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IN THIS ISSUE:Workplace stress is a serious issue nega-tively affecting employee health and puttinga damper on business productivity. In recentyears, longer work weeks and increasingdemands have driven stress levels to all-

time highs, and sometimes it seems there may be no end to themadness. This issue of Absolute Advantage has been created tohelp you reduce workplace stress at your organization, improveemployee health, and enhance productivity—even in the midst ofthis modern mayhem.

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©2005 WELLNESS COUNCILS OF AMERICA | WWW.WELCOA.ORG

From the Executive EditorStress has reached new heights in the United States. The convergence of a number of factors—longer workweeks, a sluggish economy, accelerating technology, andthe ever-present threat of global terrorism—has begun totake its toll on corporate productivity and the spirit of the American worker. In fact, a recent Gallup Poll indicated that 80 percent of workers feel stress on the job, and nearly half say they need help in learning how to manage stress. In light of these facts, there has neverbeen a better time to develop a proactive worksite stressmanagement program at your organization.

But in today’s environment, it’s going to take a lot morethan stress balls and pep talks to alleviate the strain and tension so familiar to most employees. In a modern business setting, stress management must be taken seriously,and it must be approached with creativity, planning, andtrue dedication—before the levee breaks.

This issue of Absolute Advantage is designed to delivernew and intriguing insights into worksite stress management programming. The 50 great ideas includedhere are real-life examples of programming that works,and they can be implemented right away. We’ve alsoincluded an exclusive interview with stress managementexpert Brian Luke Seaward, PhD, author of Stressed is Desserts Spelled Backwards, which will help you understand the forces at play when attempting to reduceorganizational stress. You’ll also find a case study demonstrating how one organization saved money as a direct result of helping employees reduce stress and find meaning and purpose in work and life.

No doubt, workplace stress has reached its boiling point,and employee health and continued business prosperity is at stake. It is up to employers to help workers find waysto relax, recharge, and unwind before it’s too late. I hopeyou find this important issue of Absolute Advantageto be helpful as you answer this important call.

Best of health,

David Hunnicutt, PhDPresident

David Hunnicutt, PhD

In a modern business setting,

stress management must

be taken seriously,

and it must be approached

with creativity, planning,

and true dedication—

before the levee breaks.

Information in this publication is carefully reviewed for accuracy. Questions, comments, or ideas are welcome. Please direct to Dr. David Hunnicutt, Executive Editor, at the address below.

Information may not be reproduced, copied, cited, or circulated in any printed or electronic form without written permission from the publisher. ©2005 Wellness Councils of America, 9802 Nicholas Street,Suite 315,Omaha,NE 68114; phone (402)827-3590;fax (402)827-3594; visit our website at www.welcoa.org. All rights reserved. ISSN 1538-0084.

Executive Editor, David Hunnicutt, PhDDr. Hunnicutt is President of the Wellness Councils of America. As a leader inthe field of health promotion, his vision has led to the creation of numerouspublications designed to link health promotion objectives to business outcomes.

Vice President of Marketing, Galen MoesWith more than 15 years experience in a Berkshire-Hathaway company, Galenjoins WELCOA as Vice President of Marketing and is responsible for developingstrategic direction and taking the primary leadership role in marketing all ofWELCOA's products and services throughout the US.

Managing Editor, Brittanie Leffelman, MSBrittanie is the Director of Operations and manages major writing projects at WELCOA. With a Master’s Degree in Health Promotion, she regularlycoordinates national health forums, major grants, and state and local wellness initiatives.

Senior Editor, Mike Perko, PhDDr. Perko has significant experience in worksite wellness. Currently an AssociateProfessor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Dr. Perko alsoserves on WELCOA’s Medical Advisory Board. He has also served as AssociateDirector of Good Health Makes $ense, in Birmingham, AL.

Director for Council Affairs, Kelly Stobbe, MEdAs the Director for Council Affairs, Kelly is responsible for leading WELCOA’scadre of locally-affiliated wellness Councils. In this capacity, Kelly coordinates the Well Workplace awards initiative as well as the Well City USA communityhealth project.

Director of Design and Technology, Justin EggspuehlerA 2001 graphic design graduate from Iowa State University, Justin studieddesign in Rome, Italy before joining the WELCOA design staff. He is responsi-ble for the layout and design of many publications including The Well Workplacenewsletter and Absolute Advantage magazine.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

6 50 Great IdeasCheck out these 50 great ideas for building a worksite stress management program—they’ll give you new insight while helpingyou avoid some all-too-commonmistakes.

22 Notable &QuotableStress-related studies and statisticsabound. These maxims, mantras,and notable quotes from literature,humor, and the scientific realm offera different angle and a unique perspective on stress and survival in the 21st Century.

26 The Road LessTravelledFind out how Mercy Medical Center – North Iowa reduced stressand depression in a fast-pacedhealthcare environment, and savedmoney in the process. The Kailoprogram at Mercy is definitelyworth a look.

32 Under PressureIn this exclusive WELCOA interview,stress management expert BrianLuke Seaward, PhD, speaks out on how you can help employeesconquer stress and live well during times of uncertainty andrapid change.

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ABSOLUTE ADVANTAGE | 1©2005 WELLNESS COUNCILS OF AMERICA | WWW.WELCOA.ORG

WelcomeAbsolute Advantage is the interactive workplace wellness magazine that helps large andsmall employers link health and well-being to business outcomes. Absolute Advantagearms business leaders and wellness practitioners with leading-edge workplace wellnessinformation straight from the field’s most respected business and health experts.

With its online component, Absolute Advantage provides the industry’s most current andaccurate information. By logging on to the magazine’s interactive website, you can accessa whole new world of health promotion—including in-depth interviews with nationalhealth promotion experts and insider’s information about industry products.

Subscription InformationFor information about subscribing to Absolute Advantage, contact the Wellness Councilsof America at (402) 827-3590 or via e-mail at [email protected].

Ab•sol•ute Ad•van•tage:When a company can produce more than its competitors—even though theyhave the same amount of resources—it has an absolute advantage. We believe wellness is that advantage.

Organizational Founder, William Kizer, Sr.

T H E W O R K P L A C E W E L L N E S S M A G A Z I N E

Work & StressIn AmericaOften overlooked as a serious health threat at most worksites, stress has become an issue of significantimportance in recent years. Get the facts on stress andstress management, and find out how to reverse thevicious cycle of stress and strain.

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It is likely that every American worker in history—no matterwhat their occupation—has experienced stress in one formor another. In the agricultural age, stress was borne from theever-looming threat of catastrophic weather that would destroycrops and weaken the winter food supply. During the IndustrialRevolution, stress was the product of rapidly developing newmachinery and techniques that led to a “different way of doingthings.” In the information age, technology keeps us connected“24/7” allowing business to boom while overwhelming workerswith a never-ending cycle of emails, faxes, and phone calls.

Stress at home is certainly a major issue as well. In two-parenthouseholds, oftentimes both parents work long hours, only tocome home to care for children and/or elderly parents, pay bills,cook, clean, and find time for each other. Challenges are evenmore extreme for single parents. The most disheartening part ofall? For many workers, the end appears nowhere in sight, andoften we lack the necessary skills and knowledge to effectivelycounteract or avoid major stressors in our lives.

But what exactly is stress? Although there is no one single definition, many experts in the field of health promotion definestress as “a perceived threat—real or imagined—to one’s mind,body, spirit, or emotion.” The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) goes one step furtherdefining work stress specifically as, “harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the jobdo not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker.”

Whatever the definition, stress—and especially job stress—hasbecome an issue of profound importance for today’s employers.Just take a look at the following NIOSH statistics.

Stress At The Worksite� Twenty-five percent of employees view their jobs

as the number one stressor in their lives.

� Forty percent of workers report that their job is “very” or “extremely” stressful.

� Twenty-nine percent of workers feel “quite a bit” or “extremely” stressed while at work.

� Twenty-six percent of workers say they are “often” or “very often” burned out or stressed by their work.

If that’s not enough, in a recent survey conducted by The Gallup Organization, the following frightening statistics were revealed.

� Eighty percent of workers feel stress on the job. Nearly half say they need help in learning how to manage stress and 42 percent say their coworkers need such help.

� Fourteen percent of workers felt like striking a co-worker in the past year but didn't.

� Twenty-five percent of workers feel like screaming or shout-ing because of job stress, and 10 percent are concernedabout an individual at work they fear could become violent.

� Nine percent of employees are aware of an assault or violentact in their workplace, and 18 percent have experiencedsome sort of threat or verbal intimidation in the past year.

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Stress And Organizational SuccessThis type of negative stress (what is termed “bad stress,” e.g., feel-ings of vulnerability at work, lack of support, verbal abuse, etc.),can lead to disease, disability, and serious organizational challenges.In fact, every reputable research and health organization nowreports that stress-related health issues not only negatively affectworker productivity, but also organizational healthcare costs.

Consider that NIOSH estimates job stress to be very costly toAmerican business, ringing up a price tag of over $300 billionannually as a result of direct medical, legal, and insurance costs,absenteeism, employee turnover, diminished productivity, accidents, workers’ compensation awards, and tort and otherjudgments. Worker health suffers as a result of stress, too.Reuters Health recently reported that job stress has a negativeimpact on virtually every part of the body. Stress increases therisk for heart disease, depression, anxiety, stroke, immune disor-ders, gastrointestinal problems, and diabetes, just to name a few.

Stop The Madness:Winning The Battle Over Workplace StressReady for some good news? It’s possible to take proactive steps atyour organization to help avoid these huge costs and enable employ-ees to better their health by effectively coping with stress at work andat home. Some leading-edge organizations are leading the way.

Applied Materials. Applied Materials—the world’s largestsupplier of products and services to the technological manufac-turing industry—has been successfully improving employeehealth and productivity for well over a decade through a comprehensive offering of health and wellness programs aimedat reducing stress and increasing overall health and well-being.One of Applied Materials’ cornerstone programs, Stress Management and WorkLife, involves a skills development class,an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and the Life WorksResource Referral program. The success of the Applied Materialsprogram is evident—a two-year study demonstrated a healthcost savings of $74,599 during the mid-to-late nineties.

Mercy Medical Center - North Iowa. A Midwest employer of 2,800, Mercy Medical Center – North Iowa is also generatinglower healthcare costs and reduced psychosocial and spiritual distress among employees. Through its Kailo program (a holisticwellness initiative with a strong emphasis in stress reduction andhelping employees find meaning and purpose in work and life),Mercy was recently able to show success in eliminating depressive symptomology on a case-by-case basis for 42 individ-uals that accessed depression-related services. Using figures frombenchmarking studies on the costs of depression (a major healthchallenge related to stress), Mercy was able to estimate cost benefits in reduced healthcare claims and increased productivityfor each employee that reduced depressive symptoms. Knowingthat the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO)estimates that depressed employees generate approximately$3,200 a year in medical costs, and non-depressed employeesgenerate only $1,700, Mercy estimates that those 42 individualswho eliminated their depressive symptomology saved the organization about $1,500 each in reduced healthcare claims.

Additionally, using information from Harvard researcher Dr.Ron Kessler, Mercy also estimates that they saved between $182and $395 per month in lost productivity for each of the 42 indi-viduals who eliminated depressive symptoms. When takentogether, it can be estimated that by reducing or eliminatingdepressive symptoms in 42 individuals, Mercy has saved between$154,728 and $262,080 in lost productivity and healthcare claims.See the exclusive case study on page 26 for more information.

Time To Get GoingIt’s time for your organization to begin a stress management initiative. We’ve designed this issue of Absolute Advantage to be your starting point for developing a stress managementprogram at your worksite that will enable you to generate thesame positive health and financial outcomes as those companiesdescribed in this article. The 50 Great Ideas section of this magazine will lead you through the process of creating a stressmanagement program, helping you avoid common pitfalls, andassisting you with the finer points of program development,refinement, and evaluation. The tips included here were developed by real health promotion practitioners at real companies and are proven methods you can count on.

