by Elizabeth Harrington

Workplace Stress

Workplace stress is now recognised to be a major cost to British Industry.  According to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) in March 2003,

The HSE are currently drawing up guidelines for employers aimed at reducing workplace sickness. According to “BRITISH SAFETY MANAGEMENT”, the initiative stems from the European Commission: 

EC launches 5-year safety strategy

nutrition and stress in the workplace

THE EUROPEAN Commission (E.C.) has launched a new strategy document outlining the European Union's (E.U.'s) plans for tackling a range of occupational health and safety issues over the next five years.

The publication of the document follows an extensive discussion process during 2001, which involved the European Union Economic and Social Committee, the European Parliament and EU Member States.

Launching the strategy, Anna Diamantopoulou, European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs, said: 'EU health and safety strategy must move with the times. EU accident and death rates are still unacceptable. “ …new types of work have created new types of workplace risk, such as stress-related conditions caused by the ever-faster pace of work. These new conditions must be addressed now and as far as possible anticipated and prevented at the workplace.' The strategy - which aims to modernise EU safety policy - sets out how health and safety at work in the EU can be improved in the period 2002-2006. It contains three guiding themes:

§ enhancing the quality of work, where health and safety is a vital component; 

§ outlining the role of health and safety in improving economic performance; and 

§ promoting well-being at work, taking account of the emergence of new workplace risks, such as stress and depression

The HSE are now in consultation and are due to publish employer guidelines in Autumn 2003 which aim to reduce workplace stress, in accordance with Government targets set in June 2000:

“Last June, new targets were set by the Government to achieve 80,000 fewer cases of work related ill health and a reduction of lost working days by 7.5 million per year. However, this will take ten years to achieve.” (Gold & Co. website, 2001)

My four years experience in providing workplace massage to reduce workplace stress led me to realise a major factor was missing in helping my clients to continued stress reduction; it also required improved nutrition. 

SOCIAL PATTERNS IN BRITAIN

Regrettably, British society today is still in thrall to the notion of ‘cheap food’ after the post-war deprivations. Nutritional considerations and education, which saw the nation at its nutritional peak when there was war-time rationing, now seem the preserve of the wealthy and/or ‘faddies’. A recent British Nutrition Foundation study of more than 5,000 five- to 16-year-olds participated in a poll which found that nearly half of teenager girls skip breakfast to stay slim, 7% of 14- to 16-yearolds never ate fruit and vegetables, whilst only 27% ate them regularly, because they are not seen as ‘sexy’. Thus increasing numbers of children are growing up to join the workforce with a poor concept of nutrition, and a low intake of adequate nutrients.

Nutritional concern in society is generally poor. There is currently a pizza chain offering a ‘value deal’ of pizza plus garlic bread plus potato wedges; this at a time when there is public health concern about obesity, and burger bars in America are facing litigation for causing their customers health problems. It is noticeable that the high streets in many poor city areas will have several take-away restaurants – but fruit and vegetables are often limited to old, limp specimens in a corner shop, or only found in supermarkets. Very few ‘deprived area’ high streets can boast a quality greengrocers any more than they offer quality butchers or fishmongers any more. The proportion of the population actually aware of the reduced nutritional value of pre-packed supermarket vegetables is tiny. If it’s brightly coloured, unblemished, pre-packed and preferably ready for the pan, it makes life simple.

STRESS

Stress has been defined as ‘the body’s way of warning you you’re getting out of your depth’. Physiologically, stress is the reaction of the nervous system to situations known as ‘fight or flight’, those where in ancient times a caveman might face a dangerous animal and have to decide whether to flee it or fight it.

The physiological reaction causes a number of changes in the metabolism to deal with either eventuality. The body produces more adrenalin, which speeds reaction times of sight, hearing and smell; it transfers sugars to the muscles for speed and strength in the arms and legs; it also closes down the digestive system quite extensively, as well as intervening to cause chemical change, eg diverting sugars into APT for muscle strength and speed, and increasing adrenalin.

THE ROLE OF NUTRITION IN STRESS

The role of nutrition in stress also needs to consider the role of stress on nutrition. A person concerned for their well-being will rise refreshed, in good time to have a nutritious breakfast in a relaxed atmosphere, before going to work. They will drink several glasses of water through the day, make time to have a balanced lunch, and proceed calmly through the afternoon’s work before going home.

When someone is under stress, however, it is likely they will have had trouble getting to sleep, may have had a disturbed night and wake up at the last possible moment in order to get to work, allowing no time for breakfast. They are likely to flag as a result, and rely on caffeine and/or sugar ‘energy boost’ snacks. Lunch will be ‘on the run’ – a sandwich at the keyboard, perhaps. As exhaustion takes over, jobs take longer, mistakes occur and take time to correct and suddenly there seems to be a conspiracy; the photocopier will be out of paper just when you need a couple of copies, the printer will jam, the fax machine will go wrong… so there is overtime, perhaps missing the evening meal altogether, or eating nutrition-less fast food on the way home, perhaps a ‘cheer-up’ alcoholic drink or two before facing another poor night’s sleep….and so the downward spiral continues.

CASE STUDY

The extremes to which workplace stress can go is amply illustrated in the case of an engineer who, in his spare time, developed a product with universal application, and left employment to market the product with a friend. Unfortunately, administration was not their strong point and their company folded after 5 years, narrowly avoiding bankruptcy. He went back to his former employers, and was welcomed back as a project manager.

However, the bankruptcy episode had the effect of making him feel he needed to ‘prove’ himself, and he worked long hours until a specific project arose which was expected to take 2 weeks. As site manager, he placed himself on 12-hour shifts, with immediate access during the night shift, and at peak times might get 3 or 4 calls through the night. In addition, his normal sedentary office life switched to extensive site tours and climbing scaffolding etc.

