5 Ways To Relieve Stress

We’ve reached the point of no return. As we get ready usher in the new year, here’s how to combat the often-silent condition we call stress

- Nawaf Rahman

Your head is pounding and, your shoulders are tight and stiff. If you’re feeling a crippling sense of underachievement, you’re not alone. Workplace stress is the cigarette of a generation – it’s expensive, it’s everywhere and it’s terrible for you.

With increased work demands and lower job stability, Malaysian employees are more stressed than ever before, causing detrimental conditions such as fatigue, anxiety, depression, insomnia and general irritability. The Malaysia’s Healthiest Workplace by AIA Vitality 2019 survey reveals that Malaysian employees are overworked and sleep-deprived, with 51% suffering from at least one dimension of work-related stress as well as 53% getting less than seven hours of sleep in a 24-hour period.

Another finding from the survey shows that workplace stress causes organisations to lose a total of 73.3 days per employee to absence and presenteeism, costing each employer RM1.46 million per year. Yes, it’s that serious and expensive – and that’s not taking into consideration those who need to be on prescribed medications.

“We’re at the limit where you cannot add more stress and more work to people and expect higher performance,” said Shawn Achor in an interview. Achor has authored two New York Times bestsellers on the subject – The Happiness Advantage and