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Researchers consistently find that stress in the workplace has significant bottom-line impact:

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Facts. Just the Facts

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Nearly half of all American workers suffer from symptoms of burnout, a disabling reaction to stress on the job.

An estimated 1 million workers are absent on an average workday because of stress related complaints. Stress is said to be responsible for more than half of the 550,000,000 workdays lost annually because of absenteeism.

A three-year study conducted by a large corporation showed that 60% of employee absences were due to psychological problems such as stress.

The proportion of workers who reported "feeling highly stressed" more than doubled from 1985 to 1990.

Job stress is estimated to cost U.S. Industry $300 billion annually, as assessed by absenteeism, diminished productivity, employee turnover, direct medical, legal and insurance fees, etc. 60-80% of industrial accidents are due to stress. Some, like the Exxon Valdez oil spill and Three Mile Island nuclear disaster have direct cleanup costs of billions of dollars, not to mention environmental damage that cannot even be estimated.

Workers' compensation awards for job stress, rare two decades ago, have skyrocketed and threaten to bankrupt the system in some states. California employers shelled out almost $1 billion for medical and legal fees alone. Nine out of ten job stress suits are successful, with an average payout more than four times that for regular injury claims.

The market for stress management programs, products, and services was $9.4 billion in 1995, and is projected to be $11.31 billion for 1999.

40% of worker turnover is due to job stress. The Xerox Corporation estimates that it costs approximately $1-$1.5 million to replace a top executive, and average employee turnover costs between $2,000 to $13,000 per individual.

Workplace violence is rampant. There are almost 2 million reported instances of homicide, aggravated assault, rape or sexual assaults. Homicide is the second leading cause of fatal occupational injury and the leading cause of death for working women.

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Pressing Questions: How can I stay healthy when stress is all around me and I can't escape it?

Although most people perceive stress as negative and try to avoid it, Essi Systems’ research has shown that stress is actually essential and beneficial. If you think about stress the way you would blood pressure, then you can understand that high or low is problematic. Like high blood pressure or low blood pressure, too much stress or too little stress is problematic, but you would never want your blood pressure to just go away completely. It is the same with stress.

Try this simple experiment: jot down the first word that comes to mind when you think of stress. Now look at each word and put a minus sign (-) next to all the words that carry a negative connotation, a plus sign (+) next to those words that are generally positive and both signs (+/-) for those that are neutral, situational or both.If you are like most people, you will have mostly negative words ( headache, tension, pain, deadlines, etc.), one or two positive words ( motivation, achievement) and a few neutral or situational words (pressure, the kids, the boss) that can go either way. The words that you use indicate the attitude you hold toward that subject. If you find that you have mostly negative words in your list, then we could say that you hold a generally negative view of stress.

To think of stress as only negative is a serious error in thinking. Most of us will try to keep stress away from us at an arms length, thinking that stress is an illness or a disease.In fact, research shows that stress is actually a life energy force in the body. This means that stress is neutral and positive as well as negative. If you had at least one positive stress word in your stress list, then you know that this is true. Words like: zeal, passion, excitement, exhilaration, thrill, wonder - are all positive stress words and produce strong, growth-filled energy within the body. Stress therefore, is the essential ingredient in optimal performance and can motivate us to achieve creative and effective self management.So watch your language. When you mean positive stress say eustress or positive stress, when you mean negative stress, say distress or negative stress, and begin to bring more positive stress into your life every day.