You can learn to manage stress like any other workplace skill--says new IPD book

Management Services, May 2000

Stress accounts for more days off sick than the common cold, but it is a condition that can be conquered, according to two of the country's leading authorities on stress management.

Professor Cary Cooper and Professor Stephen Palmer suggest simple ways to reduce stress in Conquer your Stress, the latest Management Shapers series, published by the Institute of Personnel and Development.

The CBI has calculated that absence costs an estimated 12 billion in lost time, one third of which is due to stress at work. Stress is also an increasing factor in workplace litigation, with recent cases resulting in awards of up to L200,000. Both workers and employers are taking note of the risks of occupational stress.

The authors highlight common symptoms of stress - being irritable, inability to concentrate, suffering frequent coughs and colds - and then proceed to suggest practical ways to minimise stress inducers.

"What may surprise you is how much we are directly responsible for our own levels of stress," say the authors. "The good news is that this puts us all in an advantageous position of being able to reduce levels of stress if and when necessary."

Cooper and Palmer differentiate between pressure that challenges and motivates and stress that produces debilitating effects. `"The right amount of pressure for a person is good, whereas stress has many negative manifestations that are seldom good for anybody."

To control stress it is essential to change thinking and perspectives to reduce self induced problems. Practical examples highlight the danger of negative thoughts and constructive alternatives are put forward. The next time you rant and rave at a motorist's error, keep calm instead and accept the fact that the driver is exhibiting a `driving skills deficit'.

Physical health, according to the authors is vital. The right sort of regime will ensure your body is in the best shape to take on pressure. Exercise and good nutrition should be built into everyday life, rather than resorted to in an emergency.

Finally, Conquer your Stress has top tips for time management and presents a personal action plan, covering both home and work life. However Cooper and Palmer point out that reading a book is the easy part: "Armchair stress experts exist all over the world... the best way to conquer stress is to start now and not leave it to chance".

IPD books can be ordered direct from Plymbridge Distributors Ltd on 01752 202301, from good bookshops or through the IPD website on www.ipd.co.uk