Stress and Relaxation in the Work Environment

How are you feeling today?  Uptight?  Wound up?  Or relaxed?
It has been estimated that stress and stress related conditions cost the average business £1,000 per employee per year.  Leading medical research indicates that up to 90% of human illnesses are stress related.  The average employee loses something like one and a half years from work in their lifetime.  The CBI estimate absenteeism costs British businesses around £5 billion a year and drugs and alcohol abuse a further £1 billion.

Stress affects people from all walks of life.  At a basic level, stress impairs one's capacity to live life fully.  On a more serious level, it has the power to precipitate a highly stressed individual towards an early death.  It could be said to be the modern equivalent of the plague.

So, how do we handle the stress levels in our lives?  Usually we don't.  Either it gets ignored and gets worse, or we try to ease it away via alcohol.  Little wonder then that stress takes such a toll on the British economy.  Unfortunately, because it is such an intangible thing, (and also because of the British stiff upper lip attitude towards health-related topics) its effects on the company's bottom line is often forgotten.

The term STRESS was never meant to be applied to people.  The word is bandied about glibly today yet what does STRESS really mean?  Going back to mechanics and physics, the basic idea is simple - there are forces, pressures, stresses, stressors or demands being exerted on individuals and if they are unable to cope with them they may suffer damage.  Things external to you may upset you!  Can you cope, in other words, with the external forces such as work overload, time pressures etc. - but can you also cope with your own attitudes, thoughts and behaviour patterns concerning these forces?

Do you feel in control of situations most of the time?  Are you confident in your abilities and can you 'switch off' when you get home?  Are you a positive, outward-looking person most days or do you dwell on negative thoughts and words and actions?  Are you calm and thoughtful or do you anger easily and fly off the handle?  Watching yourself occasionally and being aware of your reactions to stressful events can teach you a lot about how to handle the stressors in your life.

Learning to Relax

By learning to relax, both physically and mentally, and changing negative thought patterns you will avoid stress-related illnesses.  For managers, it is essential that you are able to recognise early signs of stress in the work-force too.  Organisations which employ counsellors and Stress Management or Relaxation Therapists have proved that, used even in the short term, they can be cost-effective, adaptable for groups of individuals at any organisational level and compatible with the commercial ethos.  There is a very fine line between getting the adrenaline flowing and turning people into nervous wrecks in the work environment.  Encouraging people to learn how to handle their stress and teaching them how to relax is not only necessary but beneficial to the company in the long term.

Stress-related illnesses account for some 48% of untreatable deaths in Britain.  Disorders of the cardiovascular system, the digestive system, muscles and joints, diabetes, allergies, asthma, sleep disorders, behavioural disorders such as smoking, over-eating, loss of appetite, drug abuse, alcohol abuse and emotional disorders - anxiety, depression and phobias - are all stress-related and cause tremendous problems to managers and employees alike.

It has been said that women are particularly liable to suffer from stress at work.  Some workplace stressors such as sexual harassment are almost always perpetuated by men on women and generally organisations are male dominated.  Women also have to cope with varying roles in a day - going from mother and nursemaid, cook and housekeeper through to organiser, consultant, executive or secretary.  It is therefore very important for female managers or employees to learn to 'switch off' between roles and also to educate others to respect her space and need for time-out.

Stress-Busting

Stress Awareness Workshops can help you understand what is happening to you - physically and mentally when you are under stress - and can also help you to recognise it in others.  Workshops and one-to-one sessions are primarily concerned with helping you to develop more psychologically healthy ways of coping with problems.

I am able to run Stress-Busting workshops to groups of management or employees on site at your premises or to work on an individual basis one-to-one as required.  Please contact me to discuss your needs.  My workshops are down to earth, informative, effective and fun.

Ideally all companies could benefit from Stress Management and Counselling Services because, no matter how well a business is run, employees will always have problems which are disturbing.  When there is evidence of them becoming stressed because of their problems, then some provision needs to be made even if, in the first instance, it operates on an "ad hoc basis".  There may even be a legal requirement to provide stress management services to employees.  Also, by doing so, you are sending out a message to your workforce that you are a caring employer committed to their well-being, which in turn should lead them to feeling more motivated to help your business succeed.  This can be particularly important when key individuals within a company are involved.

Counselling, assertiveness training, stress awareness training, hypnosis and relaxation training using biofeedback techniques and exercise are all popular strategies to help people with stress.  This is a constructive way of dealing with anger.  Remember always to be clear, open and honest and you will avoid a lot of stress and tension.  Always give respect and expect it in return.

If you are always busy, rushing about and have no time, you can change and subsequently life and work will be easier.  Learning to relax is one of the first things to do.  Relaxation training involves learning the skill of muscular and mental 'letting go' and the benefits are enormous - it helps you to relieve stress, cope with strain, combat fatigue, lessen pain, assist healing, improve performance or physical skills, ease relationships with others, counteract phobias, improve sleep and encourage tranquility of mind.  Yoga, meditation and relaxation emphasis the importance of correct breathing in helping with stress and anxiety.

Through following relaxation and stress management techniques in training sessions and through using follow up tapes regularly, you will notice your ability to cope is increased.  You will find that as you become more relaxed that you are an easier person to be around and you will have a more rational attitude and view on life.  All this takes time.  It will not happen overnight, so be prepared to practice until you achieve your objectives.

For further information regarding some techniques to help you cope with stress, CLICK HERE

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