In addition, you’ll want to check out the Notable Quotessection of this publication. It’s loaded with statistics, quotations,and even a little humor to help you make the case, and makeyour point. The exclusive case study featured in this edition ofAbsolute Advantage focuses on Mercy Medical Center – NorthIowa and the Kailo program. Mercy Medical Center is aWELCOA Platinum Well Workplace and has built a wellnessprogram that focuses on stress management, life satisfaction,and job engagement. It’s a feature you won’t want to miss.

Finally, you’ll want to read the WELCOA exclusive interviewwith Brian Luke Seaward, PhD, national stress managementexpert and renowned author of Stressed is Desserts Spelled Backwards, The Art of Calm, and the forthcoming, Quiet Mind,Fearless Heart. In this interview, Dr. Seaward speaks out onsetting boundaries, achieving balance, and staying cool in astressed-out world.

Read On To Learn More About Worksite Stress Management Stress is taking its toll on the health of American workers and theproductivity and profits of American business. You can do yourpart to counteract this negative trend by implementing theproven and reliable stress management techniques outlined hereat your organization. We encourage you to read this issue careful-ly and discuss the information with your wellness team, seniormanagement, and employee population. Doing so will put youremployees—and your business—on the right path toward reduc-ing stress and improving profits and performance.


All information ©Wellness Councils of America (WELCOA) 2005.WELCOA provides worksite wellness products, services, and information tothousands of organizations nationwide. For more information visitwww.welcoa.org.

Suggested Citation: Work & Stress In America: Reversing The Vicious Cycle. (2005).WELCOA’s Absolute Advantage Magazine, Special Stress Management Issue, 2-5.

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“Reuters Health recently reported that job stress has a negative impact

on virtually every part of the body. Stress increases the risk for heart disease,

depression, anxiety, stroke, immune disorders, gastrointestinal problems,

and diabetes, just to name a few.”

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1Get to the top dogs.Recruiting senior levelsupport is the first key

step in developing your stressmanagement program.Showing the costs and lostproductivity due to stress isone of the best ways to builda strong case and allocate thenecessary resources for yourprogram. Thousands ofAmerican workers suffer fromsymptoms of burnout. Even more, approximately 40percent of worker turnover isdue to job stress.1 Sparksenior executives’ attention byhighlighting competitors’ suc-cessful programs, presentingcollected data that indicatesemployee interest, or sharingconvincing results from scien-tific research.

>>TAKE ACTION! Checkout WELCOA’s online reference for gaining seniorlevel support. To access thisresource, visitwww.welcoa.org/wellworkplace/index.php?category=2and click on “CapturingSenior Level Support.”

2Be there. People whoexperience such eventslike natural disasters or

other life threatening situa-tions can suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder. One study has shown thatsuicide rates increase aftersevere earthquakes, floods,and hurricanes—and it wasconcluded that there is a need for mental healthsupport after severe disasters.2

The American PsychologicalAssociation (APA) developed

its Disaster ResponseNetwork to be sympathetic tothis need, offering free, onsitemental health services to dis-aster survivors and the reliefworkers who assist them.

>>TAKE ACTION! Immediately contact the APAat [email protected] for moreinformation about the Disaster Response Networkand learn how to customize aplan for your organization.

3Assemble a dream team. Appoint members of

your employee population tobe part of a team effort tocreate a less stressful and moreproductive environment. Notonly will a team approach bemore energizing, but a diversearray of individuals will alsogenerate more unique ideasfor your program. Includemembers from various depart-ments—different backgroundsreflect different stress factorsand perspectives. This diversi-ty is critical when you want toreach everyone in yourcompany.

>>TAKE ACTION! Hand-pick your own “stress team,” making sure they embody the following characteristics:

• a shared sense of purpose• common priorities• clearly-defined roles• proper training• adequate resources

4Do your homework.How can you selectstress management pro-

grams if you don’t know what’s

causing your employees stress?Knowing the key issues beforecharging ahead will help youprevent wasted efforts. Gathering this informationdoesn’t need to be a majorundertaking—simple employee interviews are a greatway to get the most out ofyour stress management dollar.

>>TAKE ACTION! Conduct50 personal interviews withfrontline employees at yourorganization. Use the followingquestions when conductingyour interviews:

• What are the top threecauses of stress for you at work?

• Do you have good relation-ships with co-workers?

• Do you experience morestress from work or home?

5Make good vibrations.A recent Global 2000Study, covering 30

countries, has found that lis-tening to music is the mostcommon activity people doto reduce stress—it rankshighest in North Americawith 64 percent claiming thatmusic is their number onestress reliever.3 With the easieraccess to music and itsincreasing portability, apply-ing music to the workplaceshould be a simple task.

>>TAKE ACTION! Create anoffice policy allowing employ-ees to listen to music at theirworkstation. Communicatethis information throughoutyour organization. Pay partic-ular attention to recentregulations concerning thedownloading of music.

6Create a circle offriends. Promote ahealthy social environ-

ment. One study revealedthat when an animal is sur-rounded by familiarcompanions and is exposedto a stressor, the level of itsstress hormone does notincrease. However, if theanimal is alone and exposedto the same stressor, itshormone levels increased significantly.4 Therefore, afamiliar, friendly workingenvironment can be effectivefor reducing stress levels.

>>TAKE ACTION! Hold aweekly or monthly lunchwhere employees from variousdepartments can chat and getto know each other on a morepersonal/friendly basis. Hangup fliers that promote theseluncheons throughout yourorganization.

7Inspect and detect.Send out a question-naire to employees.

Ask them to rate the levels ofstress in their lives right now,and how they forecast thefuture. Minor symptoms ofstress are the early warningsigns that life is getting out of hand and that stress needsto be better handled. Ask ifthey experience any physicalsymptoms as a result of stress(minor symptoms includeheadaches, indigestion, orheartburn).5 This should giveyou an idea of the stress levelin your employee population.

>>TAKE ACTION! Getstarted now—log on towww.jobstresshelp.com/surveyvalues.htm and check

APerhaps at no time in history have stress levelsat the workplace been so high. Everyday,employees are being asked to do more work withfewer resources, and the “succeed at any cost”mentality has even driven some business leadersto commit criminal acts to maintain good stand-ing with shareholders. According to the NationalInstitute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH), 40 percent of American workers nowreport that their job is either “very” or “extreme-ly” stressful. Many of these workers then go

home to a “second shift” that is even more stress-ful, or worse yet, avoid this second shift with thefamily altogether, leading to even more prob-lems. This issue of Absolute Advantage has beendesigned to assist you in crafting worksite stressmanagement programs to help your employeessucceed in both work and life. Putting theseideas into action at your workplace can be animportant first step toward reducing workplacestress, increasing productivity, and winning thebattle over rising healthcare costs.

Conduct 50 personal interviews with frontlineemployees at your organization. Use the following questions when conducting your interviews:

• What are the top three causes of stress for you at work?

• Do you have good relationships with co-workers?

• Do you experience more stress from work or home?

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out the online workplacesurvey. Use this online assess-ment tool to monitor youremployees’ workplace stress.

8Share stories. Sharingstories about the stressin one’s life can be

therapeutic and reaffirming.People can draw comfort andadvice from individuals whohave an understanding ofwhat they’re going through.This is a common practiceamong residents and physi-cians—since most peopleoutside the medical fieldcannot understand theirstories, they often turn toeach other. People of otherprofessions can do the same.Sharing stories is not onlytherapeutic, but it also helpsbuild camaraderie and develops a community withinyour organization.6

>>TAKE ACTION! Visitwww.healthyculture.com.Judd Allen, PhD, Presidentof the Human ResourcesInstitute, has created a tooltitled the Wellness MentorProgram to improve self-change skills and enhancepeer support.

9Look, listen, andlearn. Try using variousmodes of communica-

tion to relay information.Consider handing out educational brochures or bulletins, or placing informa-tion about stress in a companynewsletter. Classes and semi-nars may also help educateyour employee populationabout stress. Charleston AreaMedical Center knows thatgetting wellness messages outto their 5,000 employees is a

challenge. Employees workvarious shifts, so to get theword out, they use multiplestrategies such as e-mail,information sheets, and pay-check messages.

>>TAKE ACTION! Contact the Wellness Councils of America to testdrive samples of The WellWorkplace newsletter. Call402-827-3590 or email [email protected].

10Watch out formarital stress! In addition to work

stress, marital stress can alsoput strain on one’s life. Onestudy looked at marital stressamong women who had experienced an acute coronaryevent. Research revealed thatwomen with severe maritalstress had a three-fold

increased risk of a new coronary event comparedwith women without maritalstress.7 Providing employeeswith marital counseling canhelp reduce an employee’sstress level, possibly improving their health andperformance at work. Or better yet, encourageemployees’ spouses to participate in such programs.

>>TAKE ACTION! Identifyanniversary dates of yourmarried employees. Send outreminders—via e-mail—aweek in advance so employeeshave plenty of time to plantheir special day.

11Put pen to paper.Hand out a “stressjournal” to every

employee and encourageemployees to write abouttheir stressful experiences.

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Men and women handlestress differently. Womenreact to stress by turningto their children andfriends. Men would ratherbe left alone when dealingwith stress, instead oftalking about it, whichwomen are more likely to do.

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One study found that patientswith mild to moderatelysevere asthma or rheumatoidarthritis had positive relevantchanges in their health afterfour months of writing abouttheir stressful experiences.8

>>TAKE ACTION! Getblank-paged journals fromlocal bookstores. You mightwant to write topics on someof the pages such as, “How I deal with anxiety” or, “What stresses me out” to get employees started. Your employees can keep thejournal private, or you candesignate a time whenemployees can volunteer toread some of their journalentries out loud to their peers.

12Realize genderdifferences. Men and women

handle stress differently. Arecent study released by theUniversity of California, LosAngeles revealed that womenreact to stress by turning totheir children and friendsinstead of using the “fight orflight” response often used bymen. The study also foundthat many men would ratherbe left alone when dealingwith stress, instead of talkingabout it, which women aremore likely to do.9 This information should help youtailor your programs.

>>TAKE ACTION! Find outwhat percentage of yourworker population ismale/female. Use this informa-tion to develop your programsappropriately—provide one ortwo social networks or supportgroups geared toward women,and provide stress-relievingactivities that men can doalone, such as running orlifting weights.

13Embraceergonomics.Approximately

600,000 people suffer on-the-job ergonomic injuries eachyear, at a cost of $9 billion,according to government

statistics.10 These injuries areoften caused by a rapid repetition of normal activitiessuch as typing, gripping,twisting, or reaching. Bysimply providing the righttype of equipment, such asheadsets, proper chairs, or astretching routine, you cansignificantly cut down on thenumber of repetitive stressinjuries. For example, LincolnPlating Company in Lincoln,Nebraska significantly reducedthe amount of injuries in thecompany by employing astretching routine before andafter shifts. Bottom line: assessevery workstation, makenotes, keep record of incidentsrelated to repetitive straininjuries, and lastly, don’t delaymaking changes to work areaswhere needed.

>>TAKE ACTION! Determine the ergonomicstatus of your organization by accessing ergonomic safety companies such asPainless Gains at www.pain-lessgains.com. Click onProduct Tour for a list ofavailable ergonomic tools that should help you assessthe work environment.

14See the bigpicture. Stress canaffect a person’s

entire well-being. So makeprograms holistic—encouragehealthy eating, regular exer-cise, good sleeping habits, andstrong family connections, allof which can help fight thenegative effects of stress. Providing a supportive environment at the workplaceis one of the best ways toencourage a healthylifestyle—place water coolersthroughout the establishment,provide healthy food choicesin vending machines andcafeterias, and make educa-tional tools such as brochures,newsletters, and journalsreadily available.

