Coping with stress at work

Barbara Jones

When running a business, there is no end to the tasks that you need to perform.

Everyone wants a piece of you, including your family. Add to this the fear that is being generated as a consequence of the recent global financial meltdown, and it’s pretty hard to remain focussed and mentally engaged, rather than worrying.

This statement, from a CEO, is not uncommon. The fear he mentions is bringing on high levels of mental anxiety not only in the wider community, but more so, for those running businesses both small and large.

What this mental anxiety roughly translates into is a preoccupation with things that might go wrong, which in turn hampers ability to perform. At the very time it is crucial to focus on the issues at hand, your mind can be letting you down.

When unable to regulate response to fear and move to a more rational way of looking at stressful situations, our ultimate behavioural response will be ineffective -and can lead to even more stress.

A recent study commissioned by Medibank Private has highlighted that stress in Australian workplaces is costing the economy $14.8 billion a year. This suggests that for many of us our coping resources are being outpaced by the degree of stress we are experiencing. And, of course, long-term stress can turn into burn-out.

However, job stress alone does not produce burn-out. Some people, because of their personalities, are going to be more susceptible than others.

And some reach the tipping point when they feel the need to inhibit their natural inclinations over an extended period of time. This often happens when an organisation’s policy is inconsistent with what actually occurs, say for example, policies on work/life balance.

Appropriate career choice can also influence our ability to cope with stress-but in a positive way. If we are in the “right” job, we are likely to be supported by higher levels of self-belief, optimism, hope and resilience. These all add up to differing levels of psychological capital-what gets us through the tough times.

How are you coping?

We all like to believe that we are, in one way or another. But are we coping in an effective or non-effective way?

Those who can expect to see sustainable benefits are those who use highly adaptive methods of coping-exercise, good diet, relaxation, good sleep, time with family and friends, and mostly, responding to the pressure in a more rational way.

On the other hand, huge numbers of us aren’t coping well. This type of coping in medical terms is called “maladaptive”, and this is where the discussion must be opened up and better assistance provided to help executives cope.

I asked an eminent psychiatrist what he saw as the most oft-used maladaptive coping mechanism. He said, “Denial!”

So, what are we denying?

Statistics tell us that where anxiety is diagnosed, there will also be co-morbidity (another illness/disorder). In a very high percentage of cases (between 60-70 per cent) this will be substance abuse. And many of those substances fall under the banner of being legal.

Recent Australian statistics comparing the use of heroin to the use of opioids (pain killers containing morphine) as well as benzodiazepines (used for sleep and anxiety reduction) are both surprising and alarming.

Where we would expect abuse of heroin to be higher, abuse of those legal drugs is much, much higher. In some cases, up to five times higher.

Alcohol remains a favourite means of self-medicating, and is reasonably acceptable in our Australian culture.

Executives experiencing stress and anxiety who rely on maladaptive coping approaches are at risk of making ineffective decisions, of lacking the clarity of thought vital to executive responsibility and of damaging important relationships within their sphere of business.

There is also a genuine material risk of reputation damage for organisations if the leadership style of their executives is questioned.

Whilst exact statistics are not yet available on the degree of prescription drugs or alcohol used within Australian business to reduce anxiety, anecdotally it would appear to be high. But, relief without drugs or alcohol is possible and will lead to more positive outcomes for all involved.

This requires acknowledgement of the problem and a commitment to address it at both the individual level and by the organisations themselves.

Once honest with ourselves it is possible to learn how to think differently. This will bring immediate benefit and help restore the energy needed to cope in more adaptive ways.

Barbara Jones is the managing director of Executive Mandala