More than a third deliberately decreased the quality of their work. simul taneous events: an external stimulus called a stressor, and the emotionaland physical responses to that stimulus (fear, anxiety, surging heart rate and blood pressure, fast breathing, muscle tension, and so on). Good stressors (a ski run, a poetry contest) inspire you to achieve. Two-thirds spent a lot of Its critical that companies do something to address the rampant negative effects of workplace stress if they want to competeeffectively, but often the kinds of programs they institute are stopgaps. HR may bring in a lecturer once or twice a year or set up tai chi sessions and urge everyone to go, but few people show up because they feel they cant take the time to eat their lunch, much less spend an hour doing something perceivedas both unrelated to work and relaxing to boot. Unlesstime avoiding the offender,and about the same number said their performance had declined.