Stress! Just the thought and sound of the word can get the blood pumping and the nostrils flaring. If you’ve been thinking that work and life seem to be getting more and more stressful, you’re not imagining it. Take a look at the following statistics:

* 1 in 3 adults suffer from moderate to extreme stress, a 40% increase in 4 years
* Australia has the 2nd longest working hours in the developed world, behind Korea
* Stress-related workers compensation claims have increased by 400% in the last 10 years and now cost more than $2 billion pa.
* Depression is predicted to be the leading occupational disease of the 21st century, responsible for more days lost than any other single factor
* Stress in the UK workplace has outstripped backache as the number one cause of lost productivity

The 21st Century Black Plague

Stress is a global phenomenon and has been termed the black plague of the 21st Century. In Japan they have even invented a word for burnout – karoshi. The Japanese government reports that each year more than 10,000 businessmen literally work themselves to death. Stress at work is to blame.

In Hong Kong, burnout is a relatively new phenomenon because workers are only finally feeling okay about revealing that they aren’t in control. This has previously been seen as a weakness, as it is in many cultures and countries. Workplace psychologists in Hong Kong are now booked months in advance.

Why is distress and burnout on the rise?

In the old days stress was mainly caused by environmental problems including drought, fire and floods; as well as spiraling inflation, famine and war.

Modern day distress is more due to the way we live our lives – controlled by work, debt, technology, time and other people’s demands. The end result is feeling overwhelmed and out of control Sounding familiar? Key areas identified that create stress overload include:
* Growing psychological demands with the obsession to increase productivity and work longer hours
* The need to gather and apply growing amounts of information, called data deluge or information obesity
* Media tend to report more on negative news as this has been proven to sell better than positive news
* Perfection Infection – obsession with trying to live perfect lives with the perfect job, relationships, family, house, body and so on
* Job insecurity – remember when people use to have a job for life?
* Lack of effective communication and conflict-resolution methods among workers and families
* Demographic changes such as aging workers, female participation in the workforce, and the integration of a growing population of ethnic and racial minorities into the workplace
* The need for both men and women to balance obligations between work and family
* Grid locked traffic, rising credit card bills, technology constantly binging and dinging, and the inability to draw boundaries between work and life
* Instant gratification – we have been taught to believe that we can everything right here and right now

Stress Arrester Tips

There are a couple of simple but very effective ways to manage stress such as:
* Personal organisation. Make a list of all the things that make you feel stressed. Once identified, try and relax in these situations and learn to tackle the source where possible.
* Time management. Stop trying to do more than one thing at a time, take jobs in order of importance and plan ahead. Refer to Organisation switch.
* Take regular exercise. Cycling, jogging, swimming and working out in the gym, are ideal ways of reducing tension caused by stress. Refer to Movement switch.
* Learn relaxation techniques. These can include activities like meditation or yoga, or simple things like listening to music, reading or taking the dog for a walk.
* Find ways to escape in your spare time and build in regular holidays/breaks
* Improving your communications skills

Managing stress and avoiding burnout is an essential skill to thrive in today’s frantically paced world. Invest valuable time towards managing stress and building resilience. And please seek additional help through a psychologist or counselor if you still feel overwhelmed after trying these strategies.

(Reference sources: Catalyst: Workplace stress – stopping the juggernaut, ABC; Stress Reducing Milk: The Daily Telegraph; ACTU statistics; New Horizon Consulting: Stress, Workload and Job Control)

Andrew May is is considered Australia’s leading expert on performance and productivity and is the author of the bestselling book, Flip the Switch. Andrew speaks at conferences across the globe, mentors CEO’s and senior managers. He is published throughout national and international media, with regular segments on 2UE radio, Mix 106.5 Body and Soul and Channel Nine’s TODAY show.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 at 2:04 am and is filed under mind, work. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.