Manage stress for business success

The trickle-down effect of a healthy workforce is far-reaching.

Five million Australians say their stress levels affect their physical health.

How is the health of a company or business assessed? The often quoted “triple bottom line” encompasses financial, social and environmental considerations, but most often it is the financial that really is the bottom line. How does human capital fit into how healthy a company really is?

The health of individuals within a society is a good reflection of that human capital, so there is genuine cause for concern and it may be time to reassess priorities.

Life is stressful. The Stress and Wellbeing in Australia survey, conducted by the Australian Psychological Society, found five million Australians reported their stress levels affected their physical health. It may be an underestimation as it seems everybody is stressed and that stress is having a significant effect on people’s health.

Not all stress is bad but understanding it is important.

This is especially true when considering the epidemic of preventable chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, more than 80 autoimmune diseases, diabetes, dementia and obesity, as well as mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.

When we are faced with a health crisis there is no better place to be than our health system, but beyond that it has become largely a chronic disease management system, fed by the food industry and managed by the pharmaceutical and medical industry. It’s a great economic model but not a very good health model, reflected in the financial and human costs which, as we constantly are reminded, are unsustainable.

Business leaders are uniquely placed to inspire, prioritise, facilitate and improve the health of the individuals who spend so much of their lives under their leadership.

The trickle-down effect of a healthy workforce, the return on investment financially, socially and environmentally, is far-reaching, not only for employees, their families and companies but also for society as a whole.

Public health messages often are confusing, contradictory and frequently sponsored by those industries whose business model is dependent on long-term chronic disease management rather than health and wellness.

If the evidence is anything to go by, things need to change. That change has to come from the ground up, empowering individuals to take control of their own health, focused on building physical, mental and emotional resilience to face the challenges of our modern world.

Fulfilling potential is a worthwhile goal and an individual’s good health is central to that.

Understanding how stress has the potential to compromise immune function and promote chronic inflammation is key to dealing with the challenge of stress. A useful model is to identify five stresses: emotional, environmental, nutritional, postural and dental. They are inseparable.

As the challenges faced in today’s world become more complicated, the solutions are remarkably simple.

Focusing on five pillars of health gives a simple and sustainable framework with which to take control of health.

They include: sleep, breathing, nutrition, movement and thought, which together build that resilience.

There never has been a better opportunity for leaders to lead, and effect this profound and positive change. A healthy company is a company people will want to work in and with.

If business is truly the foundation on which our society is built, it’s great a time for leaders to step up and lead the change so badly needed.

Ron Ehrlich is a corporate health specialist and author of A Life Less Stressed: The Five Pillars of Health and Wellness.