Managing Stress and Wellness (From The Managing of Police Organizations, P 112-135, 1989, Paul M Whisenand and Fred Ferguson -- See NCJ-117460)

• NCJ Number: 117461
• Author(s): P M Whisenand; F Ferguson
• Date Published: 1989
• Length: 24 pages
• Sale Source: Prentice Hall
• Publication Type: Training (Aid/Material)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This chapter examines the sources and types of stress the police manager experiences as well as how stress can be reliably measured and effectively managed.

Abstract

Stress is symptomatic of a demand for change in the environment, and it is a natural phenomenon. When it is mismanaged, it can be harmful. The three sources of stress are personal, environmental, and organizational/social. The four types of stress are hyperstress, which results from being overloaded with change; hypostress, which is produced from being underloaded with change; eustress, which comes from favorable or positive changes; and distress, which stems from unfavorable or negative changes. A police manager is sure to experience all four types of stress, especially hyperstress, due to the nature of the job. Distress can seriously reduce the effectiveness of a police manager, so the police manager should be alert for the general and specific symptoms of distress. The manager should maintain a program of wellness by recognizing that he/she is responsible for his/her health, collecting reliable data on his/her stress level, and designing and using a custom-designed plan for wellness. 15 notes, discussion questions.