension reaches such a level that a person can no longer cope with it. In recent years, more than 12 people have jumped out of the windows of Moscow State University. Over the past 20 years, there have been about 30 young people at Bauman University. This usually happens during sessions. Studies have shown that 64% of people are exposed to stress at work, 56% of stress leads to bad sleep, 26% get sick due to stress. About 17% of various allergic reactions occur due to stress or are aggravated by it. According to statistics for the United States, 90% of the population are in a state of severe stress and are constantly. 60% experience stress once or twice a week, and 30% almost daily. According to American scientists, two thirds of all visits to doctors are caused by symptoms provoked by stress. Many large corporations spend millions of dollars on related health benefits. Thus, the losses of the US economy caused by stress exceed $300 billion every year. In countries European Union 40 million out of 147 million workers suffer from stress, costing $19 billion annually. Many 14

Residents of EU countries complain about the consequences of traumatic situations. Thus, 13% suffer from chronic headaches, 17% from muscle pain, another 30% experience pain and discomfort in the spine. In Russia and other countries former USSR Today there are no such accurate statistics. But, according to available unofficial data, approximately 70% of the country’s residents (the same as in the post-Soviet space) are constantly in a state of stress. A third of the entire population experiences severe stress. Due to constant traumatic effects on the psyche, about 80% of people are susceptible to a disease such as chronic fatigue syndrome. Its symptoms are reminiscent of HIV infection: a person gets tired quickly, feels weak in the morning, has sand in his eyes, and experiences frequent headaches. In addition, he sleeps poorly, becomes conflicted, and tends to become withdrawn. Knowing about such sad consequences of stress, we are simply forced to protect our psyche from overstrain. The defense of our psyche is usually called stress resistance. Stress resistance is the ability to overcome difficulties, suppress one’s emotions, understand human moods, showing restraint and tact. Stress resistance is determined by a set of personal qualities that allow a person to endure significant intellectual, volitional and emotional stress due to the characteristics of professional activity, without any special consequences for the activity, others and one’s health. The theory of stress resistance divides people into four groups (types of stress resistance): Stress-resistant. These include people who are more susceptible to stress than others. The problem is that 15

that they do not know how to adapt to external events and they are not inclined to change their behavior. Stress-trained. People who are ready for changes, but not drastic, calm ones. This is the type of person who agrees only to gradual transformations, but more assertive intervention can lead to depression and nervous breakdowns. Stress inhibitors. This is a type who is quite principled in his life positions and quite loyal to external changes. Unlike the previous type, he would rather agree to rapid changes than to gradual transformation. At the same time, the peculiarity is that if stress follows a long series, it significantly undermines people belonging to this type. They begin to lose spirit and lash out at negative emotions. They are stress-resistant. People who are maximally resistant to the negative manifestations of the environment. Their psyche is protected from destruction. Thus, there are three advantages of stress resistance: 1). A calm, harmonious life. Peace within contributes to peace around. Agree that when you are calm and, for example, talk calmly with your interlocutor, then he will be calm, will not be irritated and will not subsequently fall under the influence of stress. 2). Physical health. Thanks to mental stability, we are less susceptible to neuroses, which means that one of the factors that adversely affects the immune system is eliminated. 3). Creation, not destruction. When you are not overcome by depression, insomnia, hysteria, or physical ailments. You can direct your energy not to fight these unpleasant consequences of stress, but to create something new, important, meaningful or simply pleasant. Awareness of one's own importance always gives 16

self-confidence, which means it adds another brick to the construction of a wall called stress resistance. 4). No hysteria, panic, shock.5). Prevention of emotional breakdowns, tragedies.6). Constructive worthy behavior.7). Preservation of the ability to continue life.8). Helps preserve relationships, family, work, etc.17

CHAPTER 2. COMBATING STRESS WITH STAFF AT THE IRKUTSK ENTERPRISE2.1. Description of the enterpriseJSC Irkutsk Relay Plant is a modern industrial enterprise that specializes in the development and production of switching equipment products. The enterprise produces low-current electromagnetic sealed relays RES 48, REK 83, intermediate sheathed relays RP-Ir2, REK 59, RKS ZM and open relays type MKU 48-S, RKS 3; sockets KS-2, KS-4; combined rectangular connectors OKP-VS-1, cylindrical connectors OKTs-VS-1; low-frequency tape connectors SRMI 2; sealed radio frequency connectors type SRG-50-751-IrFV, SRG50876-IrFV; small-sized switches MPN-1, MPN-1-1, MPN-1M; “Vitim-2” simulators for training in first aid. The quality system at the enterprise is certified by the Central Body of the “VOENELECTRONSERT” system, the voluntary certification system “Military Register”. Their products are used by enterprises of the aerospace complex, aviation industry, mechanical engineering, transport engineering, shipbuilding, instrument making, communications, etc. Products are supplied throughout Russia and for export. The bulk of consumers are busy fulfilling state defense orders. OJSC “Irkutsk Relay Plant” is on the list of strategic enterprises of the Russian defense industry complex. The modern plant is a research and production complex, in which the scientific and technical center is actively and fruitfully operating, working stably and efficiently production workshops: 18

