Stress and anxiety are among the two most common sources of work-weariness and complaint among urbanites, corporate executives, and other people who go each day to “fight” in the concrete jungles. Endless streams of tasks and unbeatable deadlines seem to push people near to the brink of resignation, if not from the job itself, but from the ability to meet the various expectations heaped upon them in the office. Aside from having the beat the early morning traffic and going off to work sans breakfast, the sheer competition in climbing up the corporate ladder have gotten into the minds of not a few “men in ties” and “women in heels.” No wonder, the 21st Century rat rate itself has spawned a new and thriving industries --- the spa and the anti-anxiety medication businesses.
Having anxiety panic attacks will not exactly boost the corporate image of an up-and-coming, hardworking junior executive. Those who can hardly survive “in the kitchen” due to the intense office “heat” may opt to go to a doctor to get a prescription. But what they need to take every morning may not be the all-too-common multivitamin and minerals in capsule form. The visit to the doctor was prompted by the need to take specially made drugs to calm the nerves. The use of anti-anxiety drugs is now fast becoming a common procedure among busy executives who want to remain in control of their emotions as well as their careers.
Another hip and trendy way to beat corporate pressure is by going to a spa. For an hour or two, a hassled “business warrior” can go in to have spend time to break a sweat inside a sauna. Inside the wooden room with just enough heat to cause you to sweat out your body's toxins, a tired executive can sit there for up to 45 minutes wearing nothing but a fresh towel. In between, sips of water needed to avoid dehydration, a spa enthusiast can take comfort that he is sweating away all the unhealthy elements of what he ate during that “power lunch” with the department head or the unwanted calories consumed during the company sales victory party. After perspiring away and feeling a bit lighter, the executive can then proceed to a discreet, aromatic room where his very own masseur waits with skillful hands. The all-too-willing subject of the massage can choose from a variety of techniques: Thai, Japanese, Swedish, Acupressure, Reflexology and even Shiamen-Style Foot Massage. All these massage styles offer soothing pleasures to the mind and body. Each therapuetic rub and stroke is made to specifically un-tie the “knots” and “bumps” from head to toe.
Indeed, stress and anxiety are looked at by career-driven individuals not only as mere emotional and physical distress. These are now the “enemies” and “obstacles” that could make or break a person's climb to the top. The climb, or more appropriately, the race up the career highway has left many otherwise talented and skilled professionals lost, burned out, and out of the game.
Much like financial capital, equipment, technology and facilities --- people are now also looked at as highly valuable factors of production. In fact, it is the troop of professionals and workers who actually make a business run, and not just the CEO or company president. For this reason, many corporations are now investing more and more in the health and well-being of their people. By pouring in more dollars to take care of their most valuable assets, companies are able to minimize employee burnout, sick leaves, and executive turnovers.
A major intervention or program that is present in almost every company is called stress management, technique or series of activities designed to help a person cope with the daily struggles and pressures of work. Specifically, stress management may involve one or all of the following scientifically-based procedures and techniques:
? Autogenic Therapy
? Cognitive Therapy
? Exercise
? Meditation
? Progressive Relaxation
? Use of Stress Balls
In fact, even engaging in sexual activities is considered a stress buster --- a procedure that certainly beats going to a psychiatrist or stress therapist.
Regardless of the technique or method, beating stress will continue to be an additional survival skill that every executive or worker must learn in order to continue and succeed at work. It is not just a matter of “getting rid of the blues” or releasing tension and anger. Dealing with work-related anxieties is necessary to maintain one's health as well to keep one competent and calm in facing the daily battles in the workplace.