>>TAKE ACTION! If youreally want to get in touchwith holistic wellness, contactJon Robison, PhD. Dr.

Robison is a holistic wellnessexpert. He can be reached atwww.jonrobison.net.

15Lose the stress,don’t gain thepounds. A

common reaction to stress isovereating—and it’s usuallynot fruits and veggies that arebeing scarffed down. You canhelp combat this problem byproviding healthy alternativesin the cafeteria and breakrooms. Just one ounce ofregular potato chips has 150calories and 10 grams of fat,whereas most fruit bars haveonly 70 calories and zerograms of fat.11

>>TAKE ACTION! Contactthe food supplier of yourvending machines and cafete-ria and work out healthieroptions for your employees.Also, post small notes onvending machines informingthem of healthy alternatives.

16Walk out on yourstress. The stressesof life and work

will never completely goaway. And unfortunately, youcan’t just walk out on yourjob. You can, however, walkout on your stress. Smallbursts of physical activity canproduce significant results interms of reducing stress. Thekey is giving employees timeto incorporate a little physicalactivity into their workday.This is an opportunity forworkers to vent any distressthat has accumulatedthroughout the day. High-smith Inc. recognized thisbenefit and created a walkingtrail around their campus—aconcept that exemplifies theirentire workplace culture.

>>TAKE ACTION! Makebreak time walk time. Talk todepartment supervisors andget them to spend their breaktime on a quick walk. Betteryet, get senior level executivesto lead this effort. And mostimportantly, don’t forget toput on your walking shoes.

17Keep your eye onthe prize. Someemployees need

incentives to get motivated.As stated by Crystal Jacksonin the book, 1001 Ways toReward Employees, “Motiva-tion is based on what youbring to it as an individual.What is motivational to oneperson isn’t motivational toanother.”12 Try to includevarious ways for participantsto be rewarded. For example,for those who successfullycomplete programs, consideroffering discount coupons fora local bookstore, movietheater, or restaurant—thisway, employees can pick whatappeals to them most.

>>TAKE ACTION! Contactyour community businesses.Many companies offer com-plementary gift certificates orcoupons—these make greatincentives.

18Give ’em a say.Research has shownthat lack of control

over one’s job increases therisk of coronary heart disease,while job strain results in elevated blood pressure.13

Although the details of somejobs obviously can’t change,giving employees the chanceto express some sort of powerover their work environmentcould significantly reduce thenegative effects of stress.

>>TAKE ACTION! Havemanagers or supervisors designate individuals to repre-sent the various departmentsin your organization. Givethese selected employees achance to speak out at meet-ings and voice their concerns.If their requests for change arerealistic, consider amendingpolicy to accommodate theirsuggestions.

19Stress safety. Thethreat of workplaceviolence can be

very stressful—nearly 1,000workers are murdered and 1.5million are assaulted in the

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workplace every year.14 Learnto identify environmentalconditions associated withworkplace assaults—controlstrategies have been developedand implemented in anumber of companies. Toempower employees to takeaction, post lists of risk factorsand a phone number that canbe called for help. Some signsof risk factors include verbalor nonverbal threats, vandal-ism, robbery, arson, andsabotage.15

>>TAKE ACTION! Contactthe Occupational Safety andHealth Administration(OSHA) at www.osha-slc.gov/SLTC/workplaceviolence/for information on safeworking environments. Incorporate non-violenceguidelines into companypolicy and let it be known thatany type of violence or harass-ment will not be tolerated.

20Continue theeducation. Withtoday’s fast paced

technology, much of theworkforce is faced with con-fusion and lack of certaintywhen it comes to their owntechnical skills—some indi-viduals may even worry aboutkeeping their current posi-tions. Alleviate some of thefear by holding career devel-opment sessions that continueto educate employees on technological advancements.Lincoln Plating Company(LPC) offers their employeescareer development programs,in which an employee meetswith a trainer to discuss theircareer at LPC. After the com-pletion of a class, employeesreceive salary increases.

>>TAKE ACTION! Contactcommunity computer vendorsand inquire about instruction-al courses or certifications foryour employees. If possible,develop a partnership toprovide ongoing educationand training.

21Stress the Net.Let technologyhelp you in the

battle against stress. This caninvolve organizing a companychat room where employeescan vent, or using e-mail torelay stress managementinformation. In any case, theInternet is a fast and conven-ient tool for implementing astress-free health initiative. St. Joseph Regional HealthCenter has an online healthpromotion program, TheHealth Challenge. They postinteractive quizzes that targetspecific health issues stressmanagement, for one. The program is aimed atimproving employee healthknowledge and modifyinglifestyle behavior change.16

>>TAKE ACTION! Get in touch with WELCOAabout building a web-basedwellness application service.We can customize wellnessweb pages for organizations to provide health informationfor employees. Log on tohealthestrategies.welcoa.orgor call (402)827-3590 to findout what works best for yourcompany.

22Send a messagethrough massage.Consider a

monthly massage day. Duringthe lunch hour, employeescan enjoy a free massage—a great way to relieve stress.Merrill Lynch, for example,holds health fairs for theiremployees, who not only getfree massages but a number of screenings to help determine their health status.

>>TAKE ACTION! Contactlocal massage therapists toprovide monthly on-sitemassage services. Also, utilizetheir expertise to educateemployees on the benefits of massage.

23Distinguishbetween goodand bad stress.

Not all stress is bad. In some

cases, stress can actually begood for us. Exciting or chal-lenging events, such as thebirth of a child or the com-pletion of a project at work,can be exhilarating andproduce as much stress as atragedy or natural disaster.The key here is teachingemployees how to distinguishgood stress from bad stress. Agood way of doing this is toprovide them with a list ofwarning signs that indicate

stress is negatively affectingthem—fatigue, anger, anxiety,insomnia, poor appetite, andheadaches are all commonsigns of being overstressed.5

>>TAKE ACTION! For moreinformation on good stress vs.bad stress, log on towww.amazon.com and searchfor Barry Lenson’s book, GoodStress, Bad Stress. This bookwill help you make sense ofstress from both perspectives.

Consider a monthly massageday. During the lunch hour,employees can enjoy a freemassage—a great way torelieve stress.

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24Keep in touch.Having a supportsystem is a crucial

element when dealing withstress. Keep this in mind foremployees who have to fre-quently travel on thejob—Offutt Air Force Basedoes. Omaha-based Offuttknows that family separationis tough and stressful oneveryone. So they try to curbthis by providing video tele-conferencing phone calls

where families and travelingpersonnel can talk and seeeach other.

>>TAKE ACTION! If youhave traveling employees,provide them with phonecards or e-mail accounts sothey can keep in touch withtheir loved ones. To keepfamily members from feelingtoo out of touch, encouragethe travelers to give their families maps indicating

where they are during theirtime away from home.

25Consider consumer debt.Americans are

carrying more debt now thanever before—about $1.35 trillion altogether.17 Personalfinance can be a very stressfulpart of one’s life. To helpprevent a financial meltdown,hold a money managementclass. Simple strategies such asbudgeting and setting aside

for savings can help lift theburden of financial stress.

>>TAKE ACTION! Contactthe National Foundation forCredit Counseling, whichoffers free or low-cost debtcounseling, financial educa-tion, budgeting assistance,and other financial servicesfor consumers. Locate anoffice near you by checkingout www.nfcc.org or call toll-free 1-800-388-2227.

ABSOLUTE ADVANTAGE


26Develop a plan of attack. Be prepared for

annual events—they come atthe same time every year, yetmost of us are never preparedand end up stressed out forno reason. Whether it’s theholidays, tax time, birthdays,or anniversaries, you canalways plan ahead. Remindingemployees to set money andtime aside for these occasionscan help lessen the stress.

>>TAKE ACTION! Set up adatabase in which employeesare informed ahead of time ofspecial upcoming events. Inaddition, include stress-reliev-ing tips within the reminder,such as taking time out forthemselves, exercising, or listening to music.

27Play into yourstrengths. Stresscan be difficult to

handle. However, if you canhelp your employees identifytheir individual strengths—those things that make themwho they are and successful inwhat they do—dealing withstress can be a whole loteasier. In fact, the AmericanJournal of Health Promotionsuggests that focusing onthese individual assets can bea powerful defense and man-agement tool against stress.18

Knowing that an individual’sstrengths can serve as a personal weapon againststress, it is important thatyour employees have a solidunderstanding of what theirstrengths are and how toutilize them in their battle to avoid the negative effects of excessive stress.

>>TAKE ACTION! Invest ina personality or strengthassessment tool for your employees. A good example isthe StrengthsFinder test from the Gallup organiza-tion—check outwww.strengthsfinder.com formore information.

28Get active.Promote physicalactivity and team

sports—working up a sweat isa great way to let off steam. Inaddition, any type of leaguesport such as basketball orsoftball is a great way to buildstrong relationships. Evenmore, these relationships canbe beneficial off the field. Infact, they can prove to be ofgreat value when coping withstressful situations at work.

>>TAKE ACTION! Getemployees connected throughteam sports. Basketball, softball, and bowling leaguesare all great ways to getstarted. For more informationon recreational activitiescontact your local parks and recreation center.

29Hold relaxationclasses. Makerelaxation classes

available to employees.Various relaxation techniquescan be used to teach employ-ees how to cope with stressand ultimately reduce stresslevels. The key here isvariety—not one certainrelaxation technique is goingto work for everyone. Yogaand meditation are just acouple of options to helpemployees relax and relievestress. Leave brochures orpamphlets in break rooms orthe cafeteria explaining thesetechniques, and where theycan go to learn more.

>>TAKE ACTION! Obtain acopy of Yoga at Work byMiriam Freedman and JaniceHankes. This insightful bookutilizes the age-old wisdom ofYoga as it relates to the workenvironment. It also providesa handy 10-minute yogaworkout for busy people. The book is available atwww.amazon.com.

30Encourage communication.The act of

poking one’s head over acubicle wall is commonly

29Make relaxation classes availableto employees. Various relaxationtechniques can be used to teachemployees how to cope withstress and ultimately reduce stresslevels. Yoga and meditation arejust a couple of options to helpemployees relax and relieve stress.

known as “prairie-dogging.”It’s only natural for people towant human contact—thismay be the reason behindprairie-dogging. To avoidthis sometimes annoyingpractice, find a way to facilitate communicationamong your employees. This may involve settingaside time for employees tocommunicate face-to-faceabout issues at work.

>>TAKE ACTION! Workwith your IT department tocreate an intranet option thatallows employees to createtheir own web pages. You caneven add an option for instantchat. Make the function avail-able only during certain timesof the day, and make sure touse an incentive to bolsterparticipation.

31Promote individ-uality. Be flexibleand allow your

employees to express theirpersonalities. For instance,permit employees to displaypersonal belongings in theirwork area—pictures, personalgadgets, awards, diplomas,etc. Familiar surroundingsthrough personal touch couldincrease an employee’s interestand sense of ownership at theworkplace.19 Of course, every-thing must be done withinthe limits of organizationalprotocol and good taste… butif you do it right, it’s great foryour company and great foryour employees.

>>TAKE ACTION! Encour-age employees to personalizetheir workstation with mean-ingful items—and thenconduct a contest to see ifyour employees can identifywhose workstation is whose.

32Educate anddecaffeinate.Although extra

soda and coffee can serve as ashort energizer, too much can

actually do more harm thangood—caffeine is a stimulantand may promote even morenervousness and tension.20

Unfortunately, one out ofevery four beverages con-sumed in America today is asoft drink.21 Make water aneasy alternative to turn torather than caffeine-filleddrinks—water coolers shouldbe just as accessible as sodamachines.

