Everyone experiences some degree of stress at work, and a degree of positive pressure can help improve performance and productivity. But in a recent report, (1) the leading mental health charity, Mind, warned that excessive levels or prolonged periods of work stress can have adverse effects resulting in both physical and mental illness.

The report lists a number of disturbing facts about stress in the workplace:

1. More than 5 million people complain of extreme stress in their jobs, putting them at risk of a breakdown.

2. In a recent Health and Safety Executive (HSE) report on work-related stress, 20% of those questioned reported that their work was "very stressful" or "extremely stressful".

3. Nearly 10% of the UK's gross national product (GNP) is lost each year due to work-related stress.

4. Stress is the highest cause of absenteeism from work among non-manual employees.

5. An estimated 12.8 million working days were lost in Britain in 2003/4 as a result of work-related stress.(3)

The report identified a number of factors that can increase stress at work, including:

1. poor working conditions (e.g. long hours, travel, noises, smells, work overload and work under load)

2. a lack of a clear role in the company (e.g. ill-defined expectations, conflicting priorities and responsibility for others)

3. poor relationships at work (e.g. low levels of trust and lack of support).

At the end of 2004, the HSE launched a new guide for managers, aimed at preventing stress in the workplace.(4) The guide identified 12 management standards, providing a step-by-step approach to tackling the different causes of stress in the workplace, together with advice on identifying those at risk from stress and on how to prevent problems occurring.

The Mind report supports these standards, recommending that all organisations should have a stress prevention policy that lays down the way the organisation deals with stress issues.

The reports' key recommendations to reduce/prevent stress at work include the following:

1. Employees should have genuine control over their work and be allowed an appropriate degree of self-management of workload.

2. Roles, responsibilities and expectations should be fully defined.

3. Employees should have a role in planning and decision making.

4. The physical workplace environment should be of a high standard, including natural light where possible, good ventilation, and good health and safety practices.

5. Employees should be actively discouraged from working excessively long hours.

For those who have been made ill through stress at work, the report recommends that:

1. on-the-job support and mentoring schemes should be provided.

2. flexible hours should be introduced to take account of regular GP/hospital visits.

3. those who have had to take time off after illness should be allowed to return to work gradually.

4. positions should be kept open during sickness absence.

The HSE report states that employers now have a duty in law to ensure that their employees do not suffer from stress-related illness. Employers who do not take work-related stress seriously may therefore leave themselves open to compensation claims from employees who have suffered ill health from work-related stress.

Aromatherapy and stress - a natural approach

Although there are many ways of relieving stress outside the office, only a few techniques are suitable for use in the workplace to combat stress at work.

For example, relaxation techniques, such as exercise and mediation, are often impractical during day-to-day working life. One method that can be used in a work environment is aromatherapy (the therapeutic use of essential oils extracted from plants). Many essential oils are recognised for their stress-relieving effects, and can help aid concentration and focus, and improve productivity and mood. Aromatherapy is today widely practised in the home, but it can also be used in the office, where it can be used to combat stress at its source.

There are a number of easily obtainable essential oils that can be used to reduce the symptoms of stress especially work related stress. A few such oils useful in coping with stress are listed here, together with its main stress-relieving properties and benefits.

Lavender

Lavender is a very versatile oil and has been used for healing purposes since ancient times. Extracted from the flowering tops of the plant, this usually colourless/pale yellow oil with a sweet floral aroma is particularly useful in stressful situations as it has been shown to reduce levels of anxiety, depression and fatigue. It also aids clarity, balance, relaxation and rejuvenation.

Rosemary

Rosemary is a colourless to pale yellow oil extracted from the flowering tops of the herb. A refreshing aroma with woody undertones, it aids energy, creativity, clarity and concentration. It is useful in cases of strain, overwork, fatigue, sluggishness and lethargy.

Orange

Orange essential oil, like grapefruit essential oil, is extracted from the peel of the fruit. Pale yellow in colour, the oil has a sweet and refreshing aroma, and provides mental stimulation, helping to fight apathy, anxiety and burn-out.

You spend a lot of time in your place of work - by taking steps to reduce any work related stress you may encounter, and making your workplace as pleasant as possible, you can increase your own well-being and productivity.

References

1. Stress and Mental Health in the Workplace. http://www.mind.org.uk

2. The Scale of Occupational Stress: The Bristol Stress and Health at Work Study. HSE Contract Research Report 265, HSE Books (2000).

3. Health and Safety Executive (2004). Health and Safety Statistics Highlights 2003/04. Available at www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/overpic.htm

4. Tackling Work-Related Stress: A Managers' Guide To Improving And Maintaining Employee Health And Well-Being http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/information.htm

Dr Gillian Hale

Dr Gillian Hale is co-founder of aromatherapy-stress-relief.com a home based UK business providing hand made Aromatherapy Stress Relief Gifts.