The project actually took 10 weeks, during which the 12-hour shifts and sporadic night interruptions continued, and left the client close to a nervous breakdown.

We discussed his nutrition. Prior to the project, he had had toast or cereal, and the supermarket near the office had a salad bar he used frequently. Evening meals were prepared by his wife.

Site accommodation was a self-catering holiday home rented for the duration, and breakfast was often missed or ‘a doughnut with my morning coffee’ – after a couple of cups of coffee before leaving for site.

The site canteen offered a ‘dough and grease’ menu, with very little ‘rabbit food’; the only refinement it provided was in sugar and bread – refined white in both cases. He would have up to 10 cups of coffee per day.

The only medication he was taking was indigestion ‘remedies’, but no vitamin or mineral supplements. Perhaps his only saving grace was that he did drink plain water regularly, up to a 2-litre bottle of mineral water per day.

This was a classic case of mal-nourishment, if not malnutrition in the sense of starvation. Ironic, in a land of such supposed plenty. 

CASE STUDY : TREATMENT

The difficulty in helping to change such an extreme case of workplace stress as my case work example is similar to that of turning an oil-tanker in mid-ocean; merely doing a 180o turn will at best take some time to effect, and at worst will damage the engines. 

So it is with nutrition. The body’s mechanism has gradually acclimatised to making the most of what little nutrients it receives, and an immediate influx of improved nutrients might well result in what is known as a ‘healing crisis’, leaving the client unwell and probably inclined to revert to the old patterns rather than continue suffering the lethargy and unwellness whilst his digestion acclimatises.

A ‘cleansing fast’ was therefore not indicated at this stage; we began by taking hair samples and sending them for analysis of any possible food allergies or nutrient deficiencies. I felt it better to introduce some helpful nutrients and let them get to work while his body gradually learned it was going to receive assistance in its battle to extricate every drop of goodness from the few nutrients it had been receiving. 

I recommended he spent a week ‘weaning’ from sugar, stimulants and refined foods, starting by switching his late evening coffee intake to relaxing herbal drinks, such as chamomile tea, and made up a muesli mix with high fibre content – bran flakes – nuts and seeds. In addition, I recommended a gradual introduction to multivitamins and iron. In addition, I encouraged him to take all food and meals ‘seriously’, consciously taking the time and effort to chew food to encourage enzymes and improve his digestion.

Gradually the caffeine intake was reduced to one after his breakfast, two in the morning and an occasional cup after dinner. Meals were consciously inclusive of vegetables or ‘rabbit-food’, and if lunch was sandwiches, white bread replaced with whole grain wherever possible. His allergy testing showed reaction to dairy foods, so these were gradually reduced and soya milk introduced, with considerable distaste initially, and vitamin deficiencies were balanced with supplements.

Within a week, he reported he was sleeping better and starting to awake refreshed, and felt more positive and energised, so the supplement programme was raised to booster levels for a short time and I recommended he spend 20 minutes in some form of physical exertion – brisk walking, swimming etc. Booster levels of supplements were reduced after a month.

A further allergy test after 3 months reported a far more balanced nutritional status. He reported feeling far more ‘in control’, energetic and content, and the change in his posture and bright eyes was evidence of a remarkable improvement. He was also pleased to find he was able to achieve as much in a standard seven working hour day as he had previously with many hours of overtime.

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

In such an extreme case, clearly his employers were not completely culpable for his decline, although it does bear out the need for companies to abide by ‘working time directive’ rules. Once exhaustion sets in, it is very easy to forgo nutritional needs and switch to ‘energy boosters’ such as sugar, caffeine and sweet snacks. However, the client went on a month’s sick-leave after the project, which indicates that running him into the ground was probably not cost-effective in the long term.

Companies do very little to assist staff with nutritional concerns, beyond perhaps providing a water fountain. When I began my working life as a secretary in the late 1960’s, wage packets often included luncheon vouchers, a hang-over from the post-war era, to ensure ‘wage earners’ had some money ear-marked for a ‘proper’ midday meal. Many of the larger companies had staff canteens where meals were subsidised. The growth of the fast-food and sandwich bar sector has seen a decline in such provision, and staff restaurants are now virtually restricted to the multi-national corporations, although many smaller companies will have a ‘sandwich delivery’ round, which unfortunately encourages staff to eat at their desk.

The irony is that companies are increasingly aware of the rise, effects of workplace stress. Staff well-being is a growing concern to Human Resources departments, and many companies offer gym facilities, either in-house or a corporate discount at a neighbouring provider. Companies are increasingly using stress consultants, on-site massage and even poets-in-residence to help their staff.

Whilst it is probably not necessary for corporations to employ nutritionists continually, there is a case to be made by national Nutritional Therapy bodies to liaise with companies to raise the profile of nutrition within their staff health care programmes. In relation to the above case study, there is definitely a case to be made for canteens to offer nutritionally balanced foods; top-class restaurants are now placing ‘Atkins Diet’ options on their menus; whilst no advocate of this diet personally, it does indicate that kitchens can adapt to the needs of its clientele when required. Should such considerations be merely the preserve of those who can afford expensive West-End prices? I would submit that employers would find it cost-effective in the long term to have staff who are eating properly and thus have mental and physical conditions running at optimal levels. Quite apart from assisting mental alertness, good nutritional patterns would reduce stress levels and boost the immune system; this combination could substantially reduce sickness absences and help to reach the Government targets to reduce the loss of working days.