The Place To Shop For Emerging Markets Stress Is All The Rage

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Back By Matt Histand
Reprinted with permission from the March/April 2001 issue of Advantages

Stress is nothing new, and if you think it is you're sorely mistaken. It has no doubt been with mankind for as long as we've been around. However, only in recent times have we given a name to the pressure that grips most of us every day. I'm sure Michelangelo was a little "stressed" painting the Sistine Chapel (though I doubt that's what they called it back then). How would you feel after painting on your back for five years with your boss, the Pope, breathing down your neck every step of the way? And then there's Columbus. Sure, he discovered the New World, but most of his men thought they were going to fall off the edge of the Earth at any minute. Talk about an anxious crew. Or course, these are two extreme examples and aren't meant to make light of the incredible pressures we contend with in life. Stress, like Einstein (another harried guy) said about time, is a relative thing. Some people are bothered by it more than others. Some excel when under it. Some show it. Some don't. But regardless of how or why it affects you, eventually it'll hunt you down.

I Lost It
Many years ago, after a particularly nasty ice storm, I "lost it." As the combined stresses of school and work - along with mountains of ice stranding me and my car - stacked up that day, I experienced the seldom witnessed stuck-in-the-snow-with-a-cheap-plastic-shovel-that-breaks rage. I took the multi-piece "emergency" car shovel and smashed it into tiny little pieces over the hood of my car while frothing at the mouth. I had no sooner thrown the remains of the handle across the yard, reveling in my victory over the puny snow pusher, than I realized what I complete maniac I had suddenly become. As the people I work with can tell you (I hope), I rarely get angry. And even when I do, I quickly deflate to my laid-back old self. Nevertheless, the effect of the stress on me that morning was overwhelming. There are likewise many people who experience stress on a consistent basis. Some follow my lead (smashing things), while others bottle it up and never express their anger (which can cause health problems that will give them even more stress). And while the jury is still out over whether stress is actually worse now than for past generations, many people perceive more stress -- and what they see is what they get.

It's Everywhere
The 1998 General Social Survey conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago found that 46% of workers say their jobs are very stressful at least some of the time. Further, the American Institute of Stress (AIS) reports the cost of absenteeism, diminished productivity, employee turnover, direct medical, legal and insurance fees due to accidents all added to the stress bill served up annually to U.S. businesses - $300 billion. But stress doesn't just dwell at the workplace; it's an equal opportunity offender that also strikes at home, be it in the form of family trouble, the daily commute, lack of sleep or just the seemingly insurmountable demands of everyday life. Women, in particular, are at a higher risk for stress due to their role as the caregiver. Some scientists believe that it's their predisposed proclivity toward sensitivity, required for caregiving duties, that makes them especially vulnerable.

Market The Cure
The bottom line bad news is that stress can seriously damage a person's quality of life both mentally and physically; the silver lining good news is that you - and a creative, well-thought out promotional campaign - can help. Talk to employers and health care providers about creating anti-stress programs to help their employees and patients. Consider that the Society for Human Resources Management reports 21% of businesses in the U.S. offer stress reduction programs. Why? Because it's been proven they counteract the detrimental effects of stress, and elevate employee job satisfaction, health, productivity and morale. Let's face it: Anywhere you find people you'll find stress - your potential target market is everyone. By studying specific end-user demographics and using the information to customize anti-stress campaigns, clients will breathe a sigh of relief and view you as their own personal promotional Dali Lama - helping the stressed masses to decompress.

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