Stress in construction industry can be managed

Strict deadlines and budgets, a tight la-bor market, and strict demands from owners and suppliers make foremen, superintendents, general contractors and subcontractors lightning rods for stress.

Since stress is inevitable and a person will not be able to change others, the key is transforming oneself.

A single traumatic event that a person is conscious of rarely leads to lasting physical and mental problems. The ongoing, unconscious stressors will generate the most damage. The body reacts the same to both types of stressors.

Overabundance of stress

Four areas must be examined to determine if an individual has an overabundance of negative stress.

First, he should assess his physical state. Does he experience regular head-aches, optical migraines, high blood pressure, heart palpitations, poor digestion, stomach pains, a tendency to grit his teeth and lock his jaw, or an out-of-control thought life?

Second, he should review his mental processes in this physical industry. Does he have trouble making decisions at the site that used to be effortless? Is he worrying over trivial items and not feeling concern over the real challenges?

Third, analyze behaviors. Would he call himself a workaholic? Does he find himself working harder than required for the job at hand? Does he lose control of his temper and express unsuitable fits of anger? Does he have trouble getting along with others, such as subcontractors and suppliers? Have his sleep patterns been disrupted? Is his error rate increasing and his memory decreasing? Is he increasing his usage of cigarettes, alcohol or prescription drugs? Has he experienced an abrupt reversal of typical behavior?

Fourth, he should reflect upon his thought life. Does he continually focus on his failures and weaknesses? Are feelings of worthlessness, ineffectiveness, rejection and insecurity heightened? Is he feeling suspicious and mistrustful of his laborers? Is an inordinate amount of his time spent daydreaming?

Managing stress

Several actions will enable the individual to isolate and manage negative stress while continuing to effectively work in the construction industry.

He should determine the source of his discomfort. Options to investigate in-clude his boss, peers, subordinates, workload, deadlines, pay, company politics, travel required and the demand for a large number of work hours per day.

He should place stressors in proper perspective, wipe off the emotional slate, and stop running from what stresses him. He should evaluate and deal with each stressor. He should determine where he is now versus where he wants to be. He should establish goals with action plans and deadline dates. He should ascertain obstacles he knows will arise and devise plans for overcoming each barrier.

Changing attitude

He can cease self-induced stress by changing his attitude. He should face reality. He should not let other people and the circumstances he finds himself in determine his level of stress. Life is unfair.

Not everyone will like him. Tell him the truth, keep promises, maintain confidences, acknowledge his efforts, reward his hard work and sacrifice and abstain from gossiping about him.

(Lynne Haggerman is president/ owner of Haggerman & Associates, a retained search, outplacement, management training, and human re-sources consulting firm.)