Stress Less: How Busy is Too Busy?

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When are we too busy? For some people, it means eating a very quick lunch. For others, it means missing lunch completely or never taking a day off. There are also people who work every evening and weekend. For them, feeling stressed is a normal part of life. Managers and business leaders are usually very busy. Neil Plumridge, a manager at a consulting company, says he works between 45 and 80 hours a week. His average is about 60 hours. Plumridge knows he is working too much when three things happen. First, he sleeps for less than six hours for three nights. Second, he has to change the time of his meetings. Third, he misses family events, like birthdays. "That is when I know I have a problem," he says. He explains that his stress happens because he expects too much from himself. He often promises to finish work for two different clients on the same day, even though it is impossible. Taking on too much work is a common problem. A new study shows that people always think they will have more free time in the future. Researchers Gal Zauberman and John Lynch say this is a mistake. "People will be just as busy next month as they are today," they explain. Because we think we will have more time later, we agree to do things in the future that we would say "no" to today. Stress feels different for everyone, but there are clear signs. Bad sleep and poor health are the most common signs. Statistics show that stress is a huge problem in the workplace. When workers take time off because of stress, they usually stay home for about 16 weeks. Stress is also very expensive for companies. In Australia, reports showed that stress-related problems cost insurance companies a lot of money. Experts say the best way to stop stress is not just relaxing or playing sports. You need to change how you work. Plumridge says he tries to change his plans. He might ask more people to help him, or he might ask his clients for more time. He also talks to his co-workers for advice. Stress doesn't only happen in big companies. Vanessa Stoykov has her own small advertising business. Her company grew very quickly. At the same time, she had two babies. She says she learned how to take care of her children, type on her computer, and talk on the phone at the same time. Even though she is very busy and stressed, she loves her work. Jan Elsner is a psychologist who helps business leaders. She says many successful people actually work very well when they are busy. She believes that positive feelings at work—like enjoying a challenge—help people become stronger against stress. Elsner also says that many business people use meditation to relax. Science shows that meditation can change the brain and help the body fight stress. Finally, some experts think stress is not just a personal problem. Tony LaMontagne, a researcher, says that the type of job you have is very important. His research shows that having control over your work is the best way to stop stress. The best jobs are difficult but give you the freedom to make your own choices. The worst jobs are difficult but give you no freedom. People with hard jobs and no freedom have a much higher risk of depression and heart attacks.