Managing stress

You work long hours dealing with increased costs and competition, ongoing personnel issues and concerns about job security. You are a prime candidate for stress and a host of health threats ranging from cardiovascular disease and cancer to gastrointestinal problems and a laundry list of immune system disturbances.

The good news is that stress, while a constant in our lives, can be managed, and its debilitating effects minimized.

The costs of unmanaged stress are extraordinarily high to individuals and organizations. An estimated one million workers are absent every day because of stress-related complaints. Nearly half of all Ameri-cans suffer from symptoms of burnout, and more than 40% of job turnover is stress-related. The cost to U.S. industry is $300 million annually and, recently, worker compensation awards have soared.

So what is this overbearing beast? By one definition, stress is the result of constant pressure on the mind or body. It can also be brought about by change—positive or negative.

Some common distress signals include lack of concentration; irritability; chronic fatigue; increased susceptibility to illness; sleep disturbances; frequent headaches; feelings of incompetence; procrastination; and withdrawal.

These symptoms routinely lead to physical and emotional burnout. People often say "I've got to get out of this rat race" or "This just isn't fun anymore." Individuals often attribute stress to the organization, but they neglect to see that some of it is self-imposed.

In small doses, stress can be good. It motivates, it helps dealing with deadlines and critical decisions, and it enhances creativity. But constant, overwhelming stress turns to distress. People begin to feel out of control, helpless and eventually depressed. Individuals who experience stress talk about the "more-better" syndrome—do it more, do it better, no matter how well you did yesterday. As a result, they walk into work feeling stressed, and they take it out on co-workers, family and friends.

Some people clearly thrive on this kind of pressure. To them, surviving is a badge of courage. They are the people who choose to be workaholics, but need to recognize the repercussions of having less energy for relationships and relaxation. Research shows that, in the long run, people who deal with stress effectively balance the energy invested in work, leisure and family.

Too many people maintain they don't have time for stress management. Such a statement is in itself a symptom of too much stress. For people interested in doing the best possible job, stress management is necessary to increase efficiency and effectiveness to develop a greater level of happiness and satisfaction. People must also take time out for recreation and relaxation. The word "recreation" implies to recreate, or put energy back intoourselves.

Individuals today possess the same stress reactions as primitive humans. But instead of being confronted with saber tooth tigers, our daily interactions are with such fierce adversaries as telephones, costs, competition and customers. Our situations may be less dire, but they are constant and rarely allow us to replenish our energy reserve for the next crisis.

Coping strategies are varied and individualistic. They can range from such approaches as breathing, relaxation, biofeedback, mental health days, exercise and laughter to time management, positive imagery, worry cessation and nutritional basics—some of which will be discussed in upcoming columns.

The choice is yours. Stress does not have to be your enemy.