>>TAKE ACTION! Pick upthe telephone book and iden-tify vendors who can provide your organizationwith water coolers. Yes, thereis an expense associated withthis… but what about theexpense associated with highstress and low productivity?

33Preach breakfast.An emptystomach leaves

you less able to cope withstress. Persuade your employ-ees to eat an adequate andnutritious breakfast—one thatincludes at least one-fourth oftheir daily calories and nutri-ents.20 One word of warning:discourage employees fromdrive-thru breakfasts, whichare often high in calories andfat, causing them to feel slug-gish rather than energized forwork. Offer healthy breakfastfoods in cafeterias and breakrooms such as fruit, whole-grain cereal, and bagels.

>>TAKE ACTION! Sponsor abusiness breakfast! The idea

here is to offer a free, nutritious breakfast to allemployees. And while they’retaking part in good food andgood conversation, use thetime to promote the value ofeating a healthy breakfast.

34Check it out.Assemble a libraryof educational

materials. This can includerelaxation cassette tapes, self-help books on tape, printedmaterials including books andworkbooks, and instructionalvideotapes on topics rangingfrom time management toself-hypnosis. Hold a drawingfor employees who donate tothis library—prizes caninclude a complimentary yogaclass or a free massage.

>>TAKE ACTION! Get in touch with the majorproviders of workplace health information. Access ourwebsite at www.welcoa.org,and click on Premier Providersfor a list of reputable vendors.

35Friendly facilities.Take necessarymeasures to elimi-

nate office conditions thatcould cause unnecessarystress—noise, lack of privacy,poor lighting, poor ventilation,or poor temperature control.For example, workers have suffered from “sick-buildingsyndrome”—caused by over1,500 bacterial and chemicalindoor-air pollutants. As a

WELCOA


“ ”Take necessary measures to eliminate office conditionsthat could cause unnecessarystress—noise, lack of privacy, poor lighting, poor ventilation, or poor temperature control.

ABSOLUTE ADVANTAGE


A study found that a naturescene of water surrounded bytrees had a substantial impactand resulted in much lessanxiety for the patient withintwo days. Therefore, placingnature-oriented art throughoutyour building may be beneficialfor employees who are stressed.

39

result, employees suffer fromcold-like symptoms, which cantranslate into lost workdaysand productivity.22

>>TAKE ACTION! Conducta facility assessment. Examineeach workstation as well as theoverall working environment.Take copious notes and docu-ment everything you see—both good and bad. Then, getin touch with the NationalSafety Council and pick uppublications that can provideimportant guidance on how to shore up some of yourorganization’s weak spots.

36Meet-n-eat. To reach a wideaudience, provide

stress management classes attimes when employees areusually available, such aslunchtime or afternoonbreaks. In addition to beingmore convenient for theemployees, having educationalsessions at these times will notforce them to sacrifice anyfree time.

>>TAKE ACTION! Schedule a lunch ‘n’ learnsession—however, take great effort to make it the bestlunch ‘n’ learn your organiza-tion has ever offered. Think“make it wow, and do itnow.” To help you maximizethe impact, be sure to find a great speaker with a greatmind and a great personality.In addition, make sure thatthe food is healthy and, at the same time, tasty.

37Get the combo.Don’t expect anysingle stress man-

agement intervention to reachevery employee. Differentinterventions appeal to differ-ent employees. Implement acombination of programs tomaximize your programreach. A review in the Ameri-can Journal of HealthPromotion concluded that themost positive results in stressmanagement resulted from acombination of two or moretechniques. The review of 64

studies recommends thatstress management interven-tions should be morecomprehensive.18

>>TAKE ACTION! To accessarticles and many other healthpromotion resources log on towww.healthpromotionjournal.com to subscribe to theAmerican Journal of HealthPromotion.

38Implementwork/life programs. Data

from the Families and WorkInstitute reveals that 70percent of parents say theydon’t have enough time withtheir children.23 To help easethe stress at the workplace dueto family concerns, try imple-menting work/life programs.For example, if you have abowling league, consider afamily night. Any work activi-ties that can involve the familyare a strong start to promotingthe necessary balance betweenwork and family.

>>TAKE ACTION! Sponsor aparent/child banquet at yourcompany. The big idea here isto create a special opportunitywhere parents and childrencan appreciate their relation-ships and celebrate each other.Can’t afford a banquet? Whatabout a potluck?

39Get artsy.Research hasshown that art

depicting nature can havebeneficial effects on adultpatients experiencing stressand anxiety. A study foundthat a nature scene of watersurrounded by trees had asubstantial impact and result-ed in much less anxiety forthe patient within two days.24

Therefore, placing nature-ori-ented art throughout yourbuilding may be beneficial foremployees who are stressed.

>>TAKE ACTION! Create aspecial place in your organiza-tion where employees cantake a few moments to enjoy

a relaxing environment. Softchairs, great music, warmlighting, and a stress-free envi-ronment can go a long waytoward taking the edge off.

40Suspend hyper-tension. Manysigns of stress are

obvious. But some lessobvious indicators can be justas serious—even deadly. A high level of stress is knownto cause high blood pres-sure—a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. A study by Shoemaker andTasto indicated that individu-als participating in musclerelaxation and biofeedbackstress management techniquesshowed significant decreasesin blood pressure comparedto a control group.18

>>TAKE ACTION! Makeheart rate monitors availableto employees. Such deviceswill allow them to keep trackof their heart rate and makesure stress levels at work arenot adversely affecting theircardiovascular health. Forinformation on heart ratemonitors, check outwww.polarusa.com.

41Get personal. Performance evalu-ations can be one of

the most stressful times forany employee. However, byclearly communicating thereason for evaluations as wellas how the feedback shouldbe used, you can significantlyreduce employee stress during

these important times. Take,for example, the approach ofCJC Consultancy. This inno-vative organization providesStress/Lifestyle ManagementTraining Courses for itsclients.25

>>TAKE ACTION! Identify when performanceevaluations take place in yourorganization. With datesfirmly in hand, convene acommunications task force todevelop important messagesabout your company’s evalua-tion process—it’s a great wayto take the stress out of a verydemanding time.

42Offer personalcounseling.Encouraging

employees to seek personalcounseling sessions to controljob stress and employee feudsis an idea whose time hascome. A study by Gray-Toftreported that after participatingin a counseling support group,employees had higher satisfac-tion with their co-workers thanthe control group. Furthermore, these employees alsoreported lower job stress aftertheir counseling.18

>>TAKE ACTION! Take alook at National EmployeeAssistance Services, Inc. atwww.neas.com. This site isloaded with useful informa-tion that will help you learnmore about the qualificationsand characteristics of effectiveworkplace counseling.

WELCOA


“ ”Don’t expect any single stressmanagement intervention toreach every employee. Different interventions appeal to different employees.Implement a combination of programs to maximize your program reach.

ABSOLUTE ADVANTAGE


A common source of stress is intra-office relationships. Trainingemployees in the areas of conflict resolution,harassment prevention,multicultural issues, etc.,can help improve workrelationships and evenreduce the level of stressin your organization.

43

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43Help employeesdevelop interper-sonal skills.

A common source of stress isintra-office relationships.Training employees in theareas of conflict resolution,harassment prevention, multicultural issues, etc., can help improve work relationships and even reducethe level of stress in yourorganization. Sound impossi-ble? One company is alreadyahead of the game. In fact,through their T.A.G.program, Highsmith Inc.focuses on the overall growthof each employee, includingmanaging stress and resolvingconflicts.

>>TAKE ACTION! For assis-tance in developing youremployees’ interpersonal skills,look to WorkRelationships,Inc.—a company that special-izes in helping managers andemployees build healthy workrelationships through trainingor consultation services. You can contact them atwww.workrelationships.com.

44Mail it out, dialit up. Use multi-ple channels to

address worksite stress—themore approaches used tointervene in workplace jobstrain, the better. Researchguru Dr. Kenneth Pelletierand his colleagues performeda study to determine theeffect of mail and telephone-based approaches onalleviating the negative effectsof job strain. Subjects receivedmaterials via mail every sixweeks over the course of ayear and follow-up phonecalls from health educators.The study demonstrated thatboth mail and telephone-delivered job strainintervention can be effectivein increasing employees’knowledge of job strain riskfactors, identifying possiblesolutions, and altering riskybehaviors.26

>>TAKE ACTION! Contactthe StayWell organization atwww.staywell.com to learnmore about individualizedcounseling utilizing multiplestrategies and techniques.

ABSOLUTE ADVANTAGE


45Rest in the powerof one. Just onehealth consultation

for individuals with stresssymptoms can make a differ-ence. Seamonds conducted astudy of 500 corporateemployees who received ahealth interview covering awide range of topics, includ-ing stress and coping. Theywere also given relevantwritten materials and referredto community agencies. Thegroup that received the healthinterview experienced areduction in absenteeism.18

>>TAKE ACTION! Identifycounselors and counselingagencies within your community and format theinformation into an employee booklet—don’t put it off…do it today.

46Lean on me.Needing help canbe frustrating, but

not knowing where to go toget it can be even moreannoying. Don’t let thispredicament happen to youremployees. One of the mostcommon mistakes made instress management is raisingthe awareness about stress,but not telling employeeswhere to go.

>>TAKE ACTION!Hmmm… you know thatbooklet you just developed as a result of reading GreatIdea #45? Get it in the hands of your employees! By makingthis information available to your employees, you’ve significantly increased thelikelihood that they’ll knowwhere to turn in times oftrouble.

47Follow up. Soyou’ve done theresearch, you’ve

done the planning, and you’veinitiated a great new program.But, how well does it work? Isparticipation steady? Is partic-ipant satisfaction high? Is theprogram making a difference?The only way to find out isthrough program follow up. It can be as simple as askingparticipants how they like theprogram. You can also admin-

ister program evaluations. Theinformation you obtain willempower you to tailor yourprogram to your specificsetting and participants.

>>TAKE ACTION! Visitwww.welcoa.org/wellworkplace/index.php?category=2and click on “ConsistentlyEvaluating Outcomes.” You’llfind great information andprogram evaluation tips toput you on the right track.

48Offer alcohol & drug abuseprograms. Unfor-

tunately, many individualsturn to alcohol and otherdrugs as a means to cope withstressful situations. Provideprograms for alcohol anddrug abuse. You may want toleave this one to the pros.Consider an Employee Assis-tance Program (EAP). Theycan be expensive, but they’regenerally more effective. Theaverage annual cost for anEAP ranges from $12 to $20per employee—the return,however, is significant. UnitedAirlines estimates that it has a$16.95 return for every dollarspent on employee assistance.27

>>TAKE ACTION! Check outyour local chapter of theNational Council on Alcoholism and Drug Depen-dence (NCADD). You canfind it by doing a search onany internet search engine.

49It’s all about timemanagement.Whether it’s

constantly coming into workfive minutes late, forgettingappointments, or missingdeadlines, time managementis a problem for countlessworksites. Adopting goodtime management skills willnot only reduce stress, but canalso be the difference betweenkeeping and losing a job. Infact, 40 percent of workerturnover is due to job stress.1

>>TAKE ACTION! Offerseminars that teach employeeshow to prioritize, make lists,set reachable goals, etc. Oneorganization that does a particularly great job with time

management is FranklinCovey. Check out their websiteat www.franklincovey.com.

50Do some springcleaning. It’s hardfor employees to

find time to straighten uptheir work areas. According toa survey by Taylor NelsonSofres Intersearch, 46 percentof men and 55 percent ofwomen save things in files atwork. The bad news? Twenty-six percent of men and 23percent of women save thingsin piles at work. To combatthis problem, consider desig-

nating a periodic clean-uptime for employees to getorganized. You can schedulethis weekly, monthly, orhowever often is necessaryand practical.

