We know how most businesses still are not so accustomed to admitting “stress” in the workplace, as if it’s a no-no word in their business.
“We are a very fun, friendly, and happy environment.” – but then the numbers of resignations due to stress say otherwise.
WHY STRESS IS SUCH A NO-NO WORD?
Because for some reason… People find it scary.
But as a professional Stress Strategist and Doctor, let me tell you otherwise.
Stress is not scary… It’s just our basic biology – and we all live with this normally.
STRESS IS NOT A MENTAL ILLNESS
Stress is also not a mental illness. It is a normal part of life. But when it is ignored… That’s when it could turn into a mental illness. And I tell you, it’s too costly to ignore.
UNMANAGED STRESS LEADS TO… BURNOUT.
I have personally never been “fully” burnt out. As a human, I can say that yes, I’ve been very close to it one time – and that was when I didn’t know any better.
But instead of taking that step right into the stress wall…
I TOOK A STEP BACK. Yes, a step backward.
HOW STEPPING BACK CAN HELP
When you take a step back, you’ll have a better chance of seeing the bigger picture. Sometimes, when we’re in too deep… We fail to see the bigger picture.
Hence, taking a step backward – to really figure it out. Remove all biased opinions clouded by mostly emotions… Take a step back and just ask yourself these questions:
“What am I looking at? What is going on here? What’s going on in my life and what led me here? Is this a good path?”
When you evaluate and approach things rationally instead of being eaten by emotions… You begin to see some light until you achieve clarity.
THAT’S WHAT I DID. I knew I wasn’t going crazy or anything of that stuff – but that I was just overloaded and had to figure out a way to do things differently.
SO I TOOK A COURSE IN STRESS MANAGEMENT.
Taking that course in stress management is the best thing I’ve ever done. Because really, that was what made me close to burnout, so I had to address that. And that way, I prevented burning myself out.
You know how they say you tackle the root instead of the fruit? That’s how it should be – always. Almost the same way as “Prevention is always better than cure”.
THE MAJORITY OF MY PATIENTS WERE STRESSED.
When I was still working at healthcare full-time, the majority of the patients I’ve seen were having stress-related illnesses.
They were all stressed, close to burnout, or some already burnt out… and they were mostly ambitious leaders.
AND THEY WERE ALL DOING THEIR BEST… TO HIDE THE FACT THAT THEY ARE STRESSED.
Could you imagine that? I am a Doctor, and they’d do their best to hide that they’re too stressed, until we really came down to it and they had no choice but to open that up.
And when you ask them why they didn’t begin with that in the first place?
Because it sounds weak, or crazy, and they are scared that they are mentally ill… To I would immediately clarify to them, how stress is a normal thing – not a mental illness, and not scary, and not weak – so there’s nothing to fear about it.
Studies also conclude that 40% can say that they likely will quit within the next 12 months, due to work-related stress – but they never say it out loud in the community. They say it in these tests.
ISN’T IT ANNOYING?
It’s annoying how the majority of workplaces paint stress as “not normal” – making people repress their emotions and eventually leading to unmanaged stress that then leads to burnout – and poof – they’re just gone – sudden resignations.
HOW CAN LEADERS DEAL WITH THIS WORKPLACE STRESS?
To really establish a healthy workplace… Openness and transparency must be present, and be one of the core values they stand for.
But how?
BY BEING THE LIVING MODELS.
Leaders are leaders for a reason. They’re looked up to, and the saying “monkey see monkey do” applies to leaders and people in the workplace too.
So as leaders, we must be the ones to start SHOWING IT.
We can be stressed too, but it’s not scary and normal, and it can be handled properly if we wanted to.
Lead by example. Show your people that you are just human and can be stressed too. When you start showing that, your people will follow – they won’t be scared to let people know when they’re stressed too.
And when people know and you know, you’ll be able to plan for actions that would help them feel better. You help them destress, they give you better work output and they don’t end up resigning. Win-win, right?
“BUT AS A LEADER, I MUST NOT SHOW MY VULNERABLE SIDE”
That is not a fear of people following what you show, but more a fear of people stabbing you in the back – and using your vulnerability against you.
That shows a lack of trust – to your people. Do you not trust them?
