Turning the heat on stress

Stress is the inability of a person to meet demands upon him/her, or a feeling which results from excessive pressure. But there is also "eustress", which is positive stress. In fact a certain level of stress is needed for optimal performance. In the optimal performance zone, you have rational problem solving, resourcefulness, forward progress and personal satisfaction.

Experiments have found that as stress increases so does performance - up to a point. At that point, performance begins to deteriorate with increasing stress. Usually, when we speak of stress, we mean a point beyond the optimal performance level.

The mess from stress

Too much stress causes illness, low self esteem, poor problem solving, irrationality, exhaustion and "burnout". As a species, our intellectual growth has outstripped our physical evolution. As a result, mechanisms "wired in" to ensure our survival have become detrimental responses. We have a "space-age mind in a stone-age body."

Medically speaking, stress causes the release of adrenaline and the stress hormone, cortisol, into the blood stream. These potentially harmful biochemicals cause systemic stimulation and constriction of blood vessels, with a corresponding increase in heart rate and blood pressure, increased sweating, changes in blood composition, altered muscle tone and compromise of the immune system. In the short term you get an upset stomach, ulcers, headaches, twitching, stuttering, neck and back pain, breathlessness and even chest pain.

When you are constantly under a lot of stress, you have physical and psychological frustration, you stew in your own biochemistry, you feel ill - and, eventually, physical damage can occur. Long term stress causes heart disease, stroke, chronic or acute anxiety, depression, ulcers, asthma and other allergies and arthritis. Everyone responds differently to stress. Some feel they are failing and cannot cope, some have increased feelings of guilt, anger, anxiety, exhaustion, reduced libido, resentment and paranoia.

Effects on an organisation include increased absenteeism, presentism (when you are physically there but not actually doing anything constructive), increased accidents, poor job performance and productivity, low morale, health care claims, industrial relationship difficulties, poor customer care, staff burnout and high staff turnover.

To reduce the effects of stress, we need healthy relationships, proper nutrition, aerobic exercise, relaxation and meditation.

Stress Buster One: Healthy relationships

Healthy relationships require effective communication, openness and support which lead to trust, reduced stress and improved general health.These relationships include those with our families, friends and colleagues at work or places of worship. Good interpersonal communication will determine 85% of our life satisfaction: job satisfaction/frustration, relationship successes/failures, financial compensation etc.

Stress Buster Two: Nutrition

Proper nutrition involves identifying and removing stress inducing foods from our diet. What is in your food is just as important as what is left out. Avoid stress promoting diets containing white flour, white sugar, salt, caffeine, fats and oils, cigarettes, additives and alcohol. These might cause fluid retention, raised blood pressure, increased cholesterol and disturbed sleep which can compound the effects of mental stress. Eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables which contain a lot of minerals, vitamins and antioxidants.

Stress Buster Three: Exercise

Exercise is a natural solution to stress. Sustained exercise "burns up" excess adrenaline and neutralises its negative effects. It induces the release of endorphins, which are hormones that reduce pain and induce a sense of wellbeing. Blood noradrenaline levels rise and may reduce depression. Aerobic exercise like walking produces these benefits while conditioning the cardiovascular system.

Stress Buster Four: Relaxation and meditation

Relaxation and meditation are forgotten arts. Relaxation outside of work helps you become "whole" again. Take time for yourself, rest, do things that absorb you without putting up your blood pressure. Take a holiday with family and see the sights, eat out in restaurants, walk and talk. Yoga, meditation, breathing exercises and progressive muscle relaxation all help you become relaxed and calm.

The busy, multitasking, 24/7 working, non-holidaying executive should take note. A four year study published in the October issue of the Harvard Business Review showed that achieving more at work was actually achieved by working less, and making sure time off work was really time "off work" - with no meetings, no tele-commuting and (dare I say it?) no blackberries. Done in an organised way, productivity and output were seen to be increased.

What wellness really means

Wellness is a combination of good health, a good mental attitude and increased creativity. It is not just the absence of illness, but the presence of good behaviours that promote good health. When you have a sense of wellbeing and you are happy and relaxed, you feel well, fit and healthy. Your stress levels are low and your creativity and productivity are up.

Wellness programmes run within organisations help improve awareness and education about healthy lifestyles. They include medical checks and health goals for staff. These programmes have been shown to improve staff loyalty, morale, health, customer service and productivity. They decrease absenteeism and staff turnover and increase retention of talented staff. Live long and thrive.

Ejiofoh-Alli is a medical doctor, and Medical Director of Art of Living Nigeria