>>TAKE ACTION! Create atemporary sanctuary known as“the great dumping ground.”Encourage employees to takeoutdated paperwork andlaunch it. Because of sensitivi-ty, you may want to make ashredder available to avoid anypotentially compromising situations. And better yet,recycle everything you touch.

REFERENCES:1. American Institute of Stress. Stress—America’s #1 Health Problem.

www.stress.org/problem.htm.2. Jefferson, Tom. Primary Care Physicians and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The Journal of the American Medical Association. Vol. 282. No. 18.3. Health Education Alliance for Life and Longevity. Study Finds Music Reduces

Stress for Most.www.heall.com/products/music/studyfindsmusicreleasesstress.html.4. Spiegal, David. Healing Words: Emotional Expression and Disease Outcome.

The Journal of the Americal Medical Association. Vol. 281. No. 14.5. Kaiser Permanente. Recognizing Your Stress Symptoms. www.kaiserperma-

nente.org/locations/california/mod34/mod34-02.html.6. Bishop, Jeffrey P. Residents and Patients: Telling Stories to Cope with Stress.

The Journal of the American Medical Association. Vol. 280 No. 22.7. Orth-Gomer, Kristina et al. Marital Stress Worsens Prognosis in Women with

Coronary Heart Disease. The Journal of the American Medical Association.Vol. 284. No. 23.

8. Smyth, Joshua M. et al. Effects of Writing About Stressful Experiences onSymptom Reduction in Patients with Asthma or Rheumatiod Arthritis. TheJournal of the American Medical Association. Vol. 281. No. 14.

9. UCLA. UCLA Researchers Identify Key Biobehavioral Pattern Used byWomen to Manage Stress. www.uclanews.ucla.edu/Docs/LSHL239.html.

10. Chicago Tribune. OSHA’s Ergonomic Rules Rile Business.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/article/0,2669,SAV-0011140193,FF.html.

11. Borushek, Allan. The Doctor’s Pocket Calorie Fat Counter. Family HealthPublications, 1997.

12. Nelson, Bob. 1001 Ways to Reward Employees. Workman PublishingCompany, Inc. 1994.

13. McEwen, Bruce S. Protective and Damaging Effects of Stress Mediators. The New England Journal of Medicine. Volume 338. No. 3.

14. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Workplace Violence.www.osha-slc.gov/SLTC/workplaceviolence/.

15. Magellan Behavioral Health. Spotting the Warning Signs of WorkplaceViolence. www.magellanassist.com/guest/wl/hw/hw_spotviol.asp.

16. American Journal of Health Promotion. Art and Science of Health PromotionConference. Balancing High Tech with Human Touch. Poster SessionAbstracts. Vol. 13. No. 6.

17. Wellness Councils of America. Just for You Brochure. Personal Finance: Tricks of the Trade. 2000.

18. Murphy, Lawrence R. Stress Management in Work Settings: A Critical Reviewof the Health Effects. American Journal of Health Promotion. Vol. 11. No. 2.

19. Raymond, Caroline. Stress—The Real Millenium Bug. Stress News. Vol. 12.No. 4. October 2000.

20. National AG Safety Database. Stress Management—Taking Charge.www.cdc.gov/niosh/nasd/docs4/sc98012.html.

21. National Soft Drink Association. About Soft Drinks.www.nsda.org/softdrinks/index.html.

22. Kumar Naj, Amal. Squabbles Delay Cure of “Sick” Office Buildings. WallStreet Journal. October 26, 1995.

23. O’Connor, Eileen. Work Stress and You: Is There a Healthy Solution? CNNinteractive. www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9903/12/work.place.stress/.

24. Friedrich, M.J. The Arts of Healing. The Journal of the American MedicalAssociation. Vol. 281. No. 19.

25. Johnson, Carol. Stress on Probation. Stress News. Vol. 11. No. 4 October 1999.26. Pelletier, Kenneth et al. Managing Job Strain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

on an Intervention Conducted by Mail and Telephone. American Journal ofHealth Promotion. Vol. 12. No. 3.

27. The National Council on Alcoholism and and Drug Dependence. Alchohol andOther Drugs in the Workplace. www.ncadd.org/facts/workplace.html.


Suggested Citation: 50 Great Ideas For Building A Worksite Stress Mangement Program.(2005). WELCOA’s Absolute Advantage Magazine, Special Stress Management Issue, 6-21.

It’s no secret that being organized canminimize the stress in your daily life.Encourage employees to take outdatedpaperwork and launch it. Because ofsensitivity, you may want to make ashredder available to avoid any poten-tially compromising situations. Andbetter yet, recycle everything you touch.

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WELCOA


Stress At A Glance…3 Forty-three percent of all

adults suffer adversehealth effects due tostress—roughly 90 millionpeople.1

3 Seventy-five to ninetypercent of all visits toprimary care physiciansare for stress-related complaints or disorders.1

3 Tranquilizers, antidepres-sants, and anti-anxietymedications account forone-fourth of all prescriptions written inthe US each year.2

3 Job stress is estimated tocost US Industry $300billion annually—this ismore than the totalbudget for the entire USDepartment of Defense.1,3

3 Workers who must taketime off work because ofstress, anxiety, or a relateddisorder will be off the jobfor about 20 days.4

“The reason why worry killsmore people than work is thatmore people worry than work.”

—Robert Frost

Statistically, if there are 100people in your company ordepartment…5

1 uses cocaine

40 feel they’re under moderate stress

8 are heavy drinkers

16 smoke

50 sit all day to do their work

21 have cardiovascular disease

25 have high blood pressure

6 have diagnosed diabetes

4 have undiagnosed diabetes

18 or more have high blood cholesterol

64 are overweight or obese

29 don’t wear their safety belts regularly

6 use marijuana

Top Five Most Stressful Cities1. Tacoma, WA2. Miami, FL3. New Orleans4. Las Vegas, NV5. New York, NY

Top Five Least Stressful Cities1. Albany-Schenectady-

Troy, NY2. Harrisburg-Lebanon-

Carlisle, PA3. Orange County, CA4. Nassau-Suffolk, NY5. Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN

—http://www.bestplaces.net/stress/stress_study1.asp

Stress Through The Years

1956 - The word “stress” entersthe American vernacular.

1957 - Bufferin and Anacinuse tension to sell headacherelief.

1963 - Valium is introduced,a minor tranquilizer used totreat non-psychotic anxietystates.

1973 - Xanax, an anti-anxietydrug, is introduced.

1978 - Prozac, an antidepres-sant, is introduced.

1985 - Coty introducedCalgon bath gel and coinedthe catch phrase, “Calgon,take me away.”

1997 - St. John’s Wort, anherbal remedy for depression,receives consumer attention as a Prozac alternative.

2004 - The NIH reports thatpreschoolers are the fastestgrowing group of patients inthe US receiving anti-depres-sant medication.

“Future shock is the shattering disorientation thatoccurs when individuals areexposed to too much change intoo short a period of time.”

—Alvin Toffler

Three-fourths of employeesbelieve the worker has moreon-the-job stress than a generation ago.4

—Princeton SurveyResearch Associates

“It’s been said that the onlyperson without stress is a deadperson.”

—The Idiot’s Guide to Managing Stress

ABSOLUTE ADVANTAGE


FastFactsThese days, there is a enough information and statistics available on stressmanagement and stress-related health issues to make your head spin. So,where do you start? Below you’ll find some compelling information to makeyou think, make you act, and help you build and maintain an effective work-site stress management program. After reading through the information pre-sented on these pages, you’ll be better prepared to present a strong case fordeveloping a stress management initiative at your organization. You’ll also beequipped with the current information you need to market, communicate, andevaluate your program appropriately.

Sixty to 80 percent of indus-trial accidents are due to stress.

—The American Institute of Stress

The Stress Diet?This popular “joke diet” waswidely circulated on the Internet—it’s authors purportedly believed thatthese eating habits would helpa person cope with the stressthat builds during the day.

Breakfast1 banana 1 slice whole wheat toast 8 oz. fresh squeezed orange juice

Lunch4 oz. broiled fish fillet 1 cup steamed broccoli 1 glass of iced tea 1 chocolate chip cookie

Mid-Afternoon SnackRemainder of cookies in pack 2 pints of chocolate ice cream 1 jar hot fudge sauce (optional: nuts, cherries,whipped cream)

Dinner2 loaves garlic bread with cheese Large pepperoni & cheese pizza Six-pack of beer 3 candy bars (your choice)

Late Evening NewsEntire frozen chocolate cakeeaten directly from the freezer

“An arrogant egomaniac,our boss loves to searchemployees’ desks when theyleave the office and open theirpersonal mail, if it comes to theoffice by mistake. As he strutsaround the office enjoying hispower trip, he browbeats andbelittles employees with comments like, ‘This officebelongs to me, without exception, and the employeehas no rights whatsoever tocomplain or protest.’ ”

—Actual Entry Submitted,Best Boss, Worst Boss

First employee:“So, is your job secure?”

Second employee:“Oh, yes. It’s me they can do without.”

“It’s not stress that kills us, itis our reaction to it.”

—Hans Seyle

The top three sources of stressare related to work.6

1. Personal finances2. Career3. Too many responsibilities

—The Idiot’s Guide To Managing Stress

“I have a new philosophy.I’m only going to dread one dayat a time.”

—Charles M. Schulz

“Human beings are remarkablyresilient. They can deal withalmost anything as long as theydo not become too isolated.”

—Harvard Business Review

Only 25 percent of all Americans know their next-door neighbors.

—National Geographic

“A buildup of bacteria inthe indoor air of the countycourthouse in Bartow,Florida, led to its evacuation.This $30 million building,was reconstructed, along with its air-conditioning and ventilation systems, at an additional expense of$37 million.”7

—Wall Street Journal

In 2000, doctors wrote over 42 million prescriptionsfor the six most widely usedanti-depressants.

—USA Today

Stress has been linked to all the leading causes ofdeath—heart disease, cancer,lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis, and suicide.1

—The American Institute of Stress

The Top 10 Most Stressful Jobs

1. Inner City High School Teacher

2. Police Officer3. Miner4. Air Traffic Controller5. Medical Intern6. Stockbroker7. Journalist8. Customer Service/

Complaint Worker9. Secretary10. Waiter

—CDC

“Anxiety is the space betweenthe ‘now’ and the ‘then.’”

—Richard Abell

Sixty percent of alcohol-related work performanceproblems can be attributed to employees who are notalcohol dependent, but whooccasionally drink too muchon a work night or drinkduring a weekday lunch.8

—The NationalCouncil on Alcoholism and

Drug Dependence

“The key is not to prioritizewhat’s on your schedule, but toschedule your priorities.”

—Stephen Covey

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REFERENCES:1. American Institute of Stress. Stress—America’s #1 Health Problem.

www.stress.org/problem.htm.

2. The Health Resource Network. Stress Facts. www.stresscure.com/hrn/facts.html.

3. United States Department of Defense Speech. Testimony Before the Senate ArmedForces Committee: Fiscal Year 2002 National Defense Authorization Budget Request.June 28, 2001. www.defenselink.mil/speeches/2001/s20010628-secdef3.html.

4. NIOSH. Stress at Work. www.cdc.gov/niosh/stresswk.html.

5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, and theNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

6. Davidson, Jeff. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Managing Stress. Alpha Books. 1997.

7. Kumar Naj, Amal. Squabbles Delay Cure of “Sick” Office Buildings. Wall StreetJournal. October 26, 1995.

8. The National Council on Alcoholism and and Drug Dependence. Alchohol and OtherDrugs in the Workplace. www.ncadd.org/facts/workplace.html.


Suggested Citation: Notable and Quotable. (2005). WELCOA’s Absolute AdvantageMagazine, Special Stress Management Issue, 22-25.

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Mercy Medical Center - North Iowa is a busyplace. As the largest provider of health care services in a l4-county region—and the largest

employer in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa employing 2,800people—this private, not-for-profit healthcare center servesmore than 100,000 inpatients and outpatients every year.

