Anticipating and Acting Upon Stress in the Workplace

1. Anticipating and Acting Upon Stress in the Workplace Linda Johnson 1

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6. What is the best moment of your life? • Why? • If you only had 30secs left of your life, what would you like to relive? • Why? 6

7. 1 • Happy memories are associated with happy occasions • Positive emotions build individual’s long-lasting psychological, intellectual, physical and social resources • Negative emotions prompt narrow, immediate survival-oriented behaviours aka stress Ref: Friedricksen, B. 1998 7

8. What is Stress? • Definitions? • Why is it so important to businesses? • What are the biological effects and health risks ? • What causes it? • How can we deal with it? 8

9. Definitions of Stress • A situation where the demands are in excess of a person’s ability or perceived ability to cope OR where the demands are not sufficient to maintain a person’s interest in living • The release of stress hormones –cortisol and catecholamines (adrenaline and noradrenaline) into the blood stream • Unavoidable – it’s a fact of life • The basis of many illnesses 9

10. 5 • In business terms, stress is • The second most common reason for being off work • Affects 13.4 million employees • 10.8 million working days lost to stress in 2010/11 with the average number of days off being 27 • Costing the UK economy £3.7bn a year in lost productivity, absenteeism and presenteeism Figures from HSE Working Survey and Priory Group 10

11. In biological terms, sensory receptors activate the hypothalamus, which releases neuro-transmitters to trigger the adrenal glands to release stress hormones • Catecholamines from the adrenal medulla –’ fight or flight hormones’ which control the autonomic nervous system, increase heart rate and oxygen uptake, cause muscles to contract etc • Cortisol (steroid) released from the adrenal cortex raises blood sugar and blood pressure, increases carbohydrate metabolism etc 11

12. Stress hormones affect - • Immune system - it shuts down • Digestive system -digestion slows, bloating, ulcers, cramps, diarrhoea, constipation etc • Metabolism – the body craves sugars and fat stores increased; risk of diabetes and raised cholesterol • Sleep/depression/anxiety • Memory, concentration & learning • Sexual dysfunction • Skin disorders e.g. eczema due to increased perspiration 12

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14. Real health risks when autonomic nervous system continually activated e.g. the heart beats faster while blood vessels constrict; arteries which remain constricted lose elasticity so blood pressure rises to compensate; the removal of fat from body is impaired and blood becomes sticker in preparation for injury so plaque is deposited on blood vessel walls, which also makes the vessels less elastic. The reduction in oxygen leads to chest pain as there isn’t enough oxygen getting to the lungs. If plaque breaks off (clot) there is a risk of heart attack if it lodges in the heart or stroke if it travels to the brain 14

15. If a stressor continues to stimulate the hypothalamus, the body remains constantly ‘on guard’, in a physiological state of stress with possible detrimental mental and physical effects 15

16. Where does stress come from? • Home • Personal/social life • Economy • Political situation • Environment • Work 16

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18. How would you react to these situations? • A party where you don’t know many people? • A new job in a new company? • A move to another part of the country ? • A 500-mile drive through isolated country-side? • A drive through a crime-ridden locality on your own at night? • A trip down to London, you’re doing the driving and your young family is with you in the car? • A dinner party at your in-law’s? • An afternoon of shopping in a large mall? 18

19. How about these scenarios? • You are stuck in a traffic jam which is not looking good. In 10 minutes you will be late for a really important event/meeting/wedding. The battery in your mobile phone is dead. What do you do? • You are at work and it is almost 4.30pm. You have 2 top-priority deadlines to meet and it is your turn to pick up the children from after-school child-care by 6.00pm. You can’t delegate work as your colleagues have time-pressures and the boss is breathing down your neck. What do you do? 19

20. Stress is the physical reaction to the senses; it’s a self created response and, as the research points to, it’s actually all in the mind. A positive outlook tends to keep levels of stress hormones in equilibrium whereas a negative perspective increases levels of stress hormones. Ref: Annals of Behavioural Medicine 20