When you show them you can open your stress up, but can manage it and even function properly because you could get it off your chest – they’d follow.
If you repress it to pretend like a “lion” where you show no vulnerability, you encourage them to repress too.
But will that be healthy in the long run?
BEING TRANSPARENT MAKES YOU MORE CONNECTED.
You are also human. When you are transparent, and when they see that you too – are imperfect but always striving to do your best – your people will feel more connected to you.
And when you have that in your workplace – you will have a healthy environment of connected people, and not busy working robots.
TIPS FOR LEADING BY EXAMPLE
Open up, show that you’re only human and you have weaknesses (you can be as vague as you want with your problems, but you gotta show them and make them see that you are just human too), but then show them you always come back strong and do better at work after opening up.
Take breaks and encourage taking breaks, whether those are 5 to 15-minute quick breaks or longer ones.
Talk, laugh, be silly – but know how to separate fun from work.
Always show that stress is normal – not a mental illness, nothing to be scared of, and when handled and managed properly, isn’t really scary at all.
On top of being a speaker, mentor, and stress strategist, I am a Medical Doctor who works in healthcare every now and then. And that includes having a very extraordinary day at work which reminded me that stress indeed, is a lifelong story.
HOW IS STRESS A LIFELONG STORY?
BECAUSE HEY, LIFE HAPPENS…
So I was in primary care in a small station that is almost in the middle of nowhere – with 2 doctors in an ordinary day – and one of them was on vacation so I got called in.
I’m familiar with the place as I’ve been there already many times before.
So I thought, yeah, no problem.
BUT THEN UNEXPECTED THINGS HAPPEN.
Yes, oh how we hate them – when a few unexpected things come out of the ordinary – it just triggers our stressors to rise. Right?
For me, it was that day that I needed to be the replacement doctor for the one on vacation. Because out of all days, systems could mess up the work, it chose that day.
“We cannot get into the computers”.
I WAS WORRIED.
I felt some stress coming. How could I not? We were totally dependent on computers! Patient records, prescriptions, ordering of tests…
That’s basically how we operate.
STRESS CAME IN, HIGH.
Stress came in very quickly because patients also started coming in. Patients who booked but you don’t have their names, records, or anything.
Imagine the stress, delay, and everything. What do we do?
THANKFULLY, ONE WORKED.
We saw one who got into her computer. It was lagging, and couldn’t do prints at all – nothing extra, but at least we could read?!
So we took photos. Copies for us to use as a list of who was booked at what time, but that’s it – no records, only the booked names.
STILL ANOTHER PROBLEM, BUT ONE STEP AT A TIME
Still stressful because we only have the names, but still don’t have anything other than that.
The patients had no clue. They came in and needed help, but we don’t have their history at hand.
WE JUST CAME UP FRONT AND WERE HONEST ABOUT IT.
“So our main system’s not working at the moment so we do not have access to your history. Do you remember what you’ve done before or the medications you’ve been given, or are still taking at the moment?”
WE WROTE EVERYTHING DOWN.
We just had to scribble down everything because we couldn’t record them where we usually do – and it was all integrated in the system we use for main records but then we gotta do what we do and work on what we only had.
IT’S A BIG ISSUE
Apparently, we weren’t the only healthcare who experienced it. It was everywhere in that area, and entirely out of the tiny healthcare’s control.
All we could do was wait for the bigger ones to fix the systems we all use.
THERE WERE EMERGENCIES
I had a full schedule of patients and 2 that came as emergencies. I had to handwrite the
preferred referral paper, which was supposed to be just sent in the integrated system we all had.
ONE OF THE MOST STRESSFUL HEALTHCARE EXPERIENCE
Admittedly, this was one of the more stressful days I had in health care in many years.
No kidding, we get a handful of patients every day, and the system makes everything easier, faster, and smoother – basically a more efficient workflow for the Doctors and the patients.
But with that unexpected system-wide breakdown, we all had to keep up with the many things we needed to do and patients just kept on coming in like usual, but because of the unexpected hiccup, we all were much slower than usual.
So the patients were piling up and all.
It was really really stressful, as there were some prescriptions we really needed to give but couldn’t because some patients couldn’t remember their history, and we don’t have access to the record.
So they have to come back, but who knows when the issue’s gonna get fixed? The patients needed help.
