i agree with you some people bring the stress from home at work
The major stressors within my career life include dependance upon other departments to get my job done because everyone elses time table does not always match mine.Other stressors include keeping up with follow up on studnet issues due to the sheer number. I usually use my outlook to help me keep up with issues and schedules.
Many instructors struggle to balance both personal and professional stress David. Finding that balance can take months or even years but is well worth it in the end.
Some general areas 1. Home..a stressor is dealing with elderly parents health and home care.
2.Work dealing with new curriculum...
3.Financial..todays markets and changes have hit many of us
To deal with any of the "stressors", it is most important to me to deal with it in a logical and direct means, to which an "end in sight" is part of the equation. To just create a hap-hazzard quick fix just creates more stress when it does not work!
My many stresses come from work and life balance. Not to mention the economy. Finding the time for my studies is also difficlut. However there are only two categories to divide these stresses into. Personal and professional. Once I find a way to balance both I will have less stress.
I agree with your thoughts on balance Doreen. A little stress can keep life moving at a good pace and be motivating at times.
Major stressors in my life include the work/personal life balance. Work stresses include job performance and classroom maintenance. Home life includes a husband, two children, a dog and cat. On top of all of that is a 30 minute each way commute to and from work. I believe that stress is an important component of anyone's life. Having too much is unhealthy. Having too little can be boring. Have the right balance of stress makes life interesting, challenging and productive.
My number one stressor is that my students won't get my massage in class so I work hard for it so they do get it.
First. This is what put stressful to us Instructor, when the student is keep missing days in school. Also when their late, on submission of their homework, then we have listen to variety of excuses & excuses.
Second. Also Student advisees, on top of managing and worrying from our own class we also have separate group of advisee that we have to monitor and oversee their progress. There are times we are running to a very tights schedule, just trying to get in touch to this advisee by e-mail or phone calls.
Third. Very short time between classes, there times we have only 30 minutes from one class to the next. So it really put some stressful time from the first class, if they run late for excusable reason, but in the meantime the next class is already waiting outside my classroom door. outside class room door.
The next day grading expectation sounds tough Heather. I would suggest setting expectations at the beginning of the semester for how long it will take for students to get exams back.
My stress comes from so many areas it is hard to know where to start. I teach English Composition, so I have 4 essays per student per term to grade. These are very time consuming, and I often feel pressure to get them graded fast rather than effectively. The students often ask for the grades the next day. When there are 20-30 students in a class this is not possible.
Often students who do not do their work and then make excuses for not doing it are a cause of stress. I have learned to have class policies in place for this and clearly express these expectations to the students. This reduces the stress, because I can just refer to the policies and they do not try to get around them as much.
Another cause of stress at work is the additional out of class things that administration continues to add to the instructor's work load.
I also have 3 children, so getting them to their activities and sporting events and practices is a cause of stress. There are times when they are going in 3 different directions.
My father is terminally ill, and it goes without saying that this is a major cause of stress on many levels.
I work in the legal field and within this environment we have to always be sure we are following the rules. We also have a very tough micro manager as a boss - this in its own right causes stress as you are never sure what you are walking into on a daily basis and if and when you do something will it have a backlash. It is very stressful juggling work and life as well. Having just gone through a divorce and 10 yr marriage to a bi-polar man was tough. Living with that kind of stress and then working at the same time you tend to really have to learn coping skills. Stress can and will cause you to get sick.
Cause of stress can come from the commute, the lack of time with the Family, and lack of personal time to regroup... but at work it can be from an intense schedule, the lack of tools to achieve a task or a class, and the lack of support from organisation and colleagues.
Within the culinary field, I am stressed when there is an accident in the kitchen. Student issues are sometimes stressful.
My family's expectations are also stressful at time since I work primarily in the evening and they would prefer for me to be home.
This is all true James. It seems that the economic climate over the last several years really has elevated stress levels for many people. We do define ourselves by how we deal with it, and how we help others deal as well.
These days everyone I know is stessed out. As positions are cut those employees who are still employed are being assigned more responsability for the same pay rate. Because bussinesses want to remain profitable annual raises dont keep up with the rise of the cost of living. Many people are losing their homes or are struggling to keep them. Working class families are struggling to keep food on the table. If you cant manage the stress, you and those around you will suffer. It is how we deal with the stress that defines us.
Trying to be everything to everybody. I work full-time as an accountant, teach part-time at a local college, teach online for a different school, and I'm finishing my PhD. I have a husband and two teenagers at home. I sometimes feel like I'm giving about 50% to everyone because I just don't have it in me to give 100. I get up every morning and walk on the treadmill, then have a quiet breakfast to myself. I really don't do anything else, just for me.
Yes, taking a step back and reexamining things is a great approach Donna.
Quite an eye opener the discussion of stress as scientifically the"conflict of obtaining self-perceived goals".
I swear, as I live this life, I have reached levels of self-actualization dictating me to step back, examine my position literally where I am in a situation, be aware of contributing factors, be accepting, then move on..
Factors are a collage of inputs from our existence, externally as well as internally, for myself....
This sounds stressful indeed Ricardo. Working in a field is much different then explaining how to work in a field. Explanations require you to really think about your process and every step.
