Relax! Your business depends on it.

Each year the number of people reporting work-related stress, depression and anxiety is rising. In fact, numerous studies have pointed out work-related stress as being the greatest source of stress for adults across significant parts of the world. 

This kind of chronic long-term stress is debilitating for personal and business health. In the UK alone, 12.5 million working days were lost due to work-related stress, depression and anxiety. In 2016, it was reported that US companies were spending about $300 billion annually for health care and missed work days because of workplace stress.

Several surveys have highlighted too little time and too much work as the primary causes of work-related stress, but the UK Health & Safety Executive have identified six key areas that can lead to work-related stress if they aren't managed properly. These are: 

1. DEMANDS: they can’t cope with the demands of their jobs
2. CONTROL: they're unable to control the way they do their work
3. SUPPORT: they don’t receive enough information and support
4. RELATIONSHIPS: they're having trouble with relationships at work, or are being bullied
5. ROLE: they don’t fully understand their role and responsibilities
6. CHANGE: they aren't engaged when a business is undergoing change

There are some great organizations that are working hard to create the kind of work environment and support systems that effectively reduce work-related stress. However, the statistics show us that businesses need to do much better if they want to continue to protect their people and their future financial success. 

The truth is that stress is subjective and the way in which one person responds to it will be different to another. We can't always expect others to mitigate the stressors in our lives, so it's important that we create strategies to reduce our own stress levels and dampen the negative impact of the crap life and work inevitably throws our way from time to time.

Here is a selection of tips inspired by advice from the American Psychological Association and the National Health Service (UK) to help you manage your stress levels and increase your ability to enjoy a working life worth living.

Stay healthy and active:

During stressful periods, many of us indulge in unhealthy crutches such as smoking, alcohol or comfort foods (caffeine, sugar, etc.). As a result, we become more depressed (due to changes in our self-esteem and brain chemistry) and physically fatigued, making us even less resilient than we were to begin with. 

Moving your body, even a little bit each day, creates chemical changes in your brain (endorphins) that positively boosts your mood and lowers rates of anxiety and depression. Some scientists also think that being active can improve well-being by bringing about a greater sense of self-esteem, self-control and the ability to rise to a challenge.

Get some sleep:

Founder of The Huffington Post and best-selling author of The Sleep Revolution: Transforming your life one night at a time, Arianna Huffington highlights the problem well, “The glamorization of sleep deprivation is deeply embedded in our culture. Everywhere you turn, sleep deprivation is celebrated, from ‘you snooze, you lose’ to highly burned-out people boasting, ‘I’ll sleep when I’m dead.’ Over 70% of Americans have said they don’t get enough sleep every night, yet we expect to find the energy to do more and keep going for longer without a recharge. We don’t even expect that from our smart phones! 

The negative impact of sleep deprivation is huge: weakened immune system and increased risk of chronic illnesses; weight gain; lowered sex drive; mood changes; decreased short and long term memory; and decreased concentration, creativity and problem-solving skills. The importance of sufficient sleep is abundantly clear so, reduce the amount of caffeine you consume during the day; remove all dopamine inducing devices (TV, smartphones, video games, computers, etc) from the bedroom and hit the pillow early. 

Take a break:

A recent survey in the US found that the number of Americans taking their allocated holiday had increased for the first time in 7 years. BUT, more than half didn’t use up their full allocation and over a quarter didn’t take any vacation at all. Surprisingly, the situation in the UK is much the same. In a similar UK survey, they found that only 2 in 5 UK employees (40%) took a maximum of just half their annual leave entitlement in 2017. To avoid chronic stress and burn-out you need to switch off and take a break. Whether that’s moving away from your desk, leaving your smartphone behind and going for a 10-minute walk or taking a well-deserved holiday without responding to emails the whole time you’re away, you have the right and responsibility to take those breaks and recharge. 

Talk it out:

Moaning and complaining about your situation can feel very therapeutic in the moment, but it has the complete opposite effect you’re hoping for. You’ve probably heard the expression, “Where your focus goes, energy flows.”When you focus on the negatives that are happening around you, you inadvertently allow yourself to see and experience nothing else. Alternative solutions could be at your fingertips, but you aren’t allowing yourself to be in the right headspace to notice them. You also attract others who want to commiserate in the same negative energy, making it even more difficult to attract and identify those who can actively help you reduce or eliminate the source of the negative stressors.

However, talking to the right people in the right way can be hugely beneficial. 

Healthy employees tend to be more productive, so it’s in your boss’best interest to support employee well-being at every opportunity. If you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed, anxious, etc it’s important to share this with your project or line manager. Don’t start off with a shopping list of complaints and expect them to fix it all for you, especially as they might not be aware that there is a problem at this stage. Instead, explain to them what you’re experiencing and how it’s impacting your work. Then offer them some possible solutions and strategies to help you reduce or manage that stress. For instance, are there courses could you take to improve your skills; colleagues you could reach out to for peer to peer or mentoring support; are there more challenging or stretching projects for you to work on that might help enrich your work experience; simple changes to your workspace to make, etc…

Talking it out with trusted friends and family is also an important way to stay connected with others. When you’re able to connect with your employers, colleagues, friends and family on a very personal and human level your brain releases oxytocin – often referred to as the ‘love’hormone. The release of oxytocin is triggered by a sense of relationship and belonging and is believed to contribute positively to relaxation, trust and psychological stability. 

Of course, not everyone feels comfortable sharing their concerns with their colleagues or friends. If necessary, don’t be shy in seeking out some professional support. Many companies are members of Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) which have excellent stress management resources you can tap into. These can include on-line courses, as well as counselling and referrals to other mental health professionals if needed. Your GP can also refer you to excellent support services local to you that have no connection with your employer.

There will always be stressors in our life, many of which we can’t control, but we can help to minimize their impact by improving the way we respond to them. If you found this article useful, please leave your thoughts in the comments below. Alternatively, if you'd like to take part in an ongoing discussion with other exceptional leaders looking to revolutionise the way we work, so that we can improve the way the world lives, please join our free FaceBook Group – The MOJO Mobilizers Collective. Looking forward to seeing you there.