Work stress and UAE dimension

Work stress and UAE dimension
By Carole Spiers, Special to Gulf News

The very conditions that have enabled Dubai's explosive commercial success have also been shown to represent a dangerous downside in terms of workplace health - a startling reminder that you don't get something for nothing in this world.

To outsiders, including many Europeans thinking of moving to Dubai, the prospects of a healthy life here seem outwardly favourable. We have sun, sea and cleansing winds across the desert. We have this wonderfully new capital city, where everything is efficient and hygienic.

And in the big corporate offices in their state-of-the-art tower blocks, you can find all the best-equipped executive gyms to encourage year-round fitness of body and mind. From a distance, it can certainly look as though we have simply taken everything that threatens employee health, and designed it out of the system.


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But the medical statistics tell a different story. For the UAE is afflicted with the second biggest incidence of heart disease and diabetes per capita on earth. And against a world average age of 65 for heart-attacks, the UAE figure is just 50. Inevitably, this means that many people are suffering their first heart-attack at 30 or younger. What lies behind these truly terrible findings?

One factor is genetic bad luck. The local population happens to be pre-disposed to heart disease, and the many expats from India and Pakistan even more so. But that is a secondary issue, compared to the huge impact of workplace stress, equally affecting the European community, who are not normally prone to this kind of disease on genetic grounds.

From the fitness angle, working conditions in Dubai run counter to any of the normal rules of health, and are sure to frustrate any attempt at a sensible daily regime.

That perfect climate, for example. Unless you're swimming or sailing, the heat can actually be quite oppressive, placing strain on the heart, while also virtually forcing you to stay indoors for long hours in sedentary mode.

Your only excursion will probably be out to lunch (by taxi, of course, to save valuable time.) And in a city geared to top-level business, all the emphasis will be on lavish entertainment, either to impress important visitors or just to advertise your status around the corporate village. Any idea of a sensible, moderate diet goes right out of that 30th-storey window.

Then there is the sheer atmospheric pressure of working right up here at the summit of global commerce. A terrible logic starts to take hold: if you don't work that extra hour, your competitors will, and they'll snatch the business from you.

It is this universal imperative, even more than the accelerating pace of the e-mail and mobile-phone way of life, that proves so fatally hypnotic to corporate executives. Did someone mention the gym? Not now. Not now. Some other time...

Like the monkey with its hand in the long-necked jar, you must force yourself to let go at some point, or you're just going to be one super-rich corpse. Stress management, (which includes the increasingly important time management) should start to bulk-up bigger as a central part of executive training and practice. Soon.

The writer is a BBC broadcaster and motivational speaker, with 20 years' experience as CEO of Carole Spiers Group, aninternational stress consultancy based in London.

Ronnie Nijmeh appears on the Radio Program "The Rutherford Show"

Ronnie Nijmeh appears on the Radio Program "The Rutherford Show"
ACQYR's Ronnie Nijmeh offered some timely advice on managing Holiday and Family Stress in a special holiday segment on AM 770 CHQR's "The Rutherford Show" Alberta's #1 Talk Radio station.

The segment aired on December 27, 2007 and a replay is now available below.


You can listen to the family & holiday stress segment (8:33) here:



Learn about The Stress Factor a newly designed stress management program by Ronnie Nijmeh. Sign up to receive The Stress Factor Course, a 7-day transformation stress e-course.
http://www.acqyr.com/Articles/News/1037.php

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Don't Worry, Be Happy

A few years ago an (irritatingly) catchy little tune called Don't Worry, Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin was going the rounds. Once heard it took ages to get out of your head. But within that simple song lies a profound message; we spend way too much time worrying.

The thing about worrying is that no good ever comes of it. Worry dissipates your energies, diverting them from more constructive use. As we've got better at curing physical illness so it seems mental illnesses such as stress, depression, anxiety (essentially all aliases for worry) have expanded to fill the gap. And of course these conditions adversely affect physical health.

