The Ever Increasing Problem of Unhealthy Stress

Thanks to my friend, John Bremner, I am becoming aware of the increasing problem that unhealthy and undo stress is becoming in our society today. Unfortunately the impact of stress has not been on my radar. As leaders, we are responsible to and for our people, and so being attuned to the stress of our people is appropriate.

Of course, certain stress can be healthy, for example a due date for a project may cause us to prepare early or an upcoming presentation or speech may lead us to practice well ahead of time.

However, most stress is not healthy, just the opposite. It can be a heavy burden we carry and can, for some, lead to depression, anxiety and or unhappiness.

We all have issues, each and every one of us, be the issues professional or personal.

A dynamic today though, is that in the crazy busy world we live in now, we seem to have precious little time to relax, to read, to listen to music we love, to have unrushed conversations with our loved ones. We are always on the go and or trying to keep up with emails, texts and the endless flow of information coming at us on the internet.

Stress may be caused by our work. Most people have more work than can be done in a work day, caused by the consistent pressure to do more, often with fewer resources. And often by unrealistic goals from the top down.

Stress can be compounded when we feel taken for granted and not appreciated at work, or not heard, or not trusted and empowered, or maybe we have a manager who is self-absorbed and not helpful.

Stress could well be coming from our personal lives, illness, our own or a family member, an abusive relationship, financial pressures, children who are struggling and many other all to common issues.

Just think of the pressures caused by the ever increasing number of children with ADHD and the mounting stress as our children worry about college admission and the ever mounting costs of tuition.

Undo and unhealthy stress can be debilitating, and it is becoming all the more so to a significantly increasing number of people, and very likely a number of people in our company.

As leaders, let’s be aware that stress is becoming a huge issue and try to be helpful. First, by walking the halls and connecting with our people. If we sense that someone is under undo stress perhaps we can, through two-way conversations and asking questions, learn the cause(s).

Let me state though, we must let everyone know that if someone allows themselves to be vulnerable and discusses their stress issues, that they must know, be assured, that such information is private and confidential, is not recorded in their file and is not used for promotion, compensation or any other decisions.

If we learn that someone’s stress is caused by their work, we should certainly try to address the issue, be it too much work, unrealistic goals and expectations and or a manager whose leadership skills are lacking. Let’s not let it fester. Let’s address it. That is our responsibility as a leader!

Much of the stress our people are under is personal, and there are actions we can take to be helpful. We can let them know that we care and find working solutions to help reduce their stress. It may mean allowing some flexibility in work hours or working from home for a period of time. This could help increase their productivity as the weight of their stress is diminished. This means a lot to them.

I mentioned John Bremner earlier. He has designed a simple online stress assessment at www.stresscount.com. It’s quick and I believe costs just $3.99. I’ve taken it and founded it helpful, especially as what gets measured, gets improved. There is also a very reasonable consultation available by phone.

I believe a stress assessment offered by companies would be a wonderful benefit. It is inexpensive and could be very helpful to our people.