Stress

The best gift this Christmas

23 Dec 2019 | Wayne Turmel

Want to do something nice for your team this holiday season? How about helping them do nothing at all - or at the very least, a bit less - even if you have to enforce it strenuously.

Ride your stress like a mule

05 Sep 2016 | Max McKeown

Pushing your limits is what allows you to grow stronger, so if you find yourself feeling passive, it can make sense to dial your stress up a little. Get moving. Accomplish something small. Do something you enjoy. Then start again.

How stress can lower your cultural intelligence

23 Aug 2016 | David Livermore

Working with people from a diverse range of backgrounds is rewarding, but it can also be tough going. And the more you’re under stress, the harder it becomes and the more a small behavioral difference can become a major irritation.

Why you need equanimity

04 Mar 2016 | Peter Vajda

For many of us, stress is a wrapper surrounding our lives. Surrounded by crisis and conflict, it is easy to be knocked off course. What we need instead is is equanimity - the evenness of mind under stress.

Fit enough to quit?

11 Sep 2015 | Malcolm Parker

We all know that physical activity is good for us and that fitter employees are happier and more productive. But fitness can help with job mobility too - and that can be positive for both individuals, organizations and society as a whole.

Keep the rust at bay

01 Apr 2015 | Chris Welford

We’re all familiar with the concept of burn-out that comes from facing excessive demands without the resources to cope with them. But being under-stimulated can be just as destructive. So let’s explore the effects of ‘rust-out’, burn-out’s less well-known cousin.

Dominance could kill you

23 Mar 2015 | Brian Amble

If you think that that aggressive, competitive behaviour is the way to get ahead, think again. Because according to new research, a hostile-dominant personality increases the risk of heart disease and could shorten your life.

How stress impacts decision-making

25 Feb 2015 | Myra White

Corporations do an admirable job of perpetuating the idea that they run on reason and that their executives are immune the emotional factors that impair the thinking of lesser mortals. But they're not. They're just as susceptible to stress as everyone else and equally prone to making hasty, ill-conceived decisions in the heat of the moment.

Stress, engagement and productivity

05 Sep 2014 | Brian Amble

Employees suffering from high stress levels have lower levels of engagement, are less productive and have higher absentee levels than those not operating under excessive pressure, new research has found.

Are you on the road to burnout?

23 May 2014 | Peter Vajda

The road to burnout is paved with good intentions. So if you're an idealistic, hardworking, self-motivating achiever with high aspirations and expectations, don't make the mistake of thinking that it can't happen to you.

Time out: why leaders need vacations

26 Aug 2013 | Duane Dike

Why do so many leader-types refuse to take proper holidays? Fresh back from a well-earned break, Duane Dike wonders what message that sends and explores the roadblocks – perceived or actual – that stop us leaving the office behind.

The fear of closing doors

07 Aug 2013 | Peter Vajda

Do you wear crazy-busy as a merit badge? Have you ever thought that it might be a good idea to slow down and not try to keep every possible option open? Or does that thought fill you with dread that you'll miss out on something?

Depression link to long hours and overwork

05 Aug 2013 | Brian Amble

Employees who work long hours and are habitually overworked are a staggering 15 times more likely than average to develop depression, a new Japanese study has found.

How to manage a workaholic

22 May 2013 | Brian Amble

Far from being desirable, workaholism can lead to stress, exhaustion and even death. So how can managers help workaholic employees stay healthy and effective on the job? A new study has some practical suggestions.

Managing stress at the top

13 Dec 2012 | Carole Spiers

Being a CEO means appearing positive and totally committed 24/7. Switching off is not an option, even outside office hours. So how can CEOs and senior executives learn how to thrive on daily pressure and to avoid it turning into stress or burnout?

The stressfulness of stress

12 Apr 2012 | Duane Dike

How business leaders manage employee stress correlates directly to productivity and quality. But unfortunately, most stress in the workplace is not mitigated by managers' behavior, but caused by it.

The benefits of workaholism

17 Jan 2012 | Brian Amble

A recent paper by a Rouen Business School professor argues that while it may be an addiction, workaholism can also lead to positive outcomes for individuals, business and society.

Stress of commuting worse for women

25 Aug 2011 | Brian Amble

Daily commuting is more stressful for women than for men, a new study by researchers in the UK suggests.

Long hours increase heart attack risk

06 Apr 2011 | Brian Amble

A study by researchers from University College London has found that working more than 11 hours a day increases the risk of heart disease by 67 per cent.

2011: more of the same?

22 Dec 2010 | Peter Vajda

Do you want to experience 2011 in a different, less stressful way than 2010? It's a sad fact that far more of us fantasize about inner peace than actually get to experience it. Most of us seem to live our lives caught up in conflict, agitation, upset or stress. But it doesn't have to be that way.