When Ajay Kanwal got promoted as the MD of his company, he was sure he could handle the responsibilities of the designation fairly easily. But, in less than two months he was convinced otherwise. As he tried to find his way between project proposals, pitch presentations and demanding clients, the stress alarm rang.
Kanwal has plenty of company to keep in the corporate world. A recent survey conducted by Amity School of Insurance and Heal India shows that stress at workplace is manifesting itself in the form of medical problems. About 82% of executives have reported back pain, acute headache, and neck pain. They may want to blame the 20-odd calls they have to make on any given day. And that?s just the bottom of the scale ? at times the calls go upto 50! Further, even as 35% of them complained of having gained weight in the past six months, close to 50% said they suffered from sleep-related problems.
Stress at work place seems to be gaining prominence. While the Amity survey targeted the mid-level corporate executives, another recent survey by industry body Assocham probed the level of stress amongst corporate tycoons. It held that the meltdown in Indian economy has made 68% of CEOs completely restless.
Most have also found a way of battling stress. Over 30% either practise yogic kriyas, hit the gym, play golf or listen to music and over 40% CEOs are trying out emerging ayurvedic treatments like naturopathy, massage, acupuncture, acupressure to de-stress.
The economic burden of stress can in no way be undermined. ?Last year US spent $2.1 trillion for healthcare and one-third of this cost was paid by the employers,? says Jerry Crosby, Quest Diagnostics, USA. It pays to keep the employees healthy. ?Studies show that return on investment can range from $1.50 to $4.75 for every $1 spent on employee wellness,? Crosby adds.
If you can?t find time for yoga or the gym. begin small. ?The first casualty of a hectic lifestyle is often food. Avoid aerated drinks, chips, cookies, pizzas and burgers and opt for low fat milk, whole pulses soy bean, fish, lean chicken and egg white,? says Rekha Sharma, Secretary, Diabetes Foundation, India.