You could say stress is how the strains of modern life affect the way we think and the way our bodies work.  The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says stress is "the adverse reaction people have to excessive  pressure or other types of demands placed on them".  However defined, if not managed properly, stress may hinder our ability to live positively and creatively. It's not an illness but can lead to increased health problems if it is prolonged or particularly intense. 

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Lethargy, tiredness, drops in productivity, backaches, headaches, frustration, poor communication, anxiety, illness, depression and lack of concentration are all signs that stress may be affecting you.  

When poorly managed, stress can result in poor motivation, staff absenteeism, low productivity and poor performance. So no wonder stress is predicted to become the most dangerous risk to business in the early part of the 21st century (Association of Insurance and Managers 2000).  Businesses just can't afford to ignore the facts about stress.  

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Good stress management is crucial to the physical and mental well-being of us all.   The HSE thinks stress is such a serious problem in the workplace that in November 2004, they launched Stress Management Standards.  We can help your organisation tackle stress in the right way. 

We'll help you develop strategies to suit your particular needs that you can incorporate into daily life.  You can have a one to one consultation or we can arrange group seminars to evaluate how stress is affecting you or your organisation.   We'll explore a broad range of tehcniques such as fitness classes, time management, massage, meditation and counselling which can all help people cope with both the every day and unusual demands of life.   

Contact us if you'd like to make a booking, arrange a seminar or find out more about the benefits of stress management and how it can help your business.

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The HSE says recent research indicates:

• stress is still the most common reason for people taking time off work in the UK (about 60% of absences - over-taking the common cold)
• stress accounts for up to 70% of all visits to doctors
• about half a million people in the UK experience work-related stress at a level they believe is making them ill
• up to 5 million people in the UK feel "very" or "extremely" stressed by their work (more than 1 in 5 workers!)
• an estimated 270,000 people take time off work every day in the UK due to stress related illness
• In 2003/4, about 12.8 million days off work were attributed to work related stress, anxiety or depression
• work-related stress costs society about £3.7 billion every year
• single compensation payouts for work-related stress have cost businesses up to £500,000

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