| | By Keith Mitchell
Professionals are
often the last group of
people that are
considered as needing
support. This may in
part be due to society’s
view that: people who
have high level jobs
earn good money, can
afford a nice home and
are likely to be
surrounded by friends
and family. What could
possibly be their source
of stress?
What may not be
readily understood is
that these very
attributes are
frequently the causes of
many people’s stress –
work, money, family and
relationships.
The signs of stress
may be emotional,
physical or behavioural.
On an emotional level,
the signs can include
poor judgment, a
generally negative
outlook, excessive
worrying, moodiness,
irritability, agitation,
inability to relax, and
feeling lonely, isolated
or depressed.
Physically, the
individual may
experience aches and
pains, diarrhoea or
constipation, nausea,
dizziness, chest pain,
rapid heartbeat, eating
too much or not enough,
sleeping too much or not
enough. Behaviourally,
the individual may
socially withdraw,
procrastinate or neglect
responsibilities.
The NHS has stated
that although it is
difficult to produce
figures on the exact
numbers of people
experiencing stress, it
estimates that a quarter
of all adults will have
a mental health problem,
such as depression or
anxiety, at some point
in their lives. The same
issues that contribute
to these conditions,
such as divorce and
unemployment, may also
be the underlying causes
of stress. They also
suggest that recent
surveys estimate that
during 2008 and 2009,
over 400,000 people in
Britain experienced
work-related stress that
was making them unwell.
Another survey from 2009
found that around one in
six workers thought that
their job was stressful.
(
www.nhs.uk/conditions/st
ress/)
Stress
management
One of the major
challenges that face the
professional, whether
working independently or
as part of a group or
team, is stress
management. Balancing
the demands of a busy
life with numerous | |
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credibility within one’s
chosen field, winning
contracts and delivering
agreed outcomes, time
with family and friends
and time alone, can
leave us feeling
stretched beyond our
capacity.
These are the
elements of modern day
living that can lead us
to reach for potentially
damaging tools such as
alcohol and drugs to
keep us up when we feel
overwhelmed and ready to
break. Let us consider
some of the aspects that
might be unique to the
consultant or
professional. They may
often:
• Work long hours
• Spend more time
away from the home
• Network out of
normal work hours
• Be under pressure
to deliver positive
outcomes
• See their
reputation as depending
on the success or
failure of their last
job
• Not see very much
of their family or
friends
• Be expected to
maintain a high level of
income and lifestyle
• Have a real sense
of responsibility for
maintaining the company
reputation
These are major and
very real pressures,
which are often
infrequently discussed
by professionals or
acknowledged by
organisations and
companies.
Alcohol and other
substances – including
prescribed medication –
are frequently used in
this manner today, not
least because of
cultural norms and easy
availability.
Recreational use of any
of these can become
commonplace and indeed
alcohol use, for
example, has in many
work cultures become an
integral part of stress
relief. But at what
point does recreational
use of any mind-altering
substance become
problematic use?
Warning signs to
look out for
To explore that
question further, ask
yourself:
• Has my use of
alcohol or drugs become
a daily occurrence?
• Does my use affect
my performance at work
the following day?
• Has my use begun to
affect my relationships
in a negative way?
• How is my
interpersonal and
physical relationship
with my partner?
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• Am I spending more
than I can afford on
alcohol and drugs?
Taking the time out
to consider these
questions honestly may
be the first step the
professional or
consultant takes to
helping themselves. To
stop and consider one's
stress levels and to
list our average
stress-busting skills
might be the greatest
gift we can give
ourselves in modern day
society. This is
something employers,
managers and
organisations struggle
to address effectively,
ultimately to their
detriment.
The evidence is well
documented. Up to 17
million working days are
lost annually due to
alcohol-related absence.
Up to 20 million working
days are lost annually
due to alcohol-related
reduced performance. At
least 58,000 potential
working years are lost
annually due to
premature
alcohol-related deaths;
and this represents lost
earnings for
individuals, lost profit
for employers and lost
productivity for the
country. The Office of
National Statistics
states that in 2008
there were 5,999 deaths
in men and 3,032 in
women. It is also
important to remember
that deaths are much
higher than the quoted
numbers, because alcohol
misuse is a major risk
factor for a range of
life-threatening
diseases such as heart
disease, stroke and
cancers such as liver
cancer and cancer of the
bowel.
The fine line between
recreational and
problematic use of any
substance may vary from
one person to another.
What matters is that a
professional person is
not left feeling that as
well as coping with all
of the demands of a
challenging work
environment, they are
expected to cope, alone,
with an increasing use
of alcohol or drugs. The
ability to seek support
is crucial. The ability
to recognise, by both
the professional and the
organisation, that the
worker is a real
commodity and as such
requires looking after,
is by far the greatest
skill to possess. An
investment in ‘self’ can
lead to much better work
performance, better
relationships and the
energy to enjoy both. In
this time of austerity
we must be even more
vigilant of stress and
how we manage it. | |
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