There’s a new, cool club in town. It’s called the Secret Stress Society. The members are high achieving corporates, known to work long hours, take on backbreaking responsibilities, feel generally exhausted and say yes to everything and everyone. The members have a mysterious persona, they don’t talk about their feelings of overwhelm or their slowly declining health. Sound like you? Perhaps you’re already a member, or you should sign up!
Jokes aside, when we aren’t sleeping, eating (or playing on our iphones), we spend many of our waking hours at work. The average person will spend 90,000 hours at work, which is roughly one third of your entire lifetime. If you’re a busy corporate executive, that statistic is probably higher. Safe to say, how your professional environment makes you feel and behave has a huge impact on your overall quality of life, in addition to your mental and physical health.
Competitive corporate industries such as financial services, law and insurance are known as some of the most demanding, stressful work environments for employees – it seems as if there is no realistic alternative. In a city like London, you’re expected to work long hours, take on endless responsibilities, perform at your peak and fight your hardest for the promotion you’re desperately aiming for. This is all underscored by the fear that if (or when) you make a mistake or underperform, there will be someone waiting eagerly in line to replace you.
To think we can be stressed and fearful at work, and simply leave those feelings at the door when we go home, is unreasonable and untrue. There is a physical and mental impact that nobody is fully acknowledging. When we examine (even low levels of) stress consistently experienced over long-term periods, there are exponential effects on health, wellbeing and happiness.
Most corporations have a stiff upper lip culture – its better to “crack on”, regardless of how you’re feeling or what you’re going through personally or professionally. Expressing emotions such as humiliation, insecurity, sadness, anxiety or confusion are not only inappropriate in many corporate situations, but are also contradictory to what we perceive as strong “leadership” qualities – such as strength, resilience, diplomacy and level-headedness.
As a result, many people walk around fearful of being seen as weak or being “found out” for their worries, anxieties and insecurities. If you work in a particularly competitive industry or company, this fear is often amplified. Sure, fear can be motivating in some situations. It might drive you to work harder and achieve some impressive results. But, it isn’t a place you can (or should) live your life permanently. Fear, even in small doses, increases cortisol and adrenaline, which activate the body’s “fight or flight” survival response. These feelings of “stress” can have serious long-term health consequences including adrenal fatigue (burnout), breakdowns, depression, anxiety, weight gain, chronic illnesses and disease.
Despite the growing prevalence of anxiety, depression and panic disorders in corporate populations, there is still a huge stigma around these mental health issues. Professionals, particularly men, are happy to see the doctor for a virus, but are hesitant to ask their employer for time off for counselling or mental health care. This seems to stem from the false, yet underlying belief that mental illnesses depict instability or a weak character – neither of which are considered desirable traits in a leader. More than 8 million people in the UK suffer from anxiety disorders. If you want to be a winner, the attitude is to “Go hard or go home”. This is pertinent to the firm resolve of a successful, hard-working leader. Taking time off for mental health doesn’t match this concept, and so many people suffer in silence with chronic stress issues until they burn out.
It can be lonely at the top and anxiety provoking. Intense daily responsibilities are exacerbated by lifestyle choices such as caffeine, alcohol, food, cigarettes, prescription medicines or lack of sleep. Many busy professionals counteract these ongoing stresses by reaching for more of these unhealthy antitodes. These work to temporarily relieve the issue, but eventually aggravate the stress even more. Coffee or caffeinated drinks are particularly harmful culprits when it comes to anxiety. Artificially sweetened drinks containing aspartame (such as Diet Coke, Coke Zero and others) are particularly harmful for those prone to depression and anxiety, and increase the likelihood of many chronic conditions and illnesses.
High achievers are especially prone to this “carry on” mentality, living in a state of internal pressure that they must suppress. Living at your wits end is just the norm and if you aren’t being constantly challenged, you feel under-stimulated. Many professionals are so adjusted to this pressure state that they actually feel like they aren’t achieving when work isn’t stressful, busy or they get to go home on time. In reality, corporate careers are demanding and guarantee some stress, but if you don’t take time to care for yourself you will end up exhausted, unable to concentrate and your performance will suffer. Working tirelessly may get you to the top of the career ladder, but maintaining that performance and motivation will ultimately be determined by your wellbeing and the energy you bring to your work. Continually neglecting your body and mind will make you even more vulnerable to breakdown or adrenal fatigue.
The good news is that there are many natural, easy ways in which we can manage stress. Nutrition and lifestyle choices play a monumental role in curbing stress and the effect it has on our physical and mental wellbeing. An anti-inflammatory diet focused on whole foods is a fundamental tool for reducing cortisol, our bodies’ stress hormone, in addition to gentle movement and regular exercise. Incorporating movement, breathing and mindfulness into our workday is an effective method of reversing stress and rebuffing the negative effects of sedentary, stressful office life. Overconsumption of caffeine and alcohol is also something to watch out for – as this will influence anxiety and stress.
Lastly, finding ways to powerfully communicate with your employer about mental wellbeing and taking time for yourself are the best way to ensure you can perform, think and feel at your optimum level. Corporate Wellness has become high on the agenda of politics and global corporations, as people are beginning to realise the substantial effect that employee health is having on company cultures’, productivity and profitability. One of the best ways you can enhance your health (and the health of your colleagues) is to encourage your employer to integrate Corporate Wellness Programs and make healthy living a cornerstone of your company culture. Research proves that the 5 people you spend the most time with drastically influence your happiness, productivity, values and even your HEALTH – so given we spend so much time at work, it is increasingly important to bring wellness into the workplace.
