Show way n iiwfrr:Jrts ' W rr'ii f-- i wrTTn iV i'r - V -- M How to Handle Job Stress: work at similar jobs for organization Over morning coffee they're comparing problems Too much to finish in too little time and as usual the boss is ignoring the real problems " says Joe Mary nods in agreement "And how about all the politicking around here" she asks “and the fact that you never know where you stand” If Mary’s and Joe’s problems sound familiar to you it’s not surprising A recent American Management Associations survey reported that people find that the four most stressful conditions are: unrealistic deadlines coupled with heavy workload the difference between what you have to do and what you would like to accomplish the general “political" atmosphere of the organization and lack of feedback on job performance The same survey of 6000 people revealed three very effective techniques you can use to relieve job stress The technique most highly recommended by the largest number of people involves situations analyzing the and deciding which aspects are worth worrying about and which aren't Then you have to try to forget the “unimportant" problems The second popular technique reduces stress by spreading the Mary Joe and same stress-produci- By Brie “ ' 10 FAMILY WEEKLY Mmwntar 4 WS 14 y 3J08fTlflNSHIP: load: You obtain help information or aid from others The third approach — recommended by more than 80 percent of those Interviewed — emphasizes setting priorities for each month week and day Make your list of tasks in order of importance Then do them in that order That way remarked one of the interviewees you prevent the kind of panic that occurs when you hit the end of the afternoon and the most important task of the day isn’t completed Psychiatrist Art Kiev who the study-repopoints out that the feeling of having too much to do in too little time is often a problem Ambitious people accept create or volunteer for extra responsibilities This kind of person often feels “nobody can get this done except me” To compound matters he then carelessly sets up or accepts unrealistic deadlines A second recent study of job stress and solutions focused on physically coping with as well as solving the job problems Conducted by medical and business researchers from the University of Western Ontario in Canada it pinpointed five g techniques that seem to concentrate on building resistance and on prevention The people in the survey reported they handled job stress best with 1- ) regular sleep and good health habits 2- ) keeping work and non work life separate 3) exercise 4) talking things through with 5) withdrawing physically from a stressful situation The comer-cuttin- g high-stre- rt seif-creat- stress-relievin- -- ' researchers warn that when you realize you’re under heavy stress changing to another work activity or varying your strategy of attack does little or nothing to lower your state of tension Predicting Your Boss’ Reactions: can eliminate many of the and problems from your job if you learn to predict your boss’ reactions No ESP is required Once you understand what type of superior you have you will know how to win approval and avoid being irritating There are four basic boss types says Dr Andrew H Souetwine management consultant professor and author of Career Strategies (AMACOM) Bosses d are security-orienteOf or people-oriente- d course no one is anything But every supervisor emphasizes one of You action-oriente- d d 100-perce- these styles d bosses are the most common type They are energy dynamos who work themselves and their employees hard never hesitating to make quick effective decisions With the high goals and tight deadlines they set they may ride over subordinates' feelings You can get along well with an supervisor by remembering they Action-oriente- action-oriente- d Anorexia Nervosa: The Deadly Diet nmy school-guidanc- t i Quinby was 16 years old when she to go on a strict diet Tired of being described as “cute and bouncy” — which she felt really meant “fat" — Amy was determined to lose 15 pounds Already a diligent student a varsity cheerleader and an active member in her school's drama dub Amy added a vigorous exercise program to her crowded schedule The excess weight melted off But then she decided that 15 pounds wasn’t enough ”1 still feet fat” she complained Her weight continued to drop her clothes hung on her 5 ' 5 frame e Amy’s mother and the counselor agreed that something was drastically wrong Amy had stopped menstruating and had lost nearly 45 pounds in less than five months she was no longer seeing most of her friends and at home she was argumentative weepy and depressed Her family doctor suggested counseling and Amy began seeing a psychiatrist who told her that she was suffering from a disease called anorexia nervosa Neither Amy nor any of her friends had ever heard of It Anorexia (loss of appetite) nervosa (due to nerves) is a severe psychological problem victims of the disease almost always young women begin losing weiit and then can’t stop In pursuit of a seemingly elusive thinness anorexics starve themselves sometimes to death And recent studies note that approximately one out of every 100 adolescent girls