assembly, mechanical, galvanic, instrumental, plastic products. 2.2. Stressful situations using the example of an enterprise Despite the enormous importance of activity for maintaining and enhancing sanogenic potential, work and work activity are often associated with many causes of stress. But it should be clarified that often work activity, one or another production situation is not so much the cause as the reason for the occurrence of a stressful state of workers. There is hardly any need for detailed proof that for most people professional activity is the main channel of self-realization. In this paragraph, I would like to show stressful situations using the example of the enterprise OJSC Irkutsk Relay Plant, which I described above. You can also add about it that this plant employs about 600 people, who provide the plant with a reputation as a reliable partner. And, unfortunately, there are often cases when people in their workplace become victims of a state of severe stress. Thus, to describe the stress (stressful situations) associated with professional activity labor, various concepts are used: “work stress”, “professional stress”, “organizational stress”. Work stress arises due to reasons related to work, working conditions, place of work. For example, the place of work of these people of the Irkutsk enterprise is a factory, which already means risk of stress. Since the plant includes various workshops, which have a huge number of machines that are dangerous to human health. Any careless handling of the machine can cause a scandal on the part of the foreman and the worker, the foreman and 19

boss, etc., which can lead to either severe stress, a fine, dismissal, etc. Another example can be given with working conditions. Just like at a relay factory, every workplace has its own work schedule. Also, such enterprises have extra-hour hours and duty. Let’s say that if an employee works seven days a week and on all shifts, he is at risk of developing depression, lack of energy, the emergence of new diseases, etc. Therefore, it is so important that the worker has a work schedule established in accordance with all laws of a given state, which also includes weekends and vacations. After have a nice rest this worker will bring much more benefit than new troubles. Professional stress arises due to reasons related to the profession, type or type of activity. A number of professions are characterized by insufficient physical activity. This should include the professions of operator work, mental work (programmers, accountants, economists...), managerial work, scientific work. A strong stressor is the fact that in most professions the amount of knowledge required in order to simply maintain a level of competence reaches dizzying proportions. For example, in scientific and technical fields relay plant, the rate of emergence of new ideas, technologies, and research developments is growing rapidly. Stress in professional life increases even more if it is complemented by home and social stress. We should not forget about the pressure of social models and norms of behavior. So, for example, the director of a given enterprise must be polite not only with his partners, but with his subordinates.20

Organizational stress arises as a result of an unfavorable psychological climate in working group, inept management, irrational and insufficiently accurate distribution of responsibilities, poorly organized information flows, unclear goals of activity, uncertainty of prospects for the development of the enterprise and a number of other factors of the same order. In this case, I cannot give examples of stressful situations at OJSC “Irkutsk Relay Plant”, because I don’t see that there are, for example, inept management and, let’s say, unclear goals of the enterprise. As proof that this enterprise has a clear goal, I will cite one of the goals, which is indicated on the official website of the Irkutsk Relay Plant: “Irkutsk Relay Plant OJSC sees its future in the creation of new modern products of switching equipment, modernization of production, expansion nomenclature of products.” Thus, place of work and position, chosen profession and professional growth, the psychological climate in the organization and the vision of one’s role in the common cause can be the basis for a feeling of satisfaction with one’s place in life, initiate experiences of complete dedication, satisfaction with the progress of self-realization can provide the desired emotional saturation from interpersonal relationships at work. At the same time, all these aspects in unfavorable qualities lead to a general feeling of dissatisfaction with life, erosion of the meaning of life, devaluation of work, leading to prolonged stress with many ensuing consequences for the individual and the body. This or that situation arises as a consequence of the interaction of a large set of objective and subjective factors, external circumstances and personality characteristics.21

To avoid at least one stress factor, you need to increase your stress resistance, but this topic will be discussed in the next paragraph.22

