Pressure comes from outside. It is scalar or pressing in all directions. Because it comes from outside, we cannot control the pressure.
Pressure triggers stress. If the pressure comes from outside and we cannot control it, stress is the opposite. Instead, it emerges from within as a reaction to pressure. So, because it comes from within ourselves, stress should be more controllable.
Even more than that, we can manage stress and turn it into strength. This is commonly referred to as Pressure Management, which is how to manage and convert pressure into strength to face challenges so that we as humans can continue to grow and develop to become more resilient. This is the main idea offered by the book Growing Under Pressure by Iman Permana and Jazak Yus Afriansyah.
Before further discussing how to manage pressure, it is better for us to understand the impact if we can't manage the pressure? There are many manifestations, but in general, they can be grouped into three. First, it appears in physiological symptoms. For example, you become not in the mood to eat, resulting in an ulcer. Other symptoms, you have trouble sleeping, feelings of irritation that appear suddenly, and so on.
If these symptoms last for a long time, this can trigger health problems. So, the impact could develop more seriously. Manifestations can be in the form of high blood pressure, headaches, even severe heart problems. This book cites data from The American Medical Association. Referring to these data, of all existing diseases, 80% turned out to appear as a result of pressure. Then, of all the pressures we face, 80% of them are problems that arise from the workplace. Both from work itself, vertical (superior-subordinate) and horizontal relationships, or the work environment.
Second, it appears in psychological symptoms. You certainly still remember Katrina Hurricane that hit New Orleans, United States, in 2005. According to data from the team doctors from Tulane Medical Center (TMC), all patients admitted to the Emergency Room (ER) after Katrina Hurricane passed, as many as 2,4% of them were caused by a heart attack. In fact, prior to Katrina Hurricane, only 0,7% of ER patients at TMC were caused by a heart attack.
Why? The researchers found that patients experienced heart disease after Katrina Hurricane because they had psychological disorders. They become depressed and easily anxious. To overcome this, they smoked more cigarettes. And, smoking is what triggers the increase in cases of heart attacks in New Orleans.
Third, behavioral symptoms. The manifestation is very easy to see. For example, pressure will cause us to be less motivated at work. So, morale decreases, so work performance also decreases. The rest, productivity also declines, the corporate performance also declines, and so on.
The problem doesn't stop. A person who experiences problems at work will usually have an impact on his household life. He became angry more often. The harmony of family relations, even including the social environment, will be disturbed. This, if not managed seriously, will also have an impact on health problems.
That's part of the picture of what will happen if we fail to manage pressure. In that context, reading the book Growing Under Pressure, and applying it, becomes very important. (JB Susetiyo, PR team. Photo: Lita Gabriella).
