Why Stress Management Programmes Don?t Work

Why Stress Management programmes don't work?

It seems that every week there's yet another report telling us how serious the problem of Stress is becoming ? how many working days are lost (anything between 6.5 million and 90 million days depending on whose report you read), how much it costs industry, what percentage of workers experience Stress, and so on. And despite the publicity, nothing seems to be changing. If anything, Stress seems to be becoming even more widespread, and at an alarming rate.

So why are things getting worse instead of better, and why don't Stress Management programmes seem to work?

From an individual perspective, managing Stress is a bit like getting fit. There are people whose idea of getting fit is to walk down to the bookshop, buy a book on fitness and exercise, take it home and read it? and do nothing. Or even worse, not even walk to the bookshop at all but buy it on the Internet! People can only get fit by exercising ? getting fit means taking action.

It's the same with Stress. Some people think the way to manage Stress is to go to a Stress Management workshop. What they don't realise is that to manage their stress they need to do something different. And why don't people take any action to manage their stress better? Why do they seem to be stuck in Stress?

There can be many reasons, but one of the most common ones seems to be fear of the consequences, that is, fear of how they will be seen by their employers and colleagues. The message that many organisations give out is that "It's not OK to be stressed, and it's certainly not OK to take the steps you need to manage your stress effectively". It's rarely stated explicitly, but it's there in organisational cultures nevertheless.

Another reason is that when people are already stressed, and they then have to think about taking time to exercise or relax, the thought creates more stress. It's yet another task in an already busy lifestyle, and so people are reluctant to make time for it -- even though we know it leads to better health, more effective working and quality of life.

The third reason is that many people make other things more important than their own health and well-being. Bizarre though it may sound, people will put time and effort into meeting their boss's expectations in preference to looking after their own health.

The reality, of course, is that unless we look after ourselves properly as employees the job will never be done properly anyway. So self-management has to be a priority.

Most stress management courses fail because they are "band-aid" solutions. They try to treat the symptoms instead of the underlying causes. To make Stress Management truly effective needs a fundamental shift in attitudes, both in individuals and employers. Employees must begin to put themselves and their health first. And employers need to make it OK for people to say they are stressed and to take proper care of themselves.

Many companies penalise their staff for arriving at work late. But how many companies do you know who penalise their staff for staying late at the end of the working day? One senior manager at a large IT company was seen recently throwing people out of the building at 6pm, telling them to go home and chill out. He recognised the law of diminishing returns ? and realised that if his team were to be effective in their work they needed to have a healthy balance between work and personal life. He not only made it OK for his staff to develop work/life balance ? he made it mandatory!

So many companies claim that "people are our most important asset". If it's true, why are they still stressed?

Rob Mottram and Lichfield Associates offer Work/Life Balance programmes aimed at helping organisations to become stress-resistant. For more information contact Rob Mottram on 01886 833588 or visit http://www.lichfield-associates.com

---

How To Cut Down On College Stress

Probably the least appreciated form of stress is college stress.... Read More

5 Steps to Stress Relief

Take a moment to think about the week that just... Read More

Stress Managment and Mastery: Too Much to Do Stress - Write it Down, Break it Down, Knock it Down

"I've got too much to do, I've just got too... Read More

Managing Stress From Another World

Modern stress is habitual, and is something that the vast... Read More

Stress Management and Mastery: How to Learn from Mistakes

Q. I've been told that I need to learn from... Read More

Stress Management and Mastery: The Power of REST

Rest.It's a good thing to do. As the story goes,... Read More

Reduce Stress To Maximize Efficiency

The right amount of stress can be good for you,... Read More

Overwhelm: Love It or Leave It!

Amazing thing, overwhelm!You don't usually see it coming. It just... Read More

The Top 10 Steps to DeStress

Do you feel tense and anxious at work? Do your... Read More

What The Most Dangerous Job In The World Taught Me About Coping With Stress

I just got through reading some troubling news in the... Read More

Stress Management and Relief Techniques - Quit Running from Bears!

Fear, and its accompanying seriousness, causes our suffering. Fear restricts... Read More

Life Happens

Shit happens. I know this to be a fact, because... Read More

Stress Causing People to ?Super Size?

... Read More

How To Stop Computers Stressing You Out

Of all the forms of stress in today's world, computer... Read More

Stress Busting Strategies

Learn to have healthy relationships:This subject could fill an entire... Read More

Secrets to Aromatherapy II - Psychological Complaints

Aromatherapy is very therapeutic when it comes to healing emotional... Read More

Common SENSS Stress Control

Statistics show that all of us experience stress at one... Read More

7 Healthy Ways To Release Holiday Stress

Many people go through the motions during Christmas. If not... Read More

8 Practical Methods to Remain Empowered During Stressful Times

1. Acknowledge that requesting support, guidance and partnership is not... Read More

Talk Yourself Out of Stress

Seventy-five percent of all our problems ? both emotional and... Read More

Need To Stop Worrying?

I once worked with a woman whose zest,joy and enthusiasm... Read More

The ABCs of Stress Management

A while back, I was in a minor fender-bender accident,... Read More

Through Stress Comes Kindness

In these times when companies are constantly down-sizing and right-sizing... Read More

The Best Medicine For Stress ( A Daily Dose Of Gratitude)

There is one sure fire medicine that cures all difficulty... Read More

13 Stress Reducers & Profit Boosters

The United Nations declares workplace stress to be a worldwide... Read More

Empowerment for Highly Sensitive People: Part 1

Are you a person who has a keen imagination, a... Read More

Adventures in Relieving Stress

Whether we are at work, traveling, or at home, we've... Read More

Sshhh... Listen to Your Own Voice

It was a self-exploration that made me understand myself. It... Read More

Manage Stress By Focusing On Solutions And By Having A Laugh

Marshal John Kruger acted by Arnold Schwarzenegger (who else) in... Read More

Music Therapy: Can Music Really Soothe The Savage Beast?

It has long been suggested that "music soothes the savage... Read More

Stress Secrets: How To Remove Hidden Sources Of Stress

Most people find it easy to identify the sources of... Read More

Stress Control: Tough Leadership vs. Easy Does It

Tough leaders are usually seen as ogres. Their exacting demands... Read More

Dont Let Technology Psych You Out!

We've all experienced it-computerized technology that doesn't function properly. PCs... Read More