But even worse than that, worry is a form of thought. And as countless teachers have told thoughts are very powerful things. They tend to manifest themselves in reality. So by worrying, you actually serve to create the very thing you are worried about!

If something is bothering you all the worry in the world isn't going to help (and will most likely harm). Whatever it may be - money, work, relationships, kids, health, family... DO something about it. If the problem is money, start planning and budgeting a little better; if it's work, start checking the job ads or consider something more radical like self-employment or re-training; if it's health, eat healthy, exercise and follow the doctor's orders...

Sit quietly, take a few deep breaths, analyze what's wrong and what you can do about it. Don't be afraid to ask for help through prayer, or even from those you trust.

In most situations you'll have a choice of potential actions (including simply doing nothing and letting what will be just be). And for each, since we can't see the future, a range of possible outcomes - including the best, worst and most likely.

You'll now be empowered by knowledge. Decide what you're going to do. Then do it. And stop worrying, because you KNOW that you've done the best you could in the circumstances, and whatever happens you KNOW that you couldn't have done any better.

Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday

Think back to childhood. I'm pretty sure you worried then too. Perhaps you forgot to revise for a class test, or maybe you got dropped from the football team, or your best friend didn't want to let you in a game... At the time didn't it seem the biggest problem in the world, but looking back don't your childhood worries seem inconsequential? And that's how today's worries will seem when reviewed in the world of Spirit. So stop worrying and be happy.

Stressed ad woman loses $1.2m claim

Stressed ad woman loses $1.2m claim

An advertising director who sought more than $1.2 million from her former employers as compensation for stress caused by an exacting client has had her claim dismissed by the Employment Relations Authority.

Shelley Menelda was an employee of advertising firm Publicis Mojo between 2003 and 2006. Her main account was the cosmetics giant L'Oreal.

The authority heard Ms Menelda was told before her appointment as an account director in March 2003 that the managing director of L'Oreal New Zealand, Frances Stead, could be difficult and exacting in her demands, but her expectations were not unrealistic.

Ms Menelda said she was confident she could meet Ms Stead's expectations.

In August 2004, Ms Menelda received a $20,000 pay rise in recognition of the "fabulous job" she was doing managing the L'Oreal account.

But by March 2005, Ms Menelda was describing her interaction with Ms Stead as "soul destroying", saying in emails to her managers she was "over it".

In June 2005, Ms Menelda said she wanted to resign because of frustrations with the L'Oreal account.



The agency fought to keep her on, paying her airfare and half the bill of a luxury five-day stay at a health resort to ease her stress.

Six months later, Ms Menelda threatened resignation again.

The agency responded by appointing two other account managers to help her with L'Oreal and investigating future options for her within the agency.

But in September 2006, after a particularly stressful meeting with Ms Stead, Ms Menelda suffered what a colleague described as a "meltdown", bursting into tears in the L'Oreal carpark.

Subsequent consultations with her GP and a clinical psychologist revealed she had suffered a nervous breakdown, and was exhibiting symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Ms Menelda appealed to the authority, saying her employers failed to keep her safe from harm at work.

She sought lost salary for 10 months, $30,000 compensation for hurt and humiliation, and a 20-year loss of opportunity claim totalling $1.2 million, based on a projected salary loss of $60,000 a year between 2007 and her expected year of retirement in 2027.

But the authority determined the company had acted appropriately in response to her concerns by responding promptly when issues were raised and by appointing new account managers to help her to balance the workload.


Furthermore, it found Ms Stead's behaviour towards Ms Menelda, while demanding, did not constitute workplace bullying.

"Rather, Ms Stead's expectations and dealings with the applicant - even at the level of detail and direction she exhibited - were part of the course of the commercial relationship and requirements between client and agency in the advertising industry."

Massage therapist writes about weight lost the natural way

Local man publishes healthy book
Massage therapist writes about weight lost the natural way


Larry Pahl is hoping to make a difference in how people think about weight loss.

