STRESS AND LIFESTYLE MANAGEMENT

Creating the balance

In today's world of uncertainty, tension, and change, organisations are becoming increasingly sensitive to the effect of stress on employee health and productivity.

Most employees want information on stress management. Fortunately, appropriate and effective solutions to stress-related problems are available.

Stress has surpassed the common cold as the most prevalent health problem. The problem is compounded by the fact that most people are not aware of "safe" stress levels that they can deal with.

Stress is not a condition of the mind. Its effects are felt throughout the entire body: mentally, physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually.

In our time-pressured, achievement-orientated and ever-changing technological world - we are under constant stress. Total health is dependent on the ability to adapt to stressful situations.

Today, with these accelerated changes, the demands of both business and personal life are multiplying. In an attempt to cope with these pressures people risk pushing themselves beyond their physical and mental limits.

Every day the valuable resources of South African leadership potential in commerce and industry are dwindling - due to stress related diseases.

Industry stands to benefit from a healthy workforce. Healthy and motivated people are the most expensive assets to recruit, train, and keep and to replace.

Organisations today are spending millions of rands on training - upgrading skills at all levels in order to operate more efficiently and effectively. But, what is being spent on the core asset of the organisation - the mental and physical health of the employees?

Today, with an increased awareness, the overall health of managers/workers is being perceived as part of the overall strategy for corporate survival.

Now is the time to address these critical issues in the "corporate battlefield".

Stress that is not correctly managed is hugely destructive to personal health and happiness. It wrecks careers, adversely affects organisations, destroys relationships, undermines self-confidence and prevents one from reaching one's true potential.

When stress is correctly managed and controlled it can be a powerful source of creative energy enabling us to live our lives to the full. If one allows stress to get out of hand it can, unfortunately, become very destructive.

Hence the importance of stress management cannot be overlooked - before people succumb to its debilitating effects.

With all of these demands more and more people are "burning out". We need to look at ways of preventing burnout as opposed to the more difficult and costly task of rehabilitation.

Some of the issues that are included in the presentation:

Overview of stress: the facts
The stress process
Examining existing stress levels
Identifying signs and symptoms of stress
Looking at individual reactions to stres
Stress in the organisation
Family and relationship stress
Understanding the relationship between stress and illness
Understanding the Type A personality
Creating the Balance
Stress and Lifestyle Management Action Plan
Depending on time availability a relaxation technique may be taught