Instead they need to find ways to cope with its burdens and still perform optimally

Stress has become an integral part of corporate life. The need to reach more milestones in the shortest possible time creates stress levels not only on the professional front but also in the personal, and leading to the creation of a vicious cycle of even more stress.

This is not restricted to any one individual. It affects CEOs as well as company directors, the executives as well as blue-collar workers. No individual is exempt. What is important is the ability to handle stress in the right manner and thus leading to a measure of personal contentment.

There are many executives who believe it is not possible to live a stress-free life. They believe in the fact that a complete switching off is not even remotely possible. While this may be true to an extent, most of them fail to realise that stress can be managed through a conscious set of actions.

And these are actions that will result in peace of mind and good health.

After being a player in the world of real estate business and material wealth, I realised there is more to life than just chasing business goals. Like many, I believed that it is the results that matter. I failed to understand the journey is as important as the destination and it is the responsibility of the individual to have an enjoyable journey.

Mind you, I am not advocating a stress-free life. I am only stating that it is important to manage stress to enhance productivity and improve well-being. There are no hard rules that need to be followed to manage it.

How this is managed varies from one individual to another. Based on my experience, I list out few suggestions to manage it in a better manner.

* Prioritise — The key factor is in understanding and prioritising what is important. There is a fine line between what is urgent and what is important. It is vital to understand this and work accordingly. It is important to cultivate the ability to work on things that matter and focus on the task at hand.

* Tune out — It is very essential to switch off from the cacophony of opinions, suggestions, advises, information, etc, that one is bombarded with. At any given point in time, there are many who come and offer their two bit. If one starts to give importance to all these, there will not be any time left to attend to the tasks on hand.

* Communicate — Learn the art of right communication. Many executives are scared of the word “No”. This results in them committing to tasks that are beyond their reach and leading to burnouts.

* Increase the happiness quotient — All of us have the innate strength to be happy. But most of us succumb to depression and hatred. Change the mindset and tune it to accept happiness.

* Gratitude — Dissatisfaction is the root cause for all stress. It is imperative corporate executives express their gratitude to the different blessings that they enjoy in their personal and professional life.

* Get adequate sleep — Most executives are so stressed they are not able to get their required quota of sleep. Most of the time the sleep gets disturbed by thinking about the work that needs to be accomplished. A good night’s sleep provides the platform for enhanced productivity.

* Improve the well-being quotient — This is possible through positive psychology and the science of happiness, mindfulness as well as yoga.

It is important to remember absence of stress does not lead to contentment. Management of stress is what leads to happiness and growth. Our happiness gets reflected in the work we do and enhances our productivity.

All it needs is a conscious effort and if we can reach corporate milestones, it is possible for us to handle the stress that comes our way.