Answer to Question 1
Answer: The key activities that characterize most individuals' lives include cultural activities, family activities, intellectual activities, physical activities, social activities, spiritual activities, and work activities. The most resilient individuals are those who have achieved a certain degree of life balance. They actively engage in each of the activities so that they achieve a degree of balance in their lives. Individuals who are best able to cope with stress spend time developing a variety of dimensions of their lives. Overemphasizing one or two activities to the exclusion of others often creates more stress than it eliminates. When an individual feels stress in one area of life, such as an overloaded work schedule, he/she typically responds by devoting more time and attention to it. Although this is a natural reaction, it is counterproductive for several reasons. First, the more one concentrates exclusively on work, the more restricted and less creative one becomesloses perspective, ceases to take fresh points of view, and becomes overwhelmed more easily. Second, refreshed and relaxed minds think better. Third, the costs related to stress decrease markedly when employees participate in well-rounded wellness programs.
Answer to Question 2
Answer: Work redesign focuses on eliminating situational stressors. Hackman's model of job redesign has proved effective in reducing stress and increasing satisfaction and productivity. It consists of five aspects of work: (1) Skill variety: the opportunity to use multiple skills in performing work; (2) Task identity the opportunity to complete a whole task; (3) Task significance: the opportunity to see the impact of the work being performed; (4) Autonomy: the opportunity to choose how and when the work will be done; and (5) Feedback: the opportunity to receive information on the success of task accomplishment. Ways the model can be applied to reduce stress-producing job strain include combining tasks, forming identifiable work units, establishing customer relationships, increasing decision-making authority, and opening feedback channels.