Work Stress Is A Slow Killer - Can We Consciously Reboot The System?

Workplace stress is painful. We all have faced it at some point or the other. After long days at work, many of us find ourselves taking out our stress on our close acquaintances be it our friends, children, or relatives. Gradually, we allow our work stress to become home stress, and it starts to engulf our entire schedule making us irritable, anxious and depressed. 

Is Work Stress A Slow Killer?

Ongoing stress not only takes an emotional and psychological toll, it can also produce physical symptoms like headaches, stomach upset, aching muscles, insomnia and low energy. Heart disease is another potential stress-related problem as stress may lead to high blood pressure, which can pose a risk for heart attack and stroke.

These facts can’t be ignored when we have a case in front wherein a 26-year-old EY employee in Pune named Anna Sebastian Perayil passed away recently after joining the company five months ago seemingly due to excessive work pressure causing tremendous stress in her life. According to her mother, "workload, new environment, and long hours" led to her daughter's death just four months after joining the Big4. 

According to an article from the ‘American Heart Association’ which covers topics like heart diseases, stroke and related health issues, about 2 in 3 employees feel work is a significant source of stress. A recent report related to ‘Workplace Health Research & Evaluation’ shows job stress can stem from long hours, physical strain, high demand or job insecurity.

Recently, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of reports that Anna died due to excessive workload and the panel has ordered the businesses to review their work culture, employment policies and regulations to ensure that these are aligned with global human rights standards.

Anna’s profile looks so bright but is in an ‘in remembrance’ state on LinkedIn. This is a shocking reminder for all working professionals who set priorities for what is most important to them and always aim for a work-life balance. It looks difficult initially for new entrants in such companies like EY because it’s overwhelming. With so many processes, deliverables, and meetings every day it seems life takes a backstage.

As a Business communications coach, here are a few conscious changes in our daily lives that can help us fight such disorders:

• Giving ourselves ‘me time’ and leaving our work at our workplace itself

• Making time for friends, family and laughter and developing good mobile device habits. Many studies have shown that staring at a mobile before going to bed can negatively impact our brain’s ability to prepare for sleep, and sleep deprivation is linked closely to stress

• Boost physical activities to improve our mood and release stress 

• Regular exercise helps to lower blood pressure and help in combating other cardiovascular disease risk factors 

• Mindful meditation and deep breathing can also help in managing stress. The best example of exercise can be yoga, which combines movement, controlled breathing and relaxation at the same time

• Having sound sleep for 7-8 hours is highly critical as sleep and stress are interconnected which in turn affects heart health too

• Developing a support network of friends and mentors who can help us to manage our professional stress in a constructive way

Anna Sebastian Perayil died an untimely death; a death that could have been avoided. Her family is the worst sufferer now and they will be looking forward to a judicial probe into it. But, Anna will never return!

Authored by Koyel Duttagupta, Business Communication Coach

Views expressed are the author's own.