Falling Economy, Rising Stress

We are all facing tremendous uncertainty on economic and political fronts, on top of the daily pressures to get more accomplished with fewer resources. Now more than ever, many of us are feeling the effects of rising stress.

Understanding and coping with stress is critical to our emotional/physical well-being and personal productivity. You might not be aware of the numerous health related effects of stress. Here are a few sobering facts:

• Nine out of ten headaches are due to stress-induced muscle contractions in the neck or shoulders that radiate to the head.
  
  
• Stress causes forgetfulness, indecisiveness, and an inability to concentrate. Stress causes employees to produce less and make more mistakes.

• Stress is a common contributing cause of cramps, heartburn, impotence, irritable bowel syndrome, colds, flu, and many other health related problems.

• Spiritual beliefs.
• Social support of friends and family.
• Exercise routines.
• Problem-solving skills.
• Communication skills.

Taking stock of the causes of our stress, and strength of our personal coping resources, can help us reduce the negative effects of stress. Practically oriented self-assessments are available that help individuals identify causes of stress and weaknesses in personal coping resources. Tools such as these can help you focus on the specific areas that you need to change to improve your health and make you more productive. If you would like to view a sample Coping and Stress Assessment, click here. Once the self-assessment is completed a blueprint for more effectively managing your stress is provided in an educationally oriented Coping and Stress Profile. To view a sample Coping and Stress Profile click here.

Several books about stress management are available that provide useful advice to those of us who want to reduce the negative effects of stress. One resource, The Stress Management Handbook, is available on Amazon.com. If you are too stressed out to read a book and only have time to review our Stress Management Tips, click here.

Make managing your stress a priority..it's the healthy thing to do...and you should do it for you.

If you have a question about this month’s topic or feedback about Taking Action, please contact me at 305-598-9880 or via email at doug@thedougwilliamsgroup.com

Warm regards,


Doug Williams
Chief Executive Officer
The Doug Williams Group, Inc.