You’re a self-motivated, ambitious kind of person. You like to think that nothing can stop you in your tracks. And most of the time you’re probably right.

You thrive on pressure, on meeting deadlines, on aiming high and putting in the effort to reach your goals.

Most of the time you probably don’t feel stressed – more like excited or challenged. But the truth is a high pressure kind of lifestyle and the kind of personality that pursues it is prone to be affected by stress.

It’s just not humanly possible to be operating at such a high level of functioning without experiencing the effects of stress. Even if the stress is only due to the long hours worked.

I know ‘stressed out’ all seems a bit ‘80’s but we’re actually experiencing more stress now than we did when “I’m so stressed” was the catch cry. Most people report an increase in their stress levels over the last few years. No one seems to be saying it’s getting easier.

If you’re running a business or managing staff then you’d know that the cost of workplace stress is HIGH. In 2008 study, it was found that workplace stress cost the Australian economy $14.81 billion and Australian employers $10.1 billion. Not to mention the 3.2 days lost per year per employee due to stress related factors.

And that’s just the dollar cost. What if you succumb to stress related illnesses? That could mean a long time without income. It could even mean never being able to work at your full capacity again. And that could mean giving up on your dreams, giving up on your ambitions and settling for a life you never imagined for yourself.

It is VITAL that we learn to manage our stress much, much better than we do now.