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22. Stress is a self-created response • Stress is a physical reaction to the senses • Some stress is normal, natural – we need to know we can run away from danger – BUT because the mind cannot differentiate between sources of stress and switch off if the response is unnecessary, it tends to adopt (often inappropriate) coping strategies to deal with the stressor. 22

23. Our reaction to stress depends on our mindset:- • Physiological responses e.g. muscle tension, palpitations, susceptibility to infections, cravings for starchy foods • Cognitive response e.g. worry, excitement, low confidence, hopelessness • Coping strategies e.g. avoiding priority tasks, rigidity or disorganisation, self-destructive behaviours such as smoking & abusing alcohol 23

24. Ways to prevent personal uncontrolled stress and to de-stress - • Develop resilience • Exercise (to release endorphins) • Eat well (to maintain level blood sugar levels) • Relaxation • Keep a stress diary 24

25. Resilience • ‘Bounce-back-ability’ • Attitude (can-do, positive, mindful, focussed, motivated, goal-driven, creative, contributing, good communication) • Adaptable (able to do more with less, open and agreeable to changing structures and roles) • Feeling of empowerment • Contributes to society; life has positive meaning • Good networks and family; compassionate 25

26. Exercise • Releases endorphins which are analgesics, reducing pain and giving a ‘natural high’ • Increases alpha brain waves indicating a relaxed state • Increases feelings of empowerment • Counteract many of the negative effects of stress hormones by increasing muscle tone, strengthening the heart, reducing BP, builds bone, reduces body fat 26

27. Eat Well • Increases sense of empowerment – self-control • Reverses some of the negative effects of stress hormones e.g. regulates blood sugar levels, reduces stored body fat, reduces risk of diabetes, enhances immune system through increased Vitamin C and Zinc, reduces blood stickiness and the risk of blood clots and stroke • Reduced caffeine improves sleep 27

28. Relaxation • The antidote to stress is relaxation, when cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline release is brought back into equilibrium • Active relaxation enables the body to enter a state of deep calmness • It is a mentally active process which takes practice. • Increases alpha wave activity • Ideally 20-60 mins a day, every day – but not before going to sleep! 28

29. Relaxation • Yoga/tai chi • Meditation • Hypnosis with guided imagery* • Self-hypnosis/relaxation CDs* • Deep breathing* • Rhythmic exercise (running, rowing, cycling) • Mindful power walking • Progressive muscle relaxation • Body scan muscle relaxation* 29

30. Keep a stress diary • What caused the stress • How you felt, physically and emotionally • How you responded/behaviour exhibited/attitudes adopted/excuses made • How long did it take you to accept that the stress was self-potentiated? • What positive behaviours did you adopt to remove the stress? 30

31. Workplace solutions • Review job-specs, roles and responsibilities • Reassess work-loads • Ask staff to complete HSE questionnaires to identify hidden sources of stress, bullying etc • Examine lines of communication and control, relationships between managers and reports, and engagement between functions/teams • Ensure appropriate processes and procedures, governance, quality control etc • Ensure the culture is empowering & collaborative 31

32. What is employers’ health and safety responsibility for mental health? • Current legislation is not powerful but by 2015, mental health will be at the forefront of public services; ‘Wellbeing Workplaces’ will become the norm. • The cost of stress to the economy is unsustainable – school-kids are already being informed about stress and how to relax! 32

33. Workplace solutions • Hold relaxation sessions/ provide hypnosis CDs • Train staff on stress and the detrimental effects it has on their physical and mental health. • Encourage healthy eating/exercising • Offer subsidised or free weight control/smoking cessation/freedom from addictions sessions etc. 33

34. Evidence this works? • Astra Zeneca ‘life-counselling’ increased productivity by £600,000 • Grimsby Institute reduced staff stress-related sick days by 57% over 3 years • Stockport Council ‘health wise’ campaign saved £1.58 million by reducing sick days by 44%.  • The British Library saved £160,000 by reducing absenteeism Ref: Business Action in Health 34

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36. Linda Johnson MBA BSc(Hons) GQHP Cert.SM 07585 802035 Skype LindaJohnson802035 linda@releaseyourpotential.co.uk www.releaseyourpotential.co.uk 36