DON’T LOSE YOUR DAY TO STRESS

IT MAY SEEM FREUDIAN TO SEE NEUROSIS AS THE PRICE PEOPLE PAY FOR PROGRESS BUT WORKPLACE STRESS CANNOT BE IGNORED.

If you have a nagging neck pain, frequent palpitations, persisting stomach flu, constant acidity or poor-quality sleep, it is time to take notice. Simple but persistent ailments could be an indicator that all is not well. There are advisories in cyberspace on how to cope with these issues, but seeking expert medical help is the right thing to do. “Pain can be a symptom of psychological stress,” says Dr M.

Phani Prasant, a consultant psychiatrist from Hyderabad. In many cases, it is linked to workplace anxiety and depression. Companies and executives need to deal with it at the earliest. Ignoring the symptoms could be disastrous for individuals and costly for organisations.

Dr Anand Nadkarni, a consultant psychiatrist at the Institute for Psychological Health in Mumbai, also works with companies such as Reliance, Siemens, Cipla and Indoco Remedies. To figure out if one is stressed, he looks at certain quantifiable (productivity drop, absenteeism) and qualitative parameters (lack of initiative while working in a team, succumbing to monotony, reluctance to learn new things, withdrawal from work-related meetings or staying aloof even in the office cafeteria). “Do not wait till the qualitative parameters emerge,” he warns.

Manage stress better: To manage stress, understand what is triggering it, says Dr Prasant. “Drop or postpone the things you are handling at the moment to reduce the load.” But to get there, the first step is to monitor yourself and ask some basic questions like: Is my sleep adequate? What about my energy levels? What is my concentration level at work? Does my work interest me? Addressing the causes will solve a major part of the problem. Those who are undergoing psychiatric treatment must take their medicines religiously and should avoid double shifts or frequent shift changes.

Deal with other causes: You may think you are living a blissful life, but it could still leave you stressed. “If you are getting promoted, building a new house or expecting a baby, life may seem exciting. However, such things also bring additional responsibilities, and you may feel stressed,” says Dr Prasant.

Try CBT, REBT: Dr Nadkarni thinks using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) should help. CBT is a psychosocial intervention to improve mental health and focusses on building coping strategies, be it around thoughts, practices or beliefs. For some of his patients, he has also applied rational emotive behaviour therapy, or REBT, developed by American psychotherapist and psychologist Albert Ellis.