Workers report more occupational stress when work objectives are unclear, when they have conflicting demands placed upon them, when they have too little or too much to do, when they have little input into decisions that affect them, and when they are responsible for other workers’ professional development.

One of the factors of the workplace and the organisation’s modus operandi that is related to stress is the degree of participation. Workers’ perceptions of the degree of participation in the decision-making process, the degree to which they are consulted on issues affecting the organisation, and their involvement in establishing rules of behaviour at work have proven to be related to job satisfaction, job- related feelings of threat, and feelings of self-esteem.

Others have found that non participation is related to overall poor physical health, escapist drinking, depression, dissatisfaction with life, low motivation to work, intention to leave the job, and absenteeism.

A clear sense of your role in an organisation and a sense that you can ‘play the part’ are important in keeping stress at a minimum. A variety of role-related problems may arise for- workers who lack these feelings.

When aspects of the job and workplace are unclear, frustration and stress is likely to develop. Workers should know the criteria for career advancement, the priorities of the organisation, and generally what is expected of them.

Sometimes workers get caught in a bind. Two supervisors each expect something different. The worker may be faced with conflicting demands . This is the ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ dilemma. Such a situation is a factor in occupational stress.

The factors that are typically related to dissatisfaction on the job are salary and conditions of the workplace (e.g., noise, poor lighting, poor ventilation crowding, etc.). However, even if workers were paid well and worked in hygienic conditions, they might still be dissatisfied.

A class of work-related factors called motivational factors can affect job satisfaction. These factors include the degree of stimulating tasks involved, the amount of recognition for jobs done well, relationships with fellow workers, and the amount of encouragement to take on responsibility. Unfortunately, many unions ignore these factors when negotiating a contract. Obviously, some of these motivational factors would he difficult to assure in writing. They’re important enough, however, to try for.

Some places of work include hazards that can create stress. Dangerous tasks or work settings, toxic chemicals, high noise levels, dust, over cooling, unpleasant odours, and other stressful factors can lead to illness or disease. An interesting source you might want to consult if you are interested in this aspect of occupational stress is a book entitled Office Work Can Be Dangerous To Your Health.

Too much work or frequent frustration at work can lead to a syndrome of physical and emotional exhaustion. This syndrome is called burnout. Burnout is "an adverse work stress reaction with psychological, and behavioural components. Moreover, burnout appears to be a major actor in low worker morale, high absenteeism and job turnover rates, physical illness and distress, increased alcohol and drug use, marital and family conflict, and various psychological problems." The symptoms of burnout include the following.

1. Diminished sense of humour: inability to laugh at daily, on-the-job situations.

2. Skipping rest and food breaks: continually having no time for coffee or lunch breaks to restore stamina.

3. Increased overtime and no vacation: indispensable to the organisation; reluctant to say no to working on scheduled off-days.

4. Increased physical complaints: fatigue, irritability, muscle tension, stomach upsets, and susceptibility to illness.

5. Social withdrawal: pulling away from co-workers, peers and family members.

6. Changed job performance: increased absenteeism, tardiness, use of sick leave, and decreased efficiency or productivity.

7. Self-medication: increased use of alcohol, tranquilisers, and other mood-altering drugs.

8. Internal changes: emotional exhaustion, loss of self-esteem, depression, frustration, and a "trapped" feeling.

I had just finished a conversation at the dining table and pushed back my chair with a flourish of my hand announcing, that I was off to my room to watch CNN news and will probably fall asleep thereafter; so good night all and what not. The Pennsylvania Primaries were on and the US presidential election campaign had me hooked.

"You are sooooo lucky poonchie," my eight year old nephew told me crumpling up his face just a tad, "you can watch TV any time you want in your room"…..He sighed the sigh of a tortured soul.

"I can’t just switch on the TV when I’m in bed and worse still I can only watch TV at certain times," the tiny tot grumbled with an irritable flick of his hand.

"Well that’s because I’m an adult and you are not," I said. "You have more important things to do like home work and playing outside in the garden and rugby practices and such to be bothered too much with the telly." "Besides," I added, "you can get a TV into your room when you are an adult."

"What’s the point in that?" the little creature argued, rolling his bright eyes about in their sockets. "I want to watch Cartoon Network and Pogo all the time, I want to watch TV when I’m a child."

"Yes," I agreed, risking the wrath of my sister Ru in the process. "It is a bit of a bother being a kid. I could never be bothered with the constant exams and the home work and the studying and the pencil cases and time tables."

"If," I continued, risking fire and brimstone, "if I had the choice, if I was given three wishes, one thing I would wish for is to go back to school." Luckily sis Ru was nowhere in sight to hear my incendiary remarks.

But the faithful fellow albeit putting on a sympathetic face and nodding knowingly at intervals during my diatribe was to then retort. "But I like being a child poonchie. School is a lot of fun."

