“If you work for a living, why do you kill yourself working?”
It may seem strange that of all the quotes in Sergio Leone’s epic spaghetti western The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, it was Tuco’s words to a chicken that stuck with me. We have bizarrely cultivated a working culture where stress is almost considered a badge of honour. Popular culture depictions of chaotic office environments regularly portray executives working long into the night. Caffeine is the cornerstone of their diet and sleep is for the weak.
Art imitates life, and in the real-world, many entrepreneurs and ambitious workers accept stress as a given. The draining effects of ill-mental health have become something that we pay little heed. It should not be like this. What is the point of being successful in business if we allow our mental health to suffer to the extent that we cannot enjoy the rewards of our efforts?
Stress is a killer
Studies have shown stress contributes to physical problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease. It also damages our social relationships. People suffering from stress are easier to anger and often become isolated from loved ones. Severe stress sometimes manifests in abuse of alcohol and drugs. When prolonged stress is left ignored it can lead to depression, anxiety and other serious mental health conditions.
Stress also informs poor decision making. Duress impairs our cognitive abilities. We become more likely to make rash or reckless choices. In the workplace, this can range from yelling at a colleague over a trivial matter to making poor judgment calls on purchases. A vicious circle can form as our poor decisions inform further difficulties and feed our stress levels.
Therefore, while some stress in business is unavoidable, we should not consider it a necessary part of our working life. We should treat it like the problem that it is, and remedies should be sought to counter its influence. If we find ourselves in a cycle of stress, we must endeavour to break the wheel.
Signs of Stress
Like a tree, stress does not just appear. It grows over time and becomes stronger. Being aware that you might be suffering from stress is the first step into toppling the condition.
You might be suffering from stress if:
- You take much less enjoyment from work that you previously enjoyed.
- Your productivity diminishes as a result of procrastination or increased boredom.
- You find that you cannot put work out of your mind.
- Concerns about work prevent you from sleeping.
- You find yourself constantly fatigued.
- You find you can no longer concentrate on even simple tasks.
- You find yourself becoming irritated easily with colleagues or clients.
All of the above are experiences most people have from time to time, regardless of stress levels. However, if they occur regularly and several of the above are true, then you may be suffering from stress.
Importance of Sleep
Sleep is vital for good physical and mental health. Our bodies and minds need the opportunity to recharge each day. Adults should aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night. If you are regularly getting less than this, then you significantly increase the chance of developing stress.
If you are not getting enough sleep, the first thing you need to consider is why? In today’s business environment, it is not uncommon for people to take their work home with them. Many will continue to work up to the point they retire to bed. Your mind cannot pull a hard stop. It needs to slow its motor down and disengage. Many people who find themselves thinking about work when trying to sleep are doing so because their mind is still focused on work. If this is you, try to find a window of at least an hour between working and sleeping so that your brain can relax.
Better still, ask yourself why are you taking work home with you? Is it always necessary to do so? Could you improve your efficiency or organisation during the day to leave your evenings free for yourself and your family? Are you putting too much pressure on yourself when you could better delegate tasks to others?
Relaxation
Remind yourself why you work; presumably, it is to provide a better quality of life for yourself and your family. One of the reasons people overwork themselves is because they forget to take enjoyment in other things. Hobbies and interests provide an escape from work and a chance for your mind to switch its focus. Your brain enjoys being given new tasks so you should do your best to indulge it.
Watching a movie, playing a video game, reading a book or listening to music are all fantastic ways to exercise your brain’s muscles. Fuelling your imagination helps to create a barrier between your home and professional lives. Perhaps you could even write a book or compose your own music? Many hugely successful authors have cited their fictional works as a means to cope with mental health difficulties they were facing. Stress is often born from situations we perceive to be beyond our control. Writing fiction or composing music is a way for you to take control.
Consider Studying
Education can be another escape from work. Too often we see non-career focused education as a waste of time but why should it be? If you have always wanted to learn a foreign language, then why not go for it? If you work in manufacturing, what’s the harm in studying creative arts? Perhaps you would love to write music but do not currently read music or play an instrument? Now could be the ideal time to learn electric guitar or piano. I play bass, myself.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with having non-work focused goals. Many of the most successful people spend their entire lives learning new things. Pursuing education can also help feed that part of us that thrives on achievement. Many of those happiest in the workplace are those with leaders who are forthcoming with praise. If you are the leader, however, who praises you? Studying can help fill the void.
Silence the Notifications
Technology has its benefits, but it can also be a curse. Those cheerful beeps notifying us of a text message or email have a profound effect on us. They exert their own form of control over us, demanding our attention. How many times have you allowed yourself to be interrupted by a notification that was not important but you then actioned regardless?
Switching your phone off may not be practical, but most modern smartphones allow you to restrict what notifications come in and when. Set your working hours on your phone and silence all notifications except for those from friends and family. Make a personal statement that home time is your time. Control the job instead of letting it control you. Your phone and tablet can become a leash to the office. You should look to sever that leash.
Do Not Be Afraid to Ask for Help
It is a shame to say, but mental health problems continue to carry a stigma in society. Unfortunately, this stigma exacerbates the problem. Too few people are willing to get help, men especially. They see asking for aid as a sign of weakness or an uncomfortable vulnerability. If the stress of work and life is too much for you to handle and you cannot deal with it yourself, then make an appointment with your GP or self-refer to mental health services in your area. Sometimes simply having an outlet to get the irritations out can be like releasing a pressure valve. Other times, you may benefit from something like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) which helps you better understand your triggers and how to cope with them.
Your work should not rule your life, and neither should stress. Let us hark back to Tuco’s words and remember that if you work for a living, why do you kill yourself working?