WE WERE ON THE EDGE.
We were all on the edge all the time, and it was barely lunch break but I felt as if my brain almost stopped working – and I still had the whole day to survive.
BUT THE COMMUNITY HELPED.
We all came to lunch, sat down, and looked at each other, knowing it was all absolutely crazy, but we all ended up just sitting there – LAUGHING.
And it was such a relief.
LAUGHTER, INDEED IS THE BEST MEDICINE.
Sounds cliche, but always works especially on days that you really couldn’t do anything about, and would just waste energy for something out of your hands.
It helps when a community is with you – easier to get reminded.
WE JUST HAVE TO WORK ON WHAT WE HAVE.
In the end, since it was totally out of our control, we went on with our days waiting for the system to get fixed, and while at it just worked on what we had.
RELAX, RESET, RECHARGE
After a long stressful, tiring day…
I would still like to remind you not to forget to squeeze in even a little time for relaxation – so you could reset and be recharged to face another day.
Whether that’s listening to your favorite music, singing, pampering, or just doing nothing – find the time to relax.
Or if reading helps you calm down, might as well read an e-book that teaches you strategies for calm as well
I’m sure you’ve already heard somewhere about the UNDP, or the United Nations Development Program and their global goals for a better world.
Amazing drive, passion, and purpose. Right?
“We start together. We finish together. No one left behind.” – Anonymous
THE UNDP
UNDP works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and exclusion, and build resilience so countries can sustain progress. They play a critical role in helping countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
UNDP’s 17 Global Goals
UNDP has 17 global goals to be exact. They are:
No Poverty
No Hunger
Global Health & Well-being
Quality Education
Gender Equality
Clean Water & Sanitation
Affordable and Clean Energy
Decent Work and Economic Growth
Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructures
Reduced Inequalities
Sustainable Cities & Communities
Responsible Consumption and Production
Climate Action
Life Below Water
Life on Land
Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
Partnerships for Goals
BIG GOALS, BIG NUMBERS, BIG ACTIONS
Based on their 17 global goals, it cannot be achieved by a single person and requires participation and cooperation from the majority. Big goals require big numbers and big actions.
In order to achieve its mandate, the UNDP relies entirely on voluntary contributions from the Member States including multilateral organizations, private sectors, and other sources as well in the form of unrestricted regular resources as the core.
REACH THE GOALS BY 2030
The UNDP plans to reach these goals by 2030, and that is their plan of action for us people, the planet, and prosperity.
And it is no secret that these goals are big and very challenging. Just eradicating poverty alone is already one of the greatest global challenges, yet an indispensable requirement for sustainable development.
REQUIRES HELP FROM EVERYBODY
Eradicating poverty is such a huge plan it needs everybody’s commitment, cooperation, and patience before we can achieve progress — and despite all those efforts, it just still wouldn’t be enough.
THE GOALS ARE OVERWHELMING, But SMALL ACTIONS CONTRIBUTE TO BIGGER GOALS
The goals are admittedly overwhelming, and might even sound unrealistic for some, or the majority of us.
Yet that doesn’t mean we cannot do anything about it — as even tiny acts lead to tiny changes, that eventually get big!
Honestly, I’ve been aware of these goals for a long already and I’ve seen the brochures and all, but didn’t really understand how these things affect me or involve me.
And the reason I never understood that before, is because I see that the goals are very big: “0 poverty, 0 hunger”, so I was like…
“How could I even help with those things? I’m just a regular person from Sweden who cannot do anything to eradicate world poverty and hunger since those goals are too big for me.”
And that made me skeptical.
BUT THEY’RE WORTH THE TRY.
I joined the course today to knowing more and find ways to implement things that help achieve these goals, because even if I thought I couldn’t do anything — the goals are worth a try.
Now that I am learning different ways to help achieve these big goals, I also figured out ways how I can use my business to help. It’s just a matter of trying and finding what works.
I CANNOT FEED THE WORLD
No, I cannot feed the world but that doesn’t mean I cannot take tiny steps contributing to bigger actions.
BUT HAVING A BUSINESS HELPS
If you are a business owner, it is great to use your business as a way to contribute to these big goals.
A SECRET?
A sustainable business lasts longer.