"Except," he added in parenthesis, "for the school work — I love being with my friends and playing." He thought for a bit. Then dismissed TV in the room with another flick of his hand. "Better being a child than having TV in the room, after all I think poonchie," he said his face a study in deep thought.

And there you have it. Out of the mouth of babes.

But watching TV after a grueling day at work is getting trickier by the minute. My one year old Labrador has better ideas of how I should spend the rest of the evening. Ergo she jumps on the bed and first places an enormous paw on my forehead to either test the water or my temperature — who knows. These Labradors have their own codes of conduct.

Then she touches her snout to my nose and immediately draws back sniffing many times in quick succession while wagging her head a bit. Whether this is because she detects a whiff of garlic still lurking in my breath after my meal of garlic bread or whether it is just another of her many idiosyncracies I do not know.

Next, Angie for that is her name, lies across my chest and watches CNN news with me for a space. But Barack Obama is giving a speech and she soon gets bored with all that talk about the audacity of hope. So she has the audacity to take matters into her own paws. Obviously she prefers another channel.

The clever wench has figured out that the buttons on the remote control have something to do with the changing of the channels and she now ferrets out the remote from under a pillow where I had hidden it and places her paw flat on the remote.

It has the desired effect and a bloated hunk sparsely clothed flashes on the screen before my eyes as he is slam dunked by another bloke similarly attired. But All in Wrestling is not my scene anymore and I fight for the remote and turn it back to the news.

Angie decides it’s time to stand up for her rights. And does. On my chest and stomach. All 150 pounds of her. I’m in excruciating pain but I’m a polite kind of gal and besides I love my Angie. So I say nothing and peer through her under belly to hear Obama say "we are in this race for the downtrodden."

It was Rev. Bro. James of San Bandick that taught Chee Chee Corea to enjoy the English lan-guage. "Learn the finite qualities of this language, my boy......" and then Bro. James would mutter under his breath, "the nuances, the nuances."

One day Chee Chee asked yours truly what Bro. James was muttering under his breath, and I told him... "dunces, dunces." At times Bro. James confused us too. Just follow the drift below.

Actions speak louder than words. The pen is mightier than the sword./ Look before you leap./ He who hesitates is lost./ Many hands make light work. (or) Two heads are better than one. / Too many cooks spoil the soup./ A silent man is a wise one./ A man without words is a man without thoughts./ Beware of Greeks bearing gifts./ Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth./ Clothes make the man./ Don’t judge a book by its cover. (or) All that glitters is not gold.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained./ Better safe than sorry./ The bigger, the better. / The best things come in small packages./ Absence makes the heart grow fonder./ Out of sight, out of mind./ What will be, will be. / Life is what you make it./ Cross your bridges when you come to them./ Forewarned is forearmed./ What’s good for the goose is good for the gander./ One man’s meat is another man’s poison./ With age comes wisdom./ Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings come all wise sayings./ The more, the merrier./ Two’s company; three’s a crowd./ The best things in life are free. / You get what you pay for./ It never rains, than it pours./ Lightning never strikes twice in the same place.

Better to ask the way than to go astray./ Ask no questions and hear no lies./ Never do evil, that good may come of it./ The end justifies the means./ Variety is the spice of life./ Don’t change horses in the middle of a stream./ There is nothing permanent except change. / There is nothing new under the sun.

Never too old to learn./ You can’t teach an old dog new tricks./ Everything comes to him who waits./ He who hesitates is lost./ Opposites attract./ Birds of a feather flock together.

And there’s this group of ladies who are called the ‘committee’ and are the champions of equality between the sexes. Sorry, make that "women are stronger and can multi task." So, one of them attended this conference on women’s rights. Just follow...

The first speaker; a lady from England, stood and said "During last year’s conference, we spoke about being more assertive with our husbands. Well, after the conference, I went home and told my husband, Barrington, that I would no longer cook for him and that he would have to do it himself. After the first day, I saw nothing. The second day, I saw nothing, but on the third day, I saw that he had cooked a wonderful roast lamb." (The crowd cheered).

The second speaker from Russia , stood up and said, "After last year’s conference, I went home and told my husband, Ivan, that I would no longer do his laundry and that he would have to do it himself. The first day, I saw nothing. After the second day, I saw nothing, but on the third day, I saw that he had done not only his own washing, but mine as well" (the crowd again cheered).

The third speaker, an Aboriginal lady, stood up and said, "Afta lass year’s conference, I wen home and tole dat lazy husband of mines, Dingo Jack, dat I was froo pickin up his beer cans, cookin his tucker and washin his undaweah and dat he was goin to haf to do dem himself." (The crowd went wild with cheering and clapping that lasted for five long minutes.) She continued. "Afta da first day, I nevah see nuffin. Afta da second day I nevah see nuffin, but afta da fird day, I could see a little bit outa my leff eye."