More than 15,000 people in Northern Ireland are recorded to be suffering from work related stress, anxiety or depression every year.  And frankly that number is just the tip of the iceberg. Although mental health is talked about in many circles, people still feel there is a stigma to admitting that they just aren’t coping.  

A work-related physical injury such as a broken bone is easy to talk about. Sharing a photo of the cast on social media provides a conversation piece where sympathy floods in from friends and family that you have suffered an ‘industrial injury’.  If the injury is due to a breach of health and safety law from your employer, HSENI may decide to prosecute to punish them for that breach or perhaps you may decide to take a Civil Action to claim compensation for the injury in court.   A physical injury is pretty straight forward in that way.  However, a ‘mental injury’ is anything but straight forward and at the moment, the Health and Safety Executive don’t appear to be prosecuting organisations for causing their workforce harmful stress, thus increasing the likelihood of them suffering from a stress related mental or physical illness. As for taking a Civil claim, this is costly, often futile and in long run ends up causing more stress.

So, I feel that it is in our own interest to tackle work related stress head on.  What’s in it for us? A better quality of life, less mental torture and fatigue, a greatly reduced risk of suffering from the mental and physical disorders associated with chronic stress and ultimately a happier and more contented quality of life.  Are you ready to make a change?

In a previous blog post, I have demonstrated how the body’s “stress response” can be applied to work-related stress on a very simple level, and I would recommend that you give this a read if you haven’t already – click here to read. But now that we are aware of the harmful effects of work-related stress, what can we do about it? Well, our employer has a legal duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all of his employees.  This includes our mental and physical health. With regards to stress, the law dictates that employers must carry out risk assessments to ensure that the workplace is not harming us mentally.  The HSE Guidance is clear and to achieve their legal duty, employers should have a management system in place to manage; demands, control, support, relationships, role and change. If they do that efficiently, then there is less likelihood of us suffering from work related stress. I am ignoring the ‘subjective’ argument employers make regarding managing stress, I fully understand people have other stressors apart from work related, however, we are only talking about work related stress in this blog.  

As employees, we have a legal duty to take reasonable care of ourselves and others who could be affected by our acts or omissions. We also have a duty to bring to the attention of our employer any eminent dangers or shortfalls in health and safety management. It sounds simple, doesn’t it?  The employer does his bit, and we let him know if there are any serious stress related problems.  We work together to reduce the risks and thus meet our aim to reduce harmful stress at work. So why are there more than 15,000 people every year suffering from work related stress, anxiety or depression?  Perhaps, what is being done in work is not ‘suitable and sufficient’ (just saying)!

Chronic stress increases our risk of suffering from many physical and mental illnesses such as;

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Type 2 diabetes
• Obesity
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• High cholesterol
• Digestive disorders including IBS or ulcers.
• Lower immune systems
• Lower bone density
• Pain 

What’s in it for us if we adopt positive lifestyle choices to reduce the harmful effects of work related stress?  Less risk of all of the above by creating a balance, if work increases the likelihood of us suffering from work related stress, let’s consider how we might reduce the potential consequence.  If you want to see what the employer can do, read the blog ‘what’s in it for me – from an employer’s perspective’ this blog is focussing on what we can do for ourselves.  

Choose a Healthy diet 

If long term or chronic stress increases our risk of digestive disorders, obesity type 2 diabetes and lower immune system, then consider how our food choices can improve all of that.

Eat a rainbow – different colours of fruit and vegetables contain unique minerals and vitamins which strengthen the immune system.
Eat whole foods (carbs) – by choosing whole grain bread, pasta or rice, beans, unprocessed fruit and vegetables we reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity and digestive disorders.

• Choose foods full of calcium such as oranges, yogurt, broccoli, milk, soy milk, figs, salmon cheese, sardines, sesame – all of these are good for good bone health thus helping our bone density.
• Choose heart healthy protein – lean chicken, fish, salmon, chickpeas, nuts which can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure and help you maintain a healthy weight.
• Choose healthy oils and spreads – unsaturated fats such as – vegetable, nut or seed- based oils. Avocado, oily fish such as salmon, trout or mackerel etc.  These choices reduce the risk of heart disease, lower cholesterol levels, help us achieve and maintain a healthy weight and reduce our risk of type 2 diabetes.

Choose moderate daily exercise/activity 

The stress response is known have a detrimental effect on bone density, bodyweight and mental wellness as well as the other stress related illnesses we have included in this article. The body can deal with acute stress, and it can do so with great effectiveness as long as the acute stress is dealt with before it progresses into the chronic stages. Exercise will be your best choice of action to reduce the risk of acute stress slipping into the realm of chronic stress where you are in great danger of suffering from the harmful effects of distress.

Cardiovascular exercise includes; walking, running, cycling, aerobics, dancing, rowing and swimming. The benefits of choosing an activity you enjoy includes; reducing the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure. And also increasing bone density and strong immune system and positive mental health.

Choose to address your sleep regime 

The Royal Society for Public Health tells us that 54% of the public feel stressed out from poor sleep and that sleep is as vital to us for survival as food and water. There has been a lot of research on the effects of stress on sleep and the Sleep Foundation states that stress causes insomnia by making it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep and by affecting the quality of your sleep. And that too much stress can impact your life in many ways including affecting your sleep and it describes this as a cycle that will only continue to get worse.  The benefits of good sleep include:

• Stronger immune system resulting in you getting sick less often. 
• Lowering your risk for serious health problems, like diabetes and heart disease. 
• Reducing the harmful effects of stress by allowing your rest time to benefit much needed daily repair.
• Improving your mood and thus helping you to cope with work related pressure.
• Helping you think more clearly and be able to work more efficiently, thus reducing the risk of more stress!

The National Health system in the UK including Northern Ireland cannot cope with the demands placed upon it.  Waiting lists are at an all-time high and it is not unusual for people to wait many years to see a specialist to help them with a physical or mental illness.  So, the facts are:

• Work related stress is a major problem in the UK and Northern Ireland and is increasing year on year.
• More than half of those reporting work related illness are due to work related stress.
• Stress is increasing our risk of becoming seriously mentally and/or physically ill.

We have a choice, are we going to let work related stress make us ill?  Are we going to leave our mental and physical wellbeing to others to manage (poorly) or are we going to adopt positive lifestyle choices to reduce the harmful effects of work related  and other stress?

What’s in it for me?  Better physical and mental health, a strong body and a better quality of life.  I’m in, are you?

Now you've read this blog, why not think about things from another perspective?

• The Government's Perspective: CLICK HERE TO READ
• An Employer's Perspective: CLICK HERE TO READ