Stress at work is spiralling out of control, with many employees in danger of completely burning out, a survey shows while a psychologist has warned that over-stress is ‘a time bomb ticking away in the basement of UK plc’.
The survey, reported the Daily Mail, warns that 25% of those in professions such as teaching, social work and the police are suffering from serious stress. In other occupations up to 15% of staff have problems with those in the private sector suffering from the requirement to deliver higher and higher productivity per person.
In the public sector – particularly in the NHS – staff are being asked to take on more responsibility with fewer resources, the survey leader Professor John McLeod of Abertay University, Dundee, said.
“People who need workplace counselling show signs of psychological distress equivalent to that found in out-patient psychiatric hospitals,” said McLeod, adding that the culture which gives employees and bosses the longest working hours in Europe must change or Britain will
‘break down’.
While he said this was not ‘a minor worry any more but a serious crisis in people’s lives’, Ruth Lea, of the Institute of Directors,disagreed, saying: “’People should really get things in perspective. Most people are comfortable at work and often stress is just part and parcel of a job.
“There may be people who are too stressed but this can be addressed. It is usually a sign of bad management which can be changed.”
McLeod warned that workplace anxiety will not go away unless Britain learns how to offer help to staff. But he said the British ‘stiff upper lip’ attitude often prevents people admitting how awful their workplace is.
Undiagnosed anxiety conditions now cause more absences from work than traditional complaints such as backache, hangovers and stomach trouble.
His report, for the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, claims counselling can reduce the incidence of office-related stress by half. Countering stress boosts performance and cuts the number of sick days taken.
Dealing with stress and anxiety is becoming more common for clinical hypnotherapists, says the nation’s largest professional association, the National Council for Hypnotherapy.
“We live in a society where great demands and responsibilities are placed on us,” says the NCH. “Today, about one in seven people are suffering from stress or anxiety at any one time in the UK. And while some people manage, more and more people are showing signs of over-anxiety, which leads to stress, which can make a significant impact on the quality of life and wellbeing.”
Many NCH hypnotherapists offer special offers to businesses for stress reduction schemes at work.
“Stress is one of the major reasons people take time off work, and investing in stress reduction schemes companies can increase productivity, happiness and subsequently loyalty in their employees,” adds the NCH, “It is worth talking to your employer or to a local hypnotherapist to see if that this is a possibility.”
During sessions with a hypnotherapist, the therapist will help assess the stress or anxiety, identifying the root of stress or anxiety whether it is a situation, a physical issue, a past experience or a relationship. Then they will set a goal asking how the person would like to feel, how they would like to be, and things that they would chose to do if free of stress and anxiety.
“They will then work with the person to reach theirr goals using a range of different techniques. Every therapist may use slightly different techniques, but working towards the same goal,” says the NCH. “After sessions with a hypnotherapist you may feel more confident; more relaxed in situations that have previously challenged you. Many people say that they are calmer and that they have more clarity of thought – able to make decisions more easily.”