The 53-year-old completed a book in the fall, "Mother Nature's Weight Loss Secrets," after five years of research that began with pain management. During his research, Pahl, a massage therapist, found chronic pain often was connected to weight issues, and if the weight issues were addressed, then the pain could be addressed.



"The reason I want to help them so much is that in addition to the physical problems, there's a lot of mental (issues)," Pahl said.

Pahl's book and ideas on weight loss center around stress management and a manageable plan, rather than diets and weight loss pills.
"We're not wired to lose fat fast, but that's what everybody wants to do," Pahl said. "I know so many people who lost hope due to failed attempts. You have to do (weight loss) nice and slow because that's how we gain it."

When a person is not managing stress, Pahl said the body's metabolism slows down the way it burns calories, which can cause muscle loss and increase fat gain.

"The more stress we have the more weight we gain, and the more weight we gain the more pain and disease we have," Pahl said.

The keys to reducing stress are to drink water - no more sugary drinks - to remain hydrated and getting a full night sleep to keep energy up, which will keep emotions up, Pahl said.

Sugar also has a high-impact on weight gain because it quickly turns to fat, he added.

"Anyone eating more than 600 calories at once causes a sugar spike, loses muscle and stores fat," he said.

However, people shouldn't restrict calories below 1,300 to 2,000 calories, because the body will go into "starvation mode" and start storing fat.

"All I'm trying to do is increase awareness," Pahl said.

Pahl's book includes other thoughts on weight loss and strategies on how to live healthy. Among other things, he suggests creating a lifestyle plan that is reasonable, enjoyable and sustainable.

Pahl studied massage therapy at Massage Away, now the National Institute of Alternative Medicine, and is hoping his book and ideas on weight loss will appeal to a diverse audience. Anyone interested in getting a copy of the book should contact Pahl at 701-6519.

Author shares lessons of coping with stress

Author shares lessons of coping with stress
The best way to deal with stress is to treat it like a vacation: Start planning for it.

That is the advice of Dr. Claire Michaels Wheeler, the author of the new book, “10 Simple Solutions to Stress: How to Tame Tension & Start Enjoying Your Life.”

Wheeler will have a discussion, question and answer period and a book signing on Jan. 16 from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Beaverton Borders, 2605 S.W. Cedar Hills Blvd.

Typically, she said, people underestimate the power of stress until it affects basic human functions such as sleep, memory, eating and sex or leads to chronic conditions such as autoimmune disorders, coronary heart disease and depression.

“The trick is to really get a little creative and deliberate in how we approach stress and look at what’s worked for people medically,” Wheeler said.

For her part, Dr. Wheeler, 47, isn’t exactly a model of stress-free living. She’s seen death up close in the E.R., been through a divorce and experienced the fallout of cancer in her immediate family. She runs a private medical-consulting practice, speaks nationally and works as a professor.

“I have my bad days just like anyone else,” Dr. Wheeler said. “But it’s all about doing what inspires you and has meaning for you – even if it’s not always fun – and knowing that it will really make you a better, healthier person.

“Stress management is a process, not a reaction, that’s very much tied to lifestyle choices. Honestly, you can’t start reducing stress until you start living life.”

For more information visit www.stresshappiness.com/about.

Needles stick it to pain, stress and weight loss

Needles stick it to pain, stress and weight loss

By Greta Burroughs - For The Sun News
Pain management has been a problem for modern medicine for decades. In recent years, however, more physicians are beginning to integrate therapies such as acupuncture into their practices.

"The nice thing about acupuncture is that it doesn't interfere with any drugs or other therapies, and there are no side effects," said Suzanne Swearengen, a board-certified acupuncturist with the Alternative Health Clinic in Myrtle Beach and Conway. "You can use it concurrently with any other treatment and get better faster."