2.3. Proposals of methods for increasing stress resistance of personnel An important task for a modern enterprise, like OJSC “Irkutsk Relay Plant”, in a market economy is to provide employees with publicly available socio-psychological assistance, prevent stress and reduce social tension at work. The following key elements of combating stress among personnel are identified: 1). Maintaining a healthy and harmonious lifestyle is no less effective as a preventive measure against stressful conditions than medical procedures. A balanced diet, good sleep, rest from work, regular exercise - all this helps keep stress at an acceptable level.2). Participation in exercise programs (3-4 half-hour sessions per week), which help reduce sudden hormonal stress (resulting from stress reactions) and increase endorphins in the blood, helping to reduce anxiety and restlessness and restore healthy sleep.3). Establishing a balance between home and work: avoiding excessive workload, intensive home work, business travel.4). Best vacation– this is a change in the type of activity (alternating mental and physical activity). 5). Maintaining an optimistic outlook on life (the ability to turn negative stress into positive).6). Self-management: setting priorities, maintaining self-confidence, using time in the best way.23

7). Effective solution problems, especially leading to stressful conditions.8). A realistic approach to expectations for yourself and others.9). Provide adequate emotional support at home and in work relationships.10). Performance management helps to maintain pressure at acceptable levels of perception, and, when necessary, helps to obtain help from others. 11). Adequate change management creates zones of stability in their dynamics, promoting a positive perception of innovation.12). Stress monitoring based on tension levels and signs of stress; monitoring the causes that trigger the chain reaction of stress.13). Using outside help when necessary. Henry Ford is prescribed the following saying: “Exercise is a completely unnecessary thing. If we are healthy, we don't need them. And if we are sick, they will no longer help us.” Fortunately, American business did not heed Ford's advice. Thousands large corporations carry out special events aimed at keeping workers in good shape - fitness. It's not surprising that people with good health are not as susceptible to stress as their fellow citizens with poor health, and therefore special emphasis is placed on physical condition. A developed health maintenance system has three main goals: maintaining optimal weight, improving psychological state, improving the functioning of the cardiovascular system. The organization of systematic anti-stress prevention, mental hygiene of stress in organizations is designed to increase 24

stress resistance of workers to various factors. And today they exist various methods psychohygiene of stress, and also developed organizational forms of prevention - individual protection from stress with the help modern methods psychological self-regulation and corporate protection. In the latter case, group training is aimed at increasing the stress resistance of staff, reducing frustration tolerance, normalizing interpersonal relationships in the team, and forming and strengthening a cohesive work team. The developed stress management skills are considered as a production IT technology, an integral element of corporate and management culture, an integral part of the work culture, especially in areas of activity related to communication with people. These are the recommendations offered by O.P. Rozhkova (Managing Partner of Coaching&Consulting Center) to the HR Director for monitoring the organization’s stress level: 1). Remember that prolonged stress causes psychosomatic diseases, such as: immunosuppression (immune suppression); eczema; acne; hives; psoriasis; osteochondrosis; headache tension; migraine; Raynaud's disease; rheumatoid arthritis; hay fever; asthma; hypertonic disease; arrhythmias; cardiac ischemia; atherosclerosis; diabetes; thyroid diseases; peptic ulcer, etc. The health of your employees largely depends on your activity aimed at reducing the stress level of the production process, developing stress resistance and self-regulation skills among staff.2). It is advisable to regularly monitor the level of objective stress factors in the workplace and report on 25

tense situation to management, offer options to reduce stress levels. 3). Please draw management's attention to the fact that many of the stress factors are associated with violations of labor safety standards, which are regulated by law (lack of lighting, poor ventilation, too cramped premises).4). When conducting stressful interviews with candidates, remember that the candidate’s calmness at the time of this form of interview may indicate a state of deep pathological stress, mistakenly regarded as a high level of stress resistance.5). When assessing personnel, it is advisable to take into account identifying the basic individual level of stress resistance and determining the level of self-regulation skills of employees using special methods.6). In order to capitalize the business and develop a positive reputation for the company, it makes sense to advocate for a personnel budget item related to stress management programs.7). A stress management program will be more effective if training employees to develop self-regulation skills is a significant part of it.26

CONCLUSION Modern life cannot be without stress, but there are many ways to deal with it. And you shouldn’t give up if you can’t get out of some problem. You need to solve it, and therefore increase your resistance to stress (I described its methods above). Having completed this work, I tried to draw some conclusions: 1). I learned what stress is and found out what types and symptoms of stress there are. Stress is a state of mental tension that occurs in a person when operating in difficult conditions (both in everyday life and in specific circumstances, for example during space flight). The concept of stress was introduced by the Canadian physiologist G. Selye (1936) when describing the adaptation syndrome.2). I was able to find and describe the stages of stress.3). I also learned that there are many causes of stress and methods of dealing with it, one of which is stress resistance.4). The result of my course work was proposals for increasing stress resistance, which, I hope, will help increase stress resistance.28