Mercy operates from several sites in Mason City, Iowa andis licensed for 350 beds. In addition to Mercy Hospital, theeast campus of Mercy includes McAuley Forest Park MedicalBuilding and Mason City Clinic. The west campus, alsolocated in Mason City, includes a 30-bed skilled nursingunit, numerous ambulatory services, The Willows RetirementCenter, Prairie Ridge Treatment Center, and Francis LauerYouth Services.

Mercy also consists of Mercy Family Clinics, Mercy HomeCare, and its subsidiary—Hospice of North Iowa. MercyFamily Clinics owns and operates numerous physician clinicsin Mason City as well as in outlying communities, helping toensure that people in those areas are assured access to highquality family physicians.

With all these programs in place designed to improve thehealth of the residents of North Iowa, Mercy knew itsemployees would also need leading-edge health and wellnessservices if they were to keep up the pace and fight stress andjob burnout. As a result, Mercy, a WELCOA Platinum WellWorkplace award winner, implemented a unique and pro-gressive employee wellness program named Kailo(pronounced: Ky-low) in 1998. Kailo, an Indo-Europeanword, means to be whole or “of good omen” and, because the Kailo program approaches health and well-being from a unique perspective, it’s the perfect moniker for Mercy’snon-traditional wellness program.

If You Build It They Will ComeThe roots of Kailo date back to 1996 when MaxineBrinkman, Director of Mercy’s Women’s Service, assembled atask force to study how Mercy employees were thinking andfeeling about their health. The multi-disciplinary task forceconducted surveys, convened focus groups, and performedone-on-one interviews with staff members over the next twoyears in order to determine the best way to build a wellnessprogram that resonated with Mercy employees.

After working with employees for several months, the taskforce revealed four major findings. First, Mercy employeeswere primarily concerned with psychosocial health issues—things like stress, depression, fatigue, relationships, anddomestic violence. Second, employees wanted to feel valuedin the workplace as people, not just as “workers.” Third,employees expressed a strong desire to “lighten up,” and havemore fun at work. And finally, employees made it clear thattheir participation in wellness programs would depend to alarge degree on the provision of company-paid time to do so,and the full support of their supervisor.

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With these four issues in mind, thetask force set out to answer another keyquestion—what was the state-of-the-artin worksite health promotion program-ming, and could they use it as a modelfor their own program? After analyzingseveral worksite wellness programs, thetask force came away empty-handed. The majority of the traditional wellnessprograms they studied were:

3 Focused only on bio-medical risk factor reduction through a promotion of behavior changestrategies

3 Underutilized by employees

3 Underfunded

3 Understaffed

3 Lacking in formal planning and evaluation

3 Lacking in meaningful outcomes

Without question, these traditionalworksite wellness programs were not goodmodels for Mercy—they needed aprogram that addressed health and well-being from a more holistic standpoint—amodel that defined good health as morethan just an absence of disease. Unfortu-nately, there weren’t many models for thistype of program. If Mercy administratorswanted a program of this type, they wouldhave to build if from the ground up.

As a result, leaders at Mercy set out to create a program that addressed the

specific needs and interests of employ-ees—a program that would demonstraterespect, dignity, and concern for thehealth and well-being of employees andtheir family members, and draw fromnon-traditional resources to create aholistic wellness culture for employees.

Kailo is BornAdministrators opted to bring four majorinitiatives into convergence at Mercy tocreate a highly-customized approach tocorporate and individual health. Thosefour initiatives remain strong to this day.They are: Service Excellence, Organiza-tional Development, the Gallup Trainingand Q12 Assessment Process, and TheKailo Concept itself. Let’s look at eachinitiative in more detail.

Service Excellence. Acting as theumbrella for its approach, Mercy’s ServiceExcellence initiative is modeled after thework of Quint Studer, CEO of TheBaldridge Award-winning Baptist Hospital in Pensacola, Florida, and President of The Studer Group. Studerhas repeatedly demonstrated success inimproving quality and customer servicein healthcare by focusing on leadershipdevelopment and employee relations.

Since its kick-off in 1998, Mercy’s ServiceExcellence initiative has been focused onthe vision of providing “ExceptionalQuality, World Class Service” to its patients,customers, and employees. To this end,Mercy has created organizational standardsof behavior for colleagues and leaders,

developed a comprehensive leadershipdevelopment program with a heavy emphasis on building the relational skills ofleaders, implemented a formal process forrewarding and recognizing excellenceamong colleagues, and made significantimprovements in its customer service effortsas measured by patient satisfaction surveys.

Organizational Development. Whenit comes to the continual development of healthy capacities at Mercy, a teamconsisting of representatives from HumanResources, Employee Health, Kailo, Continuing Education, and LeadershipDevelopment shoulders the load. Thisteam has outlined a three-year organiza-tional development plan with four maingoals. These goals include:

1. Creating a workplace culture thatencourages employee engagement at all levels

2. Integrating Mercy’s values and mission through educational offerings that continue to improvethe knowledge and skills of colleagues

3. Enhancing organizational development though the North Iowa Mercy Network

4. Becoming North Iowa’s employer of choice

With its main emphasis being to driveMercy Medical Center to the “next level”of employee health and organizationaldevelopment, the organizational development team has created The Inside Track, a multidisciplinary approachto retaining talented employees, as well as the You are Mercy and You are Appreciated initiative, which focuses onemployee recruitment and recognition.This team also acts as an advisory andplanning team for Mercy’s leadershipdevelopment series.

Gallup Training and Q12 AssessmentProcess. Mercy adopted The GallupOrganization’s training tools and Q12Assessment in 2001. Gallup’s approach toorganizational development is based ontheir landmark study of over one millionemployees across the US which indicatedthat engaged employees are key to busi-ness success, relationships play a key rolein employee engagement, and strongworkplaces are created by focusing onstrengths rather than weaknesses.

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Kailo, an Indo-European word, means to be whole or “of good omen” and, because the Kailoprogram approaches health and well-being from a unique perspective, it’s the perfect monikerfor Mercy’s non-traditional wellness program.

The long-term objectives of Mercy’swork with Gallup are to understand thedimensions of employee engagement thatconsistently drive business outcomes aswell as to build a stronger workplace.The team at Mercy has set its sightson—and will claim success when—theyreach the 90th percentile of employeeengagement of all healthcare organiza-tions represented in Gallup’s database.

The Kailo Concept. As mentionedbefore, Kailo’s mission and vision focuseson honoring relationships and purposeand meaning in life. The team at Mercyunderstands that these areas of focus canwork as primary determinants of overallhealth and well-being, and that they haveobvious tie-ins to Service Excellence,Organizational Development, and theGallup employee engagement model.

Kailo plays a key role in shaping thehealth of Mercy’s future not onlythrough health and wellness programsand services, but also though significantcontributions to the other three majorinitiatives currently taking place at theorganization. For example, the Kailoprogram provides leadership on theCreate and Develop Your Leaders team as

well as on the Standards of BehaviorService Excellence and OrganizationalDevelopment teams. Kailo also roundsout several other programs and initiativesin both tangible and intangible ways.

The Big Payoff When taken together, this multi-dimen-sional approach to improving health andwellness is extremely effective for Mercyand the Kailo program. In an era whenhealth promotion programs (and healthpromotion practitioners) are being askedto justify their existence and expendituresnearly every day of the week, the programat Mercy is demonstrating a substantialand enviable return on investment (ROI).Just consider the positive impact that hasbeen achieved through a few of the pro-grams ongoing at Mercy.

Q12. Over the past 25 years, TheGallup Organization has interviewed overone million employees working in Ameri-can business and industry asking themhundreds of questions on every conceiv-able aspect of their workplace. After siftingthrough 100 million questions worth ofdata, Gallup concluded that the country’smost successful organizations—those thathave high profitability, high productivity,and high employee loyalty—also have high

levels of employee engagement.Gallup defines an engaged employee

as someone who “is in the right role, isconsistently productive in that role, and is psychologically fully committed tobringing their best efforts to bear in thatrole.” Based on its research, Gallup nowrates employee engagement on a set of 12 questions that determine the likelihood of an employee staying fullycommitted, and working to advance thebusiness interests of the organization.Mercy employees score quite well.

Compared to other healthcare organiza-tions in Gallup’s database, Mercy scoredin the 68th and 70th percentile respective-ly in its 2001 and 2002 Q12 Assessmentsin overall employee engagement. Mercy’spercentage of “extremely satisfied”employees also increased from 18 percentto 23 percent during the same timeperiod. The by-proxy cost-savings associ-ated with this improvement (due to areduction in lost workdays due to disen-gagement) was estimated at $160,296.

Life’s Odyssey. Typically, traditionalmodels for worksite health promotionmeasure success in terms of changes inbehavior and/or reductions in bio-medical risk factors for disease. While thismeasurement philosophy works well for

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Kailo offers a number of one-on-one initiatives designed to help employees cope with stress,

depression, anxiety, relationships, and other personal issues.

most traditional programs, Mercy decidedearly on that it was more consistent withits holistic philosophy to base its out-comes on changes in perceptions,attitudes, and beliefs, and to measuresuccess not on risks reduced, but onstrengths bolstered.

Using Karen Carrier’s Life’s Odyssey asits primary tool, Mercy has collectedinformation as to how its employees’ per-ceptions of their health have improvedsince the inception of the Kailo Programin 1998. Life’s Odyssey is a 70-item, self-scoring questionnaire that asks participants to rate on a 5-point LikertScale, how they are thinking and feelingabout their health in seven dimensions.These seven dimensions include:

1. Life and health attitudes

2. Social connectedness

3. Emotional well-being

4. Rest

5. Pleasure and play

6. Purpose and meaning

7. Self-Care

A comparison of Life’s Odyssey medianscores in 1998, 2000, and 2002 shows apositive trend line in each of the sevendimensions indicating that Mercy employ-ees are thinking and feeling more positivelyabout their health and life satisfaction.

From a risk perspective, data suggeststhat Mercy employees are fairing betterthan they were in 1998, too. A compari-son of “high-risk” employees—those thatscore below 30 out of a possible 50points in four or more dimensions of theLife’s Odyssey questionnaire—indicates

there are fewer employees experiencinghigh levels of psychosocial and spiritualdistress now than ever before. Andalthough proper ROI measurement tech-niques fall short in capturing the value ofthis shift, even the sternest ROI scientistswould have trouble arguing that this shiftpays big dividends.

Beyond Bootstraps. Another exampleof Kailo’s impact on the health of Mercyemployees is its depression initiative,Beyond Bootstraps. Mercy’s 2000 datashowed a 12 percent overall prevalence of depression among employees. Whenmeasured again in 2002 there was no statistically significant reduction inoverall prevalence rates; however, Mercywas able to show success in eliminatingdepressive symptomology on a case-by-case basis for 42 individuals that accesseddepression-related services.

Using figures from benchmarkingstudies on the costs of depression, Mercywas able to estimate cost benefits inreduced healthcare claims and increasedproductivity for each employee thatreduced depressive symptoms. Knowingthat the Health Enhancement ResearchOrganization (HERO) estimates thatdepressed employees generate approxi-mately $3,200 a year in medical costs,and non-depressed employees generateonly $1,700, Mercy estimates that those42 individuals who eliminated theirdepressive symptomology saved theorganization about $1,500 each inreduced healthcare claims.

Additionally, using information fromHarvard researcher Dr. Ron Kessler,Mercy also estimates that they saved

between $182 and $395 per month inlost productivity for each of the 42 individuals who eliminated depressivesymptoms. When taken together it canbe estimated that by reducing or elimi-nating depressive symptoms in 42individuals, Mercy has saved between$154,728 and $262,080 in lost produc-tivity and healthcare claims!