She said most of her patients have tried everything else and are seeking relief from pain. She works with patients' primary care physician, coordinating her treatment with other treatments the patient is receiving. Sessions last for around 30 minutes and improvement is usually seen within three sessions, she said.

"I tailor the treatments to each individual patient," she said. "I can have two patients come in for the same problem, but the treatment for each one will be different. It depends on the root cause of the condition."

The most common conditions Swearengen sees are body pain or nerve pain, but she also treats patients for infertility and stress.

"Acupuncture is best known for pain management, but we can help with other things, too, such as stress. I'd say about

95 percent of the population suffers from stress in one way or another and we can help with that."

In acupuncture, small sterile needles are placed in specific points in the body.

"There are 365 documented points on the body," Swearengen said. "Each point has a function and indication and we develop a point prescription based on the condition to be treated and the function of each point."

In addition to the needles, cups are used to help break up and clear congestion. The inside of the cup is heated to remove oxygen and produce a vacuum before being placed on the body.

"Acupuncture opens passages and restores the balance the body needs," she said. "The body needs help sometimes, and we provide the tools to do it."

She said primary health providers are positive about and accepting of acupuncture.

"They know we will do no harm," she said. "The general attitude is 'go ahead and try it' if a patient wants to try acupuncture, and some doctors have even started recommending it."

Teresa Liu, an acupuncturist at Alms Chiropractic Center in Myrtle Beach, said people come to her for a variety of problems "such as pain, sinus, arthritis, rotator cuff, back, stomach, bladder infections, weight loss, nerve problems, pregnancy, and vomiting associated with cancer treatments."

She said her clients often come to her as a last hope before surgery or when no other medical treatment has been successful.

"I try my best to help them," she said. "If after five or six treatments there is no improvement, then I do not force them to come back. Most of my clients are very happy with their treatments. We have a 50 to 70 percent success rate with weight loss and even higher success rate with pain management and other problems we treat."

While doing her schooling in China, Liu had training in herbal medicines, which she combines with acupuncture.

Liu said many doctors in this area are not open to complementary therapies.

"Clients come to me on their own, and when they tell their doctor about it the usual response is 'That's OK if you want to try it,' but there are other doctors who are very protective and don't want competition," she said.

Several doctors interviewed said they saw no harm in acupuncture, as long as it was administered by a trained practitioner.

"My basic feeling is that acupuncture is something that has been used for thousands of years in China and it continues to be popular, so it has to have something to it," said Dr. Paul G. Goetowski, an oncologist at Carolina Regional Cancer Center.

Goetowski spent a couple of weeks in China working and observing at a cancer institute where western and Oriental medicine were combined.

"They used chemotherapy, radiation and other methods that are used here in the states, along with complementary treatments such as acupuncture," he said. "I felt it had positive benefits, especially with pain and nausea. It worked and was very helpful. There was no harm done and the patients benefited from it."

Goetowski said he had some acupuncture treatments for back pain and that it helped a little bit, but he still had to take pain relievers.

When asked if he would recommend acupuncture for his patients he said, "If a person wants to try acupuncture, I feel there is no harm in it as long as it is practiced by someone who is properly trained.

"If one of my patients wants to try a complementary therapy, I want to discuss it with him or her first. If I feel it is reasonably safe, then OK.

"The biggest problem is herbal medicines," he said. "Some people are afraid to tell their doctor they are taking herbal remedies because they think the doctor will not approve. Always let your doctor know and give him or her an opportunity to discuss it with you."



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For more information
Suzanne Swearengen, Alternative Health Clinic, 692-9243 or 347-5445

Teresa Liu at Alms Chiropractic Center, 238-6070

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/131/story/309367.html

Stressed out workforce means less productivity

Stressed out workforce means less productivity
By Shareen Han

Brunei-Muara - Employers must adopt a proactive approach in dealing with the increasing stress levels of employees in workplaces, a Singaporean certified hypnotherapist said.