suffers bom anorexia " 1 Although the disease has been discussed in medical circles for nearly three centuries its causes and proper treatment are still being debated Most doctors however do agree on the symptoms of “Any girl who has lost weight and has missed a number of periods should be considered anorexic” explains Dr Joseph Silverman an associate clinical professor of pediatrics at New York’s Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center anorexia of anorexia can Other symptoms the denial or absence of hunger despite not eating often accompanied by a constant preoccupation with food and dieting Some anorexics alternate between starving and then gorging on all the foods that they regularly deny themselves After a food binge they will take quantities of laxatives or make themselves vomit so that the food they've eaten will not affect their weight Exercising compulsively and the belief that an emaciated body is desirable ate also indicative of anorexia Although boys have been treated for anorexia the vast majority of patients arc middle- - or upper-middl- e class young women between the ages 10 and 25 Most are described by their teachers as -- “bright “good students" and by their parents as children" “And the families of anorexics are often very close very loving" notes Dr Joe lien Weme the director of the Stanford University Hospital inpatient treatment program for anorexics in Palo Alto Calif Frequently however there are underlying marital or familial tensions that the anorexic may feel responsible for To relieve those tensions she tries to conform to the expectations she feels her parents have of her — she may study harder or play more sports — but the confusion and pressures of adolescence cause her to look for something that she alone can control Her own body fits that definition and dieting Is a way to control its shape and size “A lot of start out by dieting normally the situation goes haywire when the family responds in a certain way" notes Weme As the young woman loses weight she finds that the attention of the whole family is focused on her attention she wants and fears losing "Maybe my parents won't love me as much If I gain weight" is a common worry for many anorexics Why arc adolescents particularly susceptible? “That's the age when a girl and her family arc faced with a significant teen-ager- s ' !nfea 'iWti are unimpressed with excuses They want things done now — not tomorrow or next week When you have a new projett action supervisors want you to think it through thoroughly and come to thou only when you have specific action vig gestkms They will not take kindly to vu if you approach new situations with "I et c " just discuss H and see where it lakes us Above all never Ignore the boss' nullum ty or keep Information from this kind ol superior f le or she Is the boss and don't ever forget It You can recognize security oriented bosses by their desire fur standardized operating systems fur everything Tliev will be very displeased if you question procedure or even suggest changes Your successful approach is: Don't make waves bosses like discussing and exploring possibilities The opposite of the action executives they often think subordinates poorly of who press to get things moving without lengthy study People-orientebosses as you may know can be a joy to work for They care about people's needs and feelings and enjoy discussing them You get Into trou Me with them by pressing your ideas only in terms of work goals and ignoring the human effect Dr Souerwine suggests you avoid getting bogged down with this kind of superior by carrying out your job as independently as possible — SR Bedford Idea-oriente- d action-minde- d d number of new roles new choices” says Weme A young woman may feel she is not ready to make the kinds of decisions she associates with growing up Excessive dieting stunts that growth “Anorexics don't grow up” explains Weme “Physically they just stop maturing" Treating anorexia can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few years Catching the disease in its earliest stages usually means less time is needed to treat the psychological problems and to reverse the physical effects of starvation Often it's the family doctor who is consulted first “As a pediatrician I am usually the first doctor to see an anorexic patient because after all what gets a person to a doctor is not that they have a psychological problem it's that they're 5 ' 6 " and weigh 75 pounds" says Silverman It’s the delicate job of the doctor and the parents to persuade the patient to eat and to make her understand that eating normally will not make her fat Often where counseling is recommended the whole family participates One question that is often asked of anorexics is why losing weight becomes so important Amy feels that one reason she wanted to lose weight was because she felt a tremendous pressure to be thin: “Everybody was always talking about dieting Even the thinnest girls were preoccupied with their weight" Weme society agrees “We're a and excessive dieting is considered acceptable People are caught up In thinking that thinner is better' but in the case of the anorexic thinner can be JW deadly" UU |