Ironically, many people are lured to management positions by the promise of bigger rewards, increased status and greater career satisfaction. Yet far from improving quality of life, these rewards are often overshadowed by a dramatic increase in pressure, responsibility and stress.

In today’s high speed world, stress has become a major health risk, leading to problems such as gastrointestinal upsets, heart disease, depression, anxiety and insomnia. In last month’s Beilby Rewards survey a staggering 99 percent of members indicated they experienced stress in their job, with 15 percent reporting that they experience stress constantly and 43 percent stating they experience it often. Meeting deadlines was the primary source of pressure for 34 percent of respondents, closely followed by financial pressure (34 percent), personnel conflicts (23 percent) and managing employees (5 percent).

A key factor in stress management is the ability to create a balance between work and leisure. It is important to ensure that a 40 hour week does not continually stretch to 60 hours or more and that time is available to rest and recharge your batteries. In last month’s survey, almost half of all respondents indicated that they work more than 50 hours a week but only 7 percent said their working week was limited to less than 40 hours.

Another important driver in stress management is having people in your life who care about you and with whom you can ‘switch off’. Beilby Rewards has found that many managers are still not finding enough time to spend with friends and family, with 57 percent indicating this is an ongoing problem in their lives.

Quantum leaps in technology have led to the creation of a global village where business is conducted at all hours of the day via email, internet and mobile phone. The move away from a bricks and mortar, 9 till 5 mindset, means many employees feel like they are constantly ‘on call’ and experience real difficulties disengaging from their work long enough to relax.

This situation fuels anxiety and stress which only compounds the problem. It creates a vicious circle as pressured workers become less productive, working even longer to achieve less, and experience greater levels of stress. Often there are simply not be enough hours in the day to achieve designated responsibilities and many people become ill from the stress caused by this overload.

By their very nature, management positions are characterised by stressful circumstances. Handling people, finances, projects and clients can take a large amount of energy and in many cases creates stress for the individual. The impact of this stress varies according to each individual’s level of self esteem, support structures (friends and family) and they way they deal with conflict. Some people may find a situation extremely stressful while others view it as fun or a challenge. For those who feel overwhelmed by their work load, stress can ruin work performance and lead to emotional or physical illness.