It is imperative for employers to view the issues of workers' mental health in a more holistic manner to manage work productivity, said Dr Francis Or Kum Hoong, who was a speaker at Universiti Brunei Darussalam's International Conference on Business and Management. "Workers are getting more and more stressful," he said, adding that employment costs would increase if employers do not change their mindset in providing solutions to increasing stress levels in their working environment.

Providing solutions can include better time management, as well as communicating with employees on how to cope with stress, he said.

"An unhappy workforce with low team morale wills underperforms, under-deliver and eventually bring down productivity and affecting the bottom-line of profitability," he said. "Bosses also suffer when workers are stressed out," he added.

The founder of Singapore's Cre8future Hypnosis Hub said that pressure helps to keep workers motivated, but excessive pressure often leads to stress which is costly to employers, including loss of working hours of staff reporting sick or even absenteeism.

He said that workers and employers need to collectively realise that "many things happening to us and around us can affect both workers and employers".

Employers should change their perception of business productivity management by integrating stress management instead of stress prevention as a priority, he said.

"Health promotion programmes, whether in-house or through external consultants should be adopted," he added.

He said that greater awareness of proper and appropriate stress management programmes through public education as well as active participation of various change agents will help in better managing productivity in workplaces.

In his preliminary study on two focus groups of 10 members each, half of the respondents mentioned that they did not have time to relax because "there was just too much work to do".

The findings also showed that 75 per cent of the respondents felt that the workload and responsibility in their jobs make them feel stressed out.

Furthermore, more than half of the respondents were unsure on how to manage their stress.

"About 55 per cent of the respondents did not feel that stress will make them work harder and 75 per cent did not like stress at work because they felt stress will hamper their focus at work," Dr Or said.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

Goal management: eliminating stress

Goal management: eliminating stress


Before I depart from my beloved university, I want to offer six pearls of wisdom about setting goals.

Sometimes we get stuck, lose passion and get depressed when we don't accomplish a particular goal. What happened?

Let's explore some possibilities.

First, a goal is not realistic enough.

My first major was secondary education with concentration in language arts. I chose it because I enjoyed teaching youth.

Soon I realized that I was more of a spontaneous person so I needed a very flexible, multi-dimensional career. In other words, your general nature and present patterns can point to where you should be directing your attention.

Be honest with yourself, and make sure your goal is really attainable.

Secondly, a goal is not faith-filled.

You really don't have confidence to fulfill it, or it may not be based on your core values, what you treasure or should treasure the most out of life.

For instance, when I was younger, I shaved my sideburns and neck, leaving me with razor bumps and blackheads. Yes, bad decision.

By now, my skin should be much clearer. But at the time I didn't value physical appearance enough to invest in a quality product and to use it on a more consistent basis.

Next, a goal is not your own. How many of us start on a path without consulting self but rather cling to what others want us to do?

This summer, I had to choose to stay in an organization or finish college. I was going to lose a lot of time and peace of mind. This decision brought pain to some people, but I had to do what was best for me and secure my future.

Fourth, a goal is an illusion of the real thing we should be pursuing. While in college, my mother experienced two miscarriages. She didn't want or need another child, but it was a sign that she was aborting her calling as a minister.

Basically she allowed fear to hinder the pursuit of her spirit's cry. To some Christians, fear is an acronym: false evidence appearing real.

Then, there's wrong timing. For some reason I was on a quest for a man. Yet I wasn't emotionally stable enough to handle that commitment because of unresolved issues from my past. I needed healing, not a husband.

Finally, wrong motives. We can even do good things for the wrong reasons. I consistently check my motives. Once I noticed this, I would offer help to satisfy the need to be needed and give to prove that I was a giver. Wrong.

These are six reasons why you may have not reached your goals.

Remember you have the power and right to change your mind and your direction. It's your life, and it doesn't necessarily mean you failed if you decide to switch gears.

Another route could be more fulfilling, long lasting and soul saving.