In addition to these demonstrable out-comes, Mercy is hopeful their efforts inmeeting the health and wellness needs oftheir employees will assist them inweathering a nationwide nursing short-age. And so far, at least on an anecdotallevel, it seems to be helping.

“It’s helped me see my patients as spiritual beings and not just a diagnosis.It's improved my family life and helpedme live healthier,” said Cindy Connor, a nurse who has worked at the hospitalfor 16 years.

“Frankly, I’ve looked at other hospitalsto relocate, but I haven’t found aprogram like this,” she added. “It’s a bigfactor in why I’m still here.”

Bringing It All Back HomeWithout a doubt, the Kailo program atMercy has been able to generate somepositive financial impacts. But return oninvestment has never really been the pointof the Mercy wellness program. In fact, itcould be argued that the reason the Kailoprogram has been so successful, andattained a measurable ROI, is because itsfocus is elsewhere. Its focus is on creatinga program that matches the culture, andmeets employees with a sense of whole-ness, sensitivity, and connectedness.

No doubt Mercy will continue downthe road less traveled, offering employeesthe opportunity to improve their healthand well-being through programs thatfocus on stress management, life satisfac-tion, and job engagement. In the years tocome this Platinum Well Workplace willbe an organization to watch as it incorpo-rates some of the most cutting-edgephilosophies in both business and healthto build a corporate culture that treatsemployees with compassion and respect.

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The Kailo staff, pictured at a Wellness Conference in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

All information ©Wellness Councils of America (WELCOA) 2005.WELCOA provides worksite wellness products, services, and information to

thousands of organizations nationwide. For more information visit www.welcoa.org.Suggested Citation: The Road Less Travelled. (2005).WELCOA’s Absolute Advantage Magazine, SpecialStress Management Issue, 26-31.

Ihave had a rare opportunity tocreate and implement a non-tradi-tional concept in worksite wellnesswith the Kailo program at Mercy. I

did not set out to create something sodifferent. I was led there by listening tomy customers—the 2,800 people whowork at Mercy, by doing lots of self-study, by learning from my colleagueswho come from disciplines outside myown, and by honoring my intuition.

As a result, my definition of health,my ideas about what makes someonewell, and the way I practice health promotion have changed dramaticallysince I came to Mercy in 1997. Withthat in mind, here are six practical,real-life lessons learned in the trenchesof worksite wellness.

Lesson #1:The definition of health is so muchmore complicated than the simpleabsence of disease as I learned in mytraditional training. I have adoptedDavid Morris’ definition of health as“the manner in which we live welldespite our inescapable illnesses, disabilities, and trauma.” What thisdefinition says to me is that:• Healing and wellness are possible

even in the presence of disease; • Psychosocial and spiritual distress

are possible even in the absence ofphysical disease;

• None of us escape challenges to ourwell-being, no matter how “healthy”our lifestyles.

Lesson # 2:Changing behavior is far less impor-tant in worksite health promotion thanI once believed. I owe a debt of grati-tude to Jon Robison, PhD, MS, for hiswork on behavior change and healthpromotion. Robison believes that fartoo much emphasis is put on gettingpeople to change their behaviors in

order to live healthier lifestyles. Thisfocus is misplaced, he says, because (1)behaviors are very difficult to change,especially in the long term; (2) behav-iors get far too much credit inpredicting health and illness; and (3)behaviors are many times a symptomof a deeper, underlying issue. What’smore, when health promotion practi-tioners base their outcomes onbehavior change, they are settingthemselves up for failure—and whenthe failure rate is high, so is profession-al burnout.

Lesson #3:Psychosocial and spiritual issues are farmore important in worksite health pro-motion than I ever imagined. When Ileft graduate school, I was prepared toimplement an employee wellnessprogram with all the traditional trap-pings—cholesterol screenings, bloodpressure checks, weight managementclasses, exercise programs, etc. What Ilearned from listening to Mercyemployees was that they weren’t inter-ested in that kind of program. Theywere far more concerned with stress,depression and anxiety, fatigue, relation-ship issues, and even domestic violence.

This news was very disconcerting tome. I felt my training was sorelylacking in how to address these kindsof issues. I found a book that wasextremely helpful that I would recommend to anyone in a helpingprofession, especially my colleagues inhealth promotion. The book is HowCan I Help? by Ram Dass. Dass’ bookled me to Lesson #4.

Lesson #4:Health promotion is more about whoyou are than what you do. Ram Dasssays, “We can, of course, help throughall that we do. But at the deepest levelwe help through who we are.” Dass

also stresses the importance of healthprofessionals being aware of andworking on their own issues. He says,“We work on ourselves, then, in orderto help others. And we help others as avehicle for working on ourselves.”Admittedly, this sounds a bit esoteric,but I have come to believe this is themost important lesson I have learned.

Lesson #5:People will trust in you if you trust inthem. When Kailo first began, itdidn't exactly receive a warm welcomefrom all Mercy employees. Many staffwere angry that Mercy had dedicatedprecious budget dollars to a “stupidwellness program.” In the first year ofthe program, we were on the receivingend of much sarcasm, eye-rolling, andeven hostility. But we kept going outand doing our programs, visiting staffin their units in the middle of thenight and eventually, they camearound. We never asked for anythingin return. Our message was simply,“Take from Kailo what makes sense foryou, and leave the rest.” Today, 76percent of employees view Kailo as avaluable benefit of working at Mercy.

Lesson # 6:The key to long-tem success in worksite wellness is integrating withother organizational efforts to impactthe work culture and continuallydemonstrate how your efforts impactthe company’s business objectives andmission. Kailo has survived threeCEOs in its brief five-year history.With each change in leadership, thechallenge was to find out what businessobjectives were priorities for eachCEO, and demonstrate how Kailocould contribute to achieving thoseobjectives.

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Kelly Putnam, Health Promotion Coordinator at Mercy Medical Center - North Iowa,reveals six key lessons learned while building a Platinum Well Workplace.

Kailo’s Six Lessons

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UnderPressure

A WELCOA exclusive interview withstress management guru andExecutive Director of InspirationUnlimited, Brian Luke Seaward, PhD

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Recently Dr. David Hunnicutt, President of theWellness Councils of America, sat down with BrianLuke Seaward, PhD, national stress managementexpert and renowned author of Stressed is DessertsSpelled Backwards, The Art of Calm, and the forthcoming, Quiet Mind, Fearless Heart, to discusssetting boundaries, achieving balance, and stayingcool in a stressed out world.

Luke, from your perspective, what exactly is stress?

SEAWARD: There’s no one definition, but there’s a consensusamong professionals in the field that stress is a perceived threat—real or imagined—to one’s mind, body, spirit, or emotion.

Is stress really harmful if left unchecked?

SEAWARD: Absolutely! Stress kills. There’s a boatload of evidencerevealing that about 80 to 85 percent of all disease and illness isnot only stress related, but that there is a stress-related causalfactor in this—meaning simply that stress causes illness anddisease. Of course that relates to healthcare issues at the worksite.

When speaking of the negative health effects of stress, it’sinteresting to note that the stress response (fight or flight)revolves primarily around physical threats and dangers. Buttoday, we’re seeing very few physical threats—terrorismnotwithstanding. So our physical response to stress is veryantiquated because about 99 percent of our stressors today aremental, emotional, and spiritual, yet our bodies respond as ifthey’re all physical.

If stress has so many profound impacts on diseaseand human health, why is it not often listed withphysical inactivity, tobacco, and poor nutrition as aleading health risk?

SEAWARD: I think it’s such a huge factor that we tend tooverlook it. It’s nebulous in the sense that it stares us in the face,but we can’t see it because it’s so huge. But the signs andsymptoms are everywhere, from decreased productivity due toabsenteeism, to increased health problems ranging from cancer,to heart disease, to hemorrhoids. You name it—the symptoms are evident everywhere.

It seems like some people—especially in the business environment—really seem to thrive onstress. What’s that all about?

SEAWARD: Well, there’s good stress and bad stress. Good stressis that which is motivating, invigorating, and challenging. Lotsof people use this type of stress to get things accomplished. TakeLance Armstrong, for example. The Tour de France is incrediblystressful, yet Lance Armstrong rose to the occasion to becomethe hero of the Tour de France five years in a row. He met thechallenge. He’s an example (though extreme) of someone whoused stress as a motivating factor to accomplish a goal, and thisis quite admirable.

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But there’s only one Lance Armstrong. The vast majority ofpeople make their living at the worksite, and what we’re seeingtoday is that stress at the worksite is synonymous with change.Change is everywhere at work, whether it’s stock reports, mergers, acquisitions, downsizing—the list is endless. This typeof change at the worksite makes people feel very vulnerable and,at the same time, feel as though they have no of sense of empowerment. To revisit the Lance Armstrong example, theseindividuals can’t just “peddle faster,” and change brings about an incredible amount of negative stress.

So the real challenge today is to help people learn to adapt tochange. With that adaptation comes a sense of empowerment. If people feel more empowered, they’re likely to experience lessnegative stress. They feel like they have control—they’re not just passive victims in a careless world.

How do people begin to manage change and feelempowered during times of stress and change?

SEAWARD: Setting boundaries really helps. One of the bigchanges I see today is people setting more boundaries betweenwork and home, and freedom and responsibility. In general,there’s a real lack of boundaries in our world today.

Look at technology for example. It’s wonderful, but it cancause extreme stress. In the wrong hands or at the wrong time of day, technology can be very problematic. Technology is sup-posed to serve our best interests, but we’re not supposed to beslaves to it. It’s well documented that people are now addicted to things like cell phones and e-mail and laptops because theyfeel they always have to be connected. Talk about not havingboundaries! Keeping pace with this 24/7 mentality of accessibili-ty is like running at a sprint speed for an entire marathon, andno one can do that successfully. Simply stated, it causes burnout!

How do people consciously set boundaries? What’s involved in boundary setting from an individual perspective?

SEAWARD: People first need to acknowledge that it’s importantto have healthy boundaries. Once they do that, they need torealize that boundaries are rooted in values. What do we valuethat’s important in life? Health? Education? Family? Privacy?Love? Freedom? Responsibility? These are all a part of the fabricof what makes up healthy boundaries.

We set boundaries with these values in mind. For example,someone may set a boundary that they’re not going to checktheir work email from home because, from 5:30 until bedtime,it’s important to pay attention to their family.

Right now in America we’re seeing really poor boundaries interms of finances, relationships, behaviors, etc. But if people cansee that they need to set boundaries for their own good, thenthey can begin to create and implement them.

It’s vital that these boundaries be put into play on a daily basis.

If an individual creates boundaries, but doesn’t abide by them, thenthey get walked on—by their boss, by their friends, by everyone.When that happens, people begin to feel violated and victimizedwhich leads to more fear, more anger, and more stress. It leads to anunbroken cycle of stress, and it’s a dysfunctional, never-ending cycle.

Can the typical working American effectively manage their boundaries? Do they have theresources to figure this thing out?

SEAWARD: I think so, but it definitely takes willpower. Willpoweris what I call one of the “muscles of the soul.” It’s one of our innerresources that we use to overcome our problems, just like a sense ofhumor, patience, tolerance, or courage. Willpower is in that samefamily of muscles, and it needs to be exercised regularly.

Let’s take television watching for example. In America, wehave a serious lack of willpower when it comes to watching TV.In fact, the average American now watches between 20 and 40hours of television a week. As one of my students correctlyobserved, that’s nearly a full-time job!

When most people sit down at night to watch television, I don’tthink they say, “I’m going to get my quota of seven hours of TVwatching tonight.” What they say is something like, “I’m going towatch Friends.” But then the television ends up sucking them in,and they watch it for the entire evening. A strong sense of willpow-er could help in that situation. After Friends you could just shut offthe TV. There are more valuable things to do with your life.

Are people more stressed today than they were 200 years ago? There were some serious stressorsto deal with during the settling of this country.Is stress worse now?