Let me share with you the areas in my business that I can use, and feel free to draw ideas from them on how you can use your business too!
Good Health & Well-being: I work as a Doctor, and my business is focusing on stress management, helping people be healthy BOTH physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Quality Education: Education doesn’t end in school, as education is a lifelong process and regardless of our age, we still learn in our everyday lives. In my business, what I teach people is priceless. It’s how you can take care of yourself and others — and judging from recent statistics on mental health, this sounds easier than it actually is.
Decent Work, Economic Growth: My business is stress management. My target is business leaders and anybody in a leadership position because I’ve always believed in the power of outstanding leadership. With great leaders, come great workers, and so does a great place to work in — with a healthy work environment.
Responsible Consumption & Production: I care for my resources, both in my business and private life. I also find businesses that care for our planet’s resources, so I buy trees from Kenya in the business called Better Globe — as buying a tree means having a tree planted, which also provides jobs and education to the people there.
Climate change: As I have mentioned, I buy trees in Kenya monthly, which is very important for their area as it is semi-deserted. The trees grow profit over time, but they aren’t massive since they are trees, so it was really more of being able to do something good and reap the rewards that come with it. A win-win for everybody, plus the planet we live in.
LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE
I was so glad after realizing that I am also able to contribute to achieving a few of the 17 Global Goals, and though I wasn’t sold at first that I cannot do anything about it, I’ve actually been contributing for a long already — in my own little ways!
So don’t fret when you think you can’t do anything about something, and just look at the bigger picture because like me…
You might not know but maybe the answers are already in front of you.
And with all these, I came up with my personal slogan for my business…
“Dr. Annika: Making the Business World Stay Calm and Sustainable, One Boss At a Time”
Depression… While more people are getting aware of it, it is still a controversial topic to some. You’ll hear people – the majority of people, quickly jumping into recommending pills or antidepressants quickly – despite being “not” too knowledgeable about depression itself (signs, symptoms, diagnosis, etc.)
PILLS TREATMENT
Over the last decades, the treatment rate with pills for depression has increased for many good reasons – but also, a bit for bad.
When today’s antidepressants hit the market, it was a revolution compared to the old pill available.
The old ones had massive side effects. You were kind of sent into a zero land where all emotions were gone – you became like a ghost, and they were heart toxic – meaning it was easy to intoxicate yourself with the end result of death.
I KNOW THIS, MEDICALLY, AND FROM EXPERIENCE…
I know from personal experience that my brother repeatedly was taken to heart intensive care.
TODAY’S ANTIDEPRESSANTS
The new version of antidepressants, however, did not have those tough side effects. They are not toxic, so it is hard to kill yourself with them and that is a plus in depression treatment!
SIDE EFFECTS OF TODAY’S PILLS
Some people feel like they get into a bubble eating them, while some have a negative effect on your libido, and they usually take a couple of weeks before they start to make a difference.
Many patients have great help from them – the deeper the depression was to start with, the better the effect. Still, they aren’t for everyone and there is no way other than to test them out to see whom they do work for.
A TREATMENT THAT OUTCLASSES THE PILLS.
Yes, with today’s knowledge, there is one treatment that far out outclasses the pills!
Physical activity has come up as the #1 best medicine for depression – all mild depression but also for moderate depression.
But you’d notice that it is not often used as a treatment in traditional medicine. I wonder why…
WHAT DEPRESSION IS
Depression is often a result of stress and anxiety. We have used daily walks as a treatment for stress for a long time – so this is just the far end of stress treatment.
The effect was good both for healthy individuals and for people diagnosed with disorders that can cause anxiety or lead to depression.
THE EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Physical activity releases dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin which all are feel-good hormones.
It is a superpower for turning us into a good mood!
The side effects of physical activity are also mostly good effects on other processes in our bodies, like weight, energy levels, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, muscle- and joint pain, and much more.
But despite all these facts…
Physical activity has not been the first choice of treatment in health care.
I think that is a pity because of all the good we know AND it is for free, you can do it anytime it suits you.
You can also take power walks with your friends and make it a win-win with a good conversation together. Also Yoga, Pilates, and alike have the same effects!
