WELLBEING WITH STRESS MATTERS

WHAT IS STRESS COSTING YOU?

There’s a lot to be stressed about right now. The unpredictability of Covid and Brexit alone is enough to keep our stress levels uncomfortably high. On top of that the change in IR35 regulations this month is adding further headaches and stress to KBB retailers and subcontractors.

You might feel like you’ve become accustomed to this new level of stress. Brexit has been going on for what seems like forever, we’re over the initial shock of Covid-19 and are learning to live with it and it probably wouldn’t surprise us if another ‘once in a lifetime event’ was just around the corner. Perhaps our benchmark for ‘normal’ stress levels has been reset and it just feels acceptable to us to feel worried and anxious? It’s part of normal life now, right?

Have you considered the impact of accepting this new stress benchmark? What have you had to do to cope? Increased alcohol consumption, takeaways and Netflix binges? How about the impact on your personal and professional relationships? What impact do you think living with this additional stress is having on your ability to be creative and innovative at work right now and on your ability to delight your customers?

The cost of stress can be measured in many different ways. Hours of sleep lost, kilograms of weight put on, money spent on alcohol, lack of productivity at work, the cost of not converting those leads. It can even cost relationships. There has been a huge increase in adults being diagnosed with depression over the pandemic. According to the Office of National Statistics almost 1 in 5 adults were experiencing some form of depression in June 2020 compared with 1 in 10 in July 2019. Stress that isn’t dealt with properly can lead to mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.

That’s why Stress Matters. If we can learn how to manage stress better, we can help to prevent it from becoming a mental illness. We can improve relationships with our colleagues, suppliers and clients. We can see more clearly and plan better for our futures rather than stumble through the everchanging environment.

I’m going to be bringing you regular tips and tricks to help you become more aware of your stress, wellbeing and mental health and what you can do to improve things for you, those around you and your business. In the meantime, I’d just like to leave you with this thought… Success doesn’t have to be stressful. Read that again!

Get in touch if you’d like to book a zoom coffee to find out how we’ve helped KBB businesses become more productive and profitable through focussing on the wellbeing of their people.

James Capell-Abra - Wellbeing Specialist and Mental Health First Aid Instructor - Stress Matters james@stressmatters.org.uk linkedin.com/in/jamescapellabra