Did you know…The American Institute of Stress and the Centers for Disease Control have both reported that up to 90 percent of all illnesses are due to stress? It used to be that getting a job you love was the endgame for avoiding work stress. But the truth is that every job, paid or unpaid, has elements of stress. Whether it is responsibility without authority, presentations or power struggles, too much to do, personality clashes, or working leaner and meaner, the workplace is a fertile breeding ground for stress. Big issues and small issues, alike, momentary blowups or festering unspoken tensions — all can cause on-the-job stress, which can build and build and build…

As far as productivity, some level of stress is healthy in order to push and motivate and get things done. However, a higher level of stress is also bad for business, affecting morale and motivation, and potentially leading to increased absenteeism — which hurts productivity and ultimately the bottom line.

Stress is part of life - “no stress” is when you are dead. So some stress is perfectly normal. It’s the long-term, unmanageable stress that can cause harm to a person’s health and hurt businesses. Most people underestimate the long-term, unmanageable stress, so here are some ways to manage stress:

1) Identify where your stress is coming from
2) Recognize what you can and cannot change
3) Drop those unrealistic expectations
4) Think positively
5) Learn time management techniques
6) Take a break
7) Be social, but not too social
8) Eliminate distractions
9) Exercise
10) Learn relaxation techniques (meditate)
11) Get help (medicate)

Bottom line: take control.

The cause, in many ways is self-generated: the inability to “switch it off” or to forget about work after hours. If you are sleeping with your Blackberry or cell phone and compulsively checking your work e-mail from home after business hours then you are NOT in control. Unfortunately, much of this was started by bosses who use “global competitiveness” as an excuse to keep their employees on the job 24/7. The truth is that burnout is bad for the business and for the person. Experts say that “psychological detachment” is associated with less fatigue, more positive mood and fewer days off work. So, turn off your PDAs, your laptops, your cell phones once in a while — just to prove to yourself who is in control.