APPENDIX “Stress” test for assessing stress resistance. This test for assessing stress resistance was developed by a scientist and psychologist at the Boston University Medical Center. You must answer the questions based on how often these statements are true for you. You should answer all points, even if this statement does not apply to you.1.You eat at least one hot meal a day.2.You sleep 7-8 hours at least four times a week.3. You constantly feel the love of others and give your love in return.4.Within 50 kilometers, you have at least one person you can rely on.5.You work up a sweat at least twice a week.6.You smoke less than half packs of cigarettes per day.7.You consume no more than five glasses of alcoholic beverages per week.8.Your weight corresponds to your height.9.Your income fully satisfies your needs.10. Your faith supports you.11. You are regularly involved in club or social activities.12. You have many friends and acquaintances.13. You have one or two friends whom you completely trust.14. You are healthy.15. You can openly express your feelings when you are angry and worried about something.16. You regularly discuss your home problems with the people you live with.29

17. You do something for fun at least once a week.18. You can organize your time effectively.19.You consume no more than three cups of coffee, tea or other caffeine-containing drinks per day.20. You have a little time for yourself during each day. The following answers are offered with the corresponding number of points: – almost always – 1; – often – 2; – sometimes – 3; – almost never – 4; – never – 5. Now add up the results your answers and subtract 20 points from the resulting number. Key: If you scored less than 10 points, then you can be happy, if you also answered honestly - you have excellent resistance to stressful situations and the effects of stress on the body, you don’t care Why worry. If your total number exceeds 30 points, stressful situations have a significant impact on your life and you do not resist them very much. If you score more than 50 points, you should seriously think about your life - is it time to change it. You are very vulnerable to stress. Take another look at the test statements. If your answer to any statement received 3 points or higher, try to change your behavior that corresponds to this point and your vulnerability to stress will decrease. For example, if your score for point 19 is 4, try drinking at least one cup of coffee per day less than usual. thirty

Start taking a closer look at yourself now, and not when it’s too late. LIST OF SOURCES USED 1). Meskon, Albert, Heduori Fundamentals of Management / Meskon 3rd edition: Trans. from English – M.: LLC “I.D. Williams”, 2009. – 672 pp.: ill. – Parallel tit. English 2). Stressful situations in the world of work [Electronic resource] Risk situations//Psychohygiene of the individual: Issues of psychological stability and psychoprophylaxis: Textbook. St. Petersburg, 2009. p. 292-336. Access mode: ru.znatock.com/docs/index-80665.html?page=2 (accessed November 25, 2013)3). What is stress tolerance? [Electronic resource] What is stress resistance? Access mode: http://www.xapaktep.net/virtues/business/stressresistance/desc.php (Date of access: 11/23/2013)4). What is stress tolerance? [Electronic resource] What is stress resistance? Access mode: http://www.rpb.med.cap.ru/574223/578436/Page.aspx (Date of access: 11/23/13)5). Stress management and development of staff performance is the key to the success of an organization [Electronic resource]//Personnel Management.-2009 - No. 6 - St. Petersburg: Personnel Management, 2009 -. – Access mode http://www.vkaznu.ru/index.php?showtopic=7896 (Access date 11/24/2013)6). Stress at work. How to deal with him? [Electronic resource] / O.P. Rozhkova//Coaching & Consulting Center, 2009. Access mode http://www.co-center.ru/article5.htm (Access date 11/24/2013)7).Psychology for everyone [Electronic resource] / Psychological tests, 2010. – Access mode http://www.vashpsixolog.ru/psychology-for-all/96-psychological-tests/454-test-to-assess-stress (Access date 11/23/2013)8). Increasing stress resistance [Electronic resource] / Increasing stress resistance, 2011. – Access mode http://www.nastroeniya.net/stress/66-povyshenie-stressoustoychivosti.html (Date of access: November 25, 2013)9). Irkutsk Relay Plant [Electronic resource] / Irkutsk Relay Plant, 2012. – Access mode http://irzirk.ru/ (Access date 11/23/13)10). Stress [Electronic resource] / Stress, 2009. – Access mode http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D1%F2%F0%E5%F1%F1 (Access date 31