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STRESS EVALUATION  A Top Expert in Change Management for CEOs and in Stress Management for Business and School.
 
These days, up to 45 % of youngsters (MTV 2007), 80% of workers (Harris 2007) and 100% CEOs (Vistage 2008) are suffering from stress. It is not surprising if you are stressed out. Let's first get to know stress better.
Hans Selye, a lab scientist, accidentally discovered the stress response. Selye was
absentminded, and his rats were always escaping from their cages and then being chased.
When Selye examined these rats later, he found their adrenal glands (for stress) enlarged
and their thymus glands (for immune) had shrunk--the stress of escape and capture had
changed the rats' internal chemistry. Stress can come from any where. It can be from external world, such as poor economy, credit crisis, stressful work schedule, bad partners, corporate transformation, late airline, terrible traffic, etc. Stress can also come from our mind, health, and our ways of living and working. Stress can also be a good motivator. It can increase the blood flow to 300 ~ 400% in the brain, lungs and muscles. This is an important reason that many of us can meet deadlines, stay up, and even make miracles. It takes good skills to keep a good balance, stay sharp and energetic at times of stress or even crisis, and not to age from it. How can we tell whether stress is negatively affecting you? The following are common symptoms proven by years of studies at Harvard: Cognitive Symptoms: Poor concentration, Poor memory, Inability to think clearly or
make the right decisions, Decreased creativity, Leaving things
undone.
Psychological Symptoms: Anger, Bossiness, Loneliness/Isolation, Boredom, Crying,
Readiness to explode, Lack of feeling pleasure over past
interests, Upsetting easily, Excessive critique, Excessive worries,
Excessive resentment, Feeling powerless, Feeling hopeless,
Feeling emptiness, Cynicism, Increased gum chewing, Increased
smoking, Alcohol or drug use, Food binging, Needing to prove oneself.
Physical Symptoms: Stomach-ache, Indigestion, Poor sleep, Headache, Back pain,
Tightness over neck and shoulders, Restlessness, Feeling tired easily, Increased heart rate, Increased breathing rate, Low sexual desire, Grinding teeth at night.
Moreover, stress can make people age faster, and worsen many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, ulcer and Fibromyalgia. These explain why stress costs U.S. corporations $300 billion annually in medical costs, absenteeism, and turnover (the American Institute of Stress 2007).
To some experts, you are coping relatively well if you have less than five of the above symptoms. However, once a symptom impairs your judgment, productivity, or appearance, the symptom is worth your attention. A clear mind is critical when you are looking for solutions. Increased alcohol and drug use can lead to addiction and more disasters in life and work. Anger and readiness to explode can cause a series of social and legal problems. Poor sleep can severely affect you performance and appearance. Most people judge you based on how you look, not who you really are. Depressive mood will slow you down, and lead to suicide. Stress symptoms can be ATYPICAL in students or youngsters. An UCLA school administrator once told our CEO, "We are paid to stress our students." In that case, the students can be seriously stressed without many clinical symptoms. On the other hand, To many people, stress management is equal to "living with stress" or limited relaxation methods, like deep breathing and breaks. We need personal relaxation hierarchy. We can prevent stress. We can solve the underlying problems, and eliminate the stress. Strong stress management is especially important at times of crisis when stress reaches to an extremely high level, and you need to stay sharp and energetic.
In this age of fast pace and intense competition, you need the right tools for the right jobs, and walk from stress to success! We has been listed as a top expert in stress management for businesses and schools, and in change management for CEOs, and received numerous |
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