I AM NOT SAYING PILLS ARE USELESS They absolutely are useful and helpful, especially in cases of severe depression. If possible, combine pills and physical activity together for increased effect.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STRESS, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION
Stress is our emotional and physical response to stressors like unexpected changes or events, and other situations. It raises our blood pressure and heart rate as our body feels the emotional strain and pressure. It’s a reaction to a current trigger.
Anxiety, on the other hand, is when we feel uneasy due to constant worries, especially about the things that have not happened yet – which may or may not happen at all. It is how we dread certain events from happening (or not happening) and may have similar symptoms to stress, but due to different causes.
Stress and Anxiety when both left untreated… may lead to depression, which then constantly affects your mood negatively.
IN ADDITION TO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY…
Physical activity is just one of the many options available as a natural treatment for stress, anxiety, and depression.
Other things that you can practice include being mindful, getting a good amount of sleep, establishing healthy habits, healthy lifestyle, and healthy food choices.
Combining them all together will help you not fall to the growing number of people experiencing depression.
And in case you get lazy…
It’s normal – as not everybody has the energy to move around their bodies – but it is necessary not just for mental health, but also for your health in general.
MAKE IT FUN
It doesn’t have to be exhilarating, as you can choose activities you know you will enjoy. Ride a bike, or learn a new sport – whatever suits you – just remember to always make it fun for it to be enjoyable, and so that you won’t dread doing it and instead LOOK FORWARD to doing it! 🙂
“Sleep is for the week”, “Who needs sleep when you have coffee”, “I have many things to do, 5-6 hours of sleep is enough for me”– let’s stop patronizing these ideas, they’re not good for our bodies and never good for our health.
But how many hours of sleep do our bodies really need?
HOURS OF SLEEP PER AGE
0-3 months: up to 18 hours
4-11 months: 12-15 hours
1-2 years old: 11-14 hours
3-5 years old: 10-13 hours
6-13 years old: 9-11 hours
14-17 years old: 8-10 hours
18-25 years old: 7-9 hours
26-64 years old: 7-9 hours
65+ years old: 7-8 hours
The above is a guide or a framework we can use as a guide to how many hours of sleep we need according to our age.
But, it’s important to remember that like in everything else, when it comes to sleep…
THERE IS ALSO NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL SOLUTION
But how is that, if the sleep hours are clearly stated?
My explanation here would be simple. Our everyday life doesn’t look the same, so one person might be needing to do too many strenuous activities, forcing the body to need MORE rest than normal – you get the point.
So…
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU’RE GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP?
Well, it’s time you reflect and ask yourself every time – or have a journal or some sleep tracker. When you wake up and you feel good, track how many hours of sleep you had, and when you wake up feeling tired… also track how many hours of sleep you had.
Recognize your own body’s pattern and listen to what it’s telling you. If you feel tired every day even after sleeping 7 hours, then maybe your body needs 8. And if you feel good and energized, then try practicing sleeping that right amount.
IT’S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER…
We have to complete all 3 stages of sleep in one night: Light, wherein our eyes are closed but still too easily to be woken up, REM, which happens after about 90 minutes of falling asleep, where our eyes still move (rapid eye movement) while closed and where most dreams occur, and Deep sleep, where our brain waves have slowed down and it’s harder to wake us up.
And yes just in case you’re wondering, it’s also normal to wake up several times during the night. Just don’t do anything that can disrupt your melatonin like checking your phone or something to not make it hard for yourself to get back to sleep.
THE RISK OF SLEEPING LESS & SLEEPING MORE
Studies show that sleeping less than 6 hours a day increases the risk of Alzheimer’s, heart & blood vessel illnesses, and some kinds of cancer, and obesity for the younger ones.
On the other hand, sleeping more than 9 hours increases the risk of some types of cancer too. Which means… The safest thing to say is at about 7-8 hours of sleep every day, to have the lowest risk of getting these illnesses.
IMPORTANCE OF GETTING THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF SLEEP
Aside from being on the safer side of all illnesses… sleep has so many positive effects so we must keep up with our brains, their functions, and their processes.
Scientists have also shown before that when we sleep, some kind of cleaning process happens in our body, like getting the “waste” products out of our body.
TO SUM IT UP
Wrapping it up, and feeling what works for your body’s needs while sticking to the framework as a guide… is our safest bet to getting the right amount of sleep our body needs.
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