How to avoid ‘killer’ stress

Stress is arguably one of the developed world’s biggest killers – if one considers it as an internal disturbance that disrupts the balance between biological, psychological and social well-being.

Various medical conditions have either been directly attributed to stress, or stress at least plays a considerable role in the diagnosis of conditions. Stress increases the risk of heart disease by 40%, a heart attack by 25% and a stroke by 50%

And yet, many people believe that if you aren’t stressed you aren’t working to full capacity. They think burning the midnight oil and staying constantly busy is good for their career. But, the truth is stress might actually be seriously damaging their careers – and their health.

According to business and data expert Bernard Marr, very few successful people are stressed individuals. It’s not because they don’t encounter stressful situations (they more than likely encounter them on a daily basis), but because they have developed the tools to deal with stress effectively.

Bernard Marr’s tips for dealing with stress better are below:

• “Often the difference between a fun and challenging situation and a stressful one is simply understanding what’s expected of you. So, the No. 1 way to reduce job-related stress is to have a clear idea of what’s expected of you and manage those expectations.”
• “Another key difference between successful people who are stressed and those who aren’t? Optimism. Taking an optimistic view of the outcomes of problems – or even just imagining a benign outcome – will make you feel less stressed and more successful.”
• “If you constantly stress about work after you get home, take the time to make a firm plan of how to deal with problems before you leave the office. That one step will help you leave work at work.”
• Automating as many tasks as possible can also help reduce stress. This can also include simple daily decisions such as what to have for lunch or what to wear.

Read Bernard’s blog in full at bit.ly/1DcRhRE