SEAWARD: Every epoch in the history of humanity has had itsown challenges—social challenges, wartime conquests, weatherdisasters, you name it. What’s unique about today is that we areat a very challenging moment in the history of humanity. At noother point in the history of humanity have we seen thisconvergence of problems on the world stage—technology, globalwarming, terrorism, etc.,—they’re all working together to bringus to a boiling point.

This really is an opportunity for human beings to cometogether and rise to the occasion to address these problems. Weneed to reach our highest human potential, here and now. Wehave the resources within each and every one of us to solve theproblems at hand, but what makes it difficult is that we’re livingin an age of fear. Fear is broadcast in the media, and if anyonesaw the movie Bowling for Columbine, they know exactly whatI’m talking about. Fear sells. What I often tell people is don’t buyinto it. Be strong. Our challenges can be addressed, if we staycentered and take the time to do so.


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What can corporate leaders do to start raisingawareness around the issue of stress managementat the worksite?

SEAWARD: Leaders today need to lead by example because theyare role models. They’ve got to demonstrate strong, healthyboundaries themselves. They’ve got to demonstrate the qualitiesof leadership that are lacking today (just look at Tyco and Enronas examples of what not to do). They need to revisit the wholeidea of service—service in terms of providing motivation andinspiration for the people who work for them, as well as thecustomers and clients they serve.

That’s not to say that leaders need to create a stress-free environ-ment. You don’t want to have a stress-free environment because it’snot very productive. People need to have some level of inspira-tional, healthy stress that’s kept in balance. If a leader can modelwhat that looks like, it’s a good first step. It’s likely that sense ofbalance will eventually be emulated throughout the company.

Environment can play a big role in whether peoplestay healthy or get sick. Sometimes I wonder ifwe’ve set up “toxic” jobs—jobs that cause stressand illness. What are your thoughts on that?

SEAWARD: I definitely agree with that. And it’s not only thefrenzied atmosphere of productivity to meet quotas forstockholders looking to get their next dividend payment. It’s alsothings like electromagnetic pollution from computers, and other

physically harmful substances that workers deal with on a regularbasis. But that’s just the health side of things. A toxic environmentleads to deteriorating corporate loyalty, too, both on the part ofthe employee and the company.

For example, think back to the days when our fathers wereworking. Company loyalty was very strong. People worked forcompanies for 20, 30, even 40 years and retired with a goldwatch. Now corporate loyalty is a myth. In the end, people aremore likely to get a kick in the butt than they are to get a goldwatch. That’s if they stayed with the job for more than a fewyears to begin with.

We’ve talked about the CEO’s role in all of this.What can practitioners do to help employees dealmore effectively with stress?

SEAWARD: We need to not only reduce the symptoms of stressbut also the causes of stress. As a culture, we are great at offeringsymptomatic relief, but as you know, if you don’t get rid of thecauses, the symptoms soon reappear.

So I think we need to focus on the causes of stress and the perceptions that lead to it, rather than simply throwing out stressballs at lunch ‘n’ learns. This idea goes back to corporate values;it goes back to corporate integrity; it goes back to corporate loyalty. Employees need to feel that they are invested in the company at a deeper, more spiritual level if we are going to startaddressing the causes of workplace stress.

There are some companies—not enough in my opinion—butthere are some companies that have changed the old paradigmand said, “We can no longer attempt to satisfy shareholders’financial expectations by any means necessary.” These companiesare making a radical departure and saying, “If we put employeeneeds, boundaries, and loyalty first, the expectations of sharehold-ers will be met many times over.” That’s an encouraging trend.

The Internet has played a big role in promoting this new paradigm. There is a wealth of information available on the Webabout building healthy corporate cultures and healthy boundariesat the worksite. It all comes down to embracing what I call a“new ethic for a higher consciousness” at the worksite—having ahealthy balance in terms of stress in the working environment.

Luke, let’s talk about anger for a moment.Anger is a chief emotion at the worksite, isn’t it?

SEAWARD: Yes it is, and the reason goes back to employeesfeeling like the company is disloyal to them, or that they arebeing victimized and/or violated in some way—like they’re doingthe work but not getting the benefit or recognition for it. Wehave a lot of unresolved anger issues in this country, andunresolved anger—every time—comes down to unmetexpectations. Employers need to work with employees to setexpectations and boundaries if we’re going to affect anger issues at the worksite in any meaningful way.


“Think back to the days when our

fathers were working. Company

loyalty was very strong. People

worked for companies for 20, 30,

even 40 years and retired with a

gold watch. Now corporate loyalty

is a myth. In the end, people are

more likely to get a kick in

the butt than they are to get

a gold watch.”

ABSOLUTE ADVANTAGE

In your books, Stressed is Desserts SpelledBackwards and Stand Like Mountain, Flow LikeWater, you’ve done a great job at putting stress intoterms that people can actually use and understand.Can you tell us about the kinds of things you do inyour own life to stay balanced?

SEAWARD: I get up every morning and walk my dog, which is

my combination of exercise and pet therapy. When I get back

home I meditate for half an hour. For me, meditation is just a

means to calm the mind. It’s not any kind of religious thing,

although it conjures up those images for some people. The best

analogy I’ve heard for meditation is that it’s like deleting

unwanted e-mails from your computer. And that’s exactly what

you’re doing—you’re cleansing your mind.

I also swim or run every day. I love exercise. I also pay very

close attention to the foods I eat, because we live in a country

right now that has the largest variety of foods anywhere, and yet

the worst quality of food in terms of containing synthetic sub-

stances like herbicides, fungicides, pesticides, and fertilizers. We’ve

got some real problems in our food supply today, so I eat organic

foods only, which is something I’d advocate for everybody.

Humor is also important to me. I like to think I have a sense

of humor, and I use it as a coping technique. Whether it’s read-

ing funny e-mails and jokes, or sending a few to my friends, I

think humor is important.

I also have to tell you that I’m a big fan of prayer. I think

prayer is a wonderful coping technique. I believe that not

acknowledging the spiritual dimension in life contributes to

overall dysfunction in the world. So my spiritual practice in stress

management is very important to me and prayer is part of that.

All of these habits are part of the healthy boundaries I’ve set up

for myself.

If you could give one piece of advice to the typicalworking American, what would you tell them?

SEAWARD: Get rid of your television. TV is human kryptonite.It’s a tool to deliver the message of a lifestyle that most peopleeither can’t afford, or shouldn’t have. TV is terribly addictive. Ifyou are in denial about that, then I challenge you to turn off thetelevision for a month and see if you can live without it. If youcan’t, then I rest my case.

Don’t get me wrong—there are some wonderful things on TV.I’m a big fan of PBS. But in terms of what I would suggest for a

healthy lifestyle, I think it’s important to honor the integration,balance, and harmony of the mind, body, spirit, and emotions.In the application of that, it’s essential that we take more time to

explore our inner selves. If we can come to terms with the issues

and problems we have, we’ll be better equipped to deal moreeffectively with stress. We can then maintain a better balancewith our loved ones, friends, and community, because we’re allconnected as one big family.

How do you think things will play out in the next 10to 20 years? Are you optimistic about the futurehealth of the American workforce?

SEAWARD: I’m an optimist by nature, and I will say this: it takes alot more work to be an optimist these days than it did 20 years ago!

Having said that, I’m disheartened by the news I hear aboutobesity in this country. I’m disheartened by the recent news fromthe American Cancer Society that soon, one out of every twopeople will come down with cancer. I’m definitely disheartenedwith the problem of workplace violence—even one incident ofworkplace violence is one too many.

But I have to tell you, I see great hope. I could be delusional;I’ll be the first to admit that. But I’m a big fan of the work ofJoseph Campbell, who was interviewed by Bill Moyers a numberof years of ago on PBS during his series called The Power ofMyth. Joseph Campbell did a lot of work on what he calls “TheHero’s Journey.” “The Hero’s Journey” can be summed up byacknowledging that we’re all going to encounter problems in life,but we have the resources to deal with those problems if we putour minds to it. We have a number of stories to help guide us onour own journey—whether it’s something as ancient as Ulysses,or something as contemporary as Lance Armstrong.

I may be an eternal optimist, but don’t think I’m simply looking at life through rose-colored glasses. I really feel that when people encounter problems, they can rise to the occasionand make their lives, and the world, much better.


ABOUT: Brian Luke Seaward, PhDBrian Luke Seaward, PhD is a faculty member of the Univer-sity of Northern Colorado and the Executive Director ofInspiration Unlimited. He is the author of several booksincluding Stand Like Mountain, Flow Like Water, and StressedIs Desserts Spelled Backwards. Dr. Seaward has shared theinsights of meditation with the staff at the White House,taught stress management techniques with various heads ofstate, and coached relaxation techniques to several Olympicathletes, Broadway actors, media personalities, and leaders ofseveral multinational corporations. He can be reached atwww.brianlukeseaward.net


Suggested Citation: Under Pressure. (2005). WELCOA’s Absolute Advantage Magazine,Special Stress Management Issue, 32-36.

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ABSOLUTE ADVANTAGE

Stress ManagementStress has reached new heights in the United States. The convergence of a number of factors—longer workweeks, a sluggish economy, accelerating technology, andthe ever-present threat of global terrorism—has begun totake its toll on corporate productivity and the spirit of the American worker. In fact, a recent Gallup Poll indicated that 80 percent of workers feel stress on the job, and nearly half say they need help in learning how to manage stress. In light of these facts, there has neverbeen a better time to develop a proactive worksite stressmanagement program at your organization.

But in today’s environment, it’s going to take a lot morethan stress balls and pep talks to alleviate the strain and tension so familiar to most employees. In a modern business setting, stress management must be taken seriously,and it must be approached with creativity, planning, andtrue dedication—before the levee breaks.

This issue of Absolute Advantage is designed to delivernew and intriguing insights into worksite stress management programming. The 50 great ideas includedhere are real-life examples of programming that works,and they can be implemented right away. We’ve alsoincluded an exclusive interview with stress managementexpert Brian Luke Seaward, PhD, author of Stressed is Desserts Spelled Backwards, which will help you understand the forces at play when attempting to reduceorganizational stress. You’ll also find a case study demonstrating how one organization saved money as a direct result of helping employees reduce stress and find meaning and purpose in work and life.

No doubt, workplace stress has reached its boiling point,and employee health and continued business prosperity is at stake. It is up to employers to help workers find waysto relax, recharge, and unwind before it’s too late. I hopeyou find this important issue of Absolute Advantageto be helpful as you answer this important call.

David Hunnicutt, PhDPresident

PS. To order additional copies of this issue of AbsoluteAdvantage, contact the Wellness Councils of America at 402-827-3590 or go to our website at www.welcoa.org.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Work & StressIn AmericaOften overlooked as a serious health threat at mostworksites, stress has become an issue of significantimportance in recent years. Get the facts on stress andstress management, and find out how to reverse thevicious cycle of stress and strain.

Page 2

6 50 Great IdeasCheck out these 50 great ideas for building a worksite stress management program—they’ll give you new insight while helpingyou avoid some all-too-commonmistakes.

22 Notable &QuotableStress-related studies and statisticsabound. These maxims, mantras,and notable quotes from literature,humor, and the scientific realmoffer a different angle and a uniqueperspective on stress and survivalin the 21st Century.

26 The Road LessTravelledFind out how Mercy Medical Center– North Iowa reduced stress anddepression in a fast-paced health-care environment, and savedmoney in the process. The Kailoprogram at Mercy is definitelyworth a look.

32 Under PressureIn this exclusive WELCOA interview, stress managementexpert Brian Luke Seaward, PhD,speaks out on how you can helpemployees conquer stress and livewell during times of uncertaintyand rapid change.

the workplace wellness magazine · center – north iowa reduced stress and depression in a...

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