A friend asked the other day: ?Have you read how people in Mauritius are coping with stress?? I wondered what was special about the Mauritian way of coping with this problem as compared to the situation in the UK. He then drew my attention to two articles from l?express-outlook (17 May & 22 November, 2005). Earlier that week I had already read a report in The Guardian (Saturday, Nov.19, 2005) by David Ward titled: ?Work stress (is) linked to ill health.? He noted that misery at work could make you mentally and physically ill, according to research involving more than a quarter of a million employees around the world. The analysis of 475 studies shows an overwhelmingly clear link between job dissatisfaction and burnout, lowered self-esteem, anxiety and depression.

One of the authors, Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology and health at Lancaster University?s management school, in an article in the British Medical Association journal, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, declared: ?As the single activity occupying most people?s waking time is work, pressures, strains and stresses within the workplace have been identified as being potential health-risk factors.? He therefore advised employers to praise workers more instead of only finding fault, to give them more control over their work and to offer flexible working arrangements.

Professor Cooper declared : ?The studies show that the relationship between work problems and health is very, very strong. We have known that job dissatisfaction is probably damaging to health but never proved it conclusively until now.? Two years earlier (The Guardian, 8 May, 2003) observed that enduring long-term stress is worse for your heart than putting on 40lbs or ageing 30 years, as workers deal with stress by smoking, drinking and ?slobbing out?).Writing in the Developmental Psychobiology Journal other researchers said that spending longer in childcare could help overcome the stress experienced by children whose mothers had low job satisfaction (The Herald 21 Nov, 2005). There are a lot of studies being undertaken to seek solutions to enable us to perform better at home and at work.

With this in mind I talked to a pastor/counsellor friend of mine about the workplaces he visits regularly. He has this to say: ?If there was ever a place in need of the humanizing effect of hope and faith, it is surely the workplace in today?s society. Capitalism, with its logic of competitive advantage, profit, conspicuous consumption, and material abundance, creates demands that make relating to others artificial, guarded, and often two-faced. Position, promotion, and power ploys engender jealousies; the wall between management and employees incites resentment; profitability and streamlining induce the fear of becoming superfluous; while gossip and blaming further contribute to work environments that deflate and stress people out. Add to this the questionable meaningfulness of many of the jobs we do and you have a recipe for outright drudgery.?

Being already well aware of the scientific work in the area of stress I decided to read the articles my friend had mentioned to see what the people living on the paradise island of Mauritius are doing to relieve their stress. It seems there is plenty of stress even in paradise and business and trade are now cashing in to relieve the problems of those who can afford the treatment?As suggested I read the articles from l?express-outlook titled:

Inadequate coping mechanisms

HEALTH: Simple remedies for stress by Soorab Bhoodoo; and RELAXATION: A craze or a real need? by Pauline Etienne. So, let?s now see what simple remedies stressed-out Mauritians are being offered- at a price- in order to relax and cope better. The articles mentioned the practice of yoga, tai chi, reiki, deep breathing and muscle relaxation, hypnosis and prayer being offered by some centres and health clubs. ?We, Mauritians, realise that mind-body techniques can improve our quality of life?, observes Bhoodoo. He mentions all the physical organs affected by stress that cause different ailments and discomforts. He advises reading of religious books and practising forgiveness as the best therapy against a stressful material world. With regard to depression he asked: ?Antidepressants such a Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil are quite effective but are they safe?? Bhoodoo?s advice is to seek relief from stress through the ?traditional medication practised from time immemorial by all civilisations: sitting down quietly in a comfortable position and closing one?s eyes; relaxing muscles and breathing slowly.? Is this why Mauritians are now going to health centres and clubs to pay dearly for this form of stress busting? But Pauline Etienne hit the nail on the head when she noted, ?If there were a special authority to control all alternative medicines, there would be fewer rip-offs and people proclaiming themselves miracle-workers.?

Several so-called healing offices providing stress-relieving care to Mauritians and tourists are only a way to make money out of the gullible public. The selfishly competitive spirit and greed of the islanders caught up in an environment over which they have no control are causing real harm to our people. Some are so caught up that they resort to all means, even committing crimes, to better themselves materially. This is the current situation that many people find themselves in. This leads to poor family life, unproductive work performance, ill health and more stress; a vicious circle. The workplace itself is not stressful; but the poorly motivated workers, both employers and employees, with inadequate coping mechanisms are the cause of so much stress affecting every aspect of life whether in hell or paradise. Both employers and employees should pay heed to the early warning signs of stress such as chronic fatigue ? exhaustion, tiredness, a sense of being physically run down, anger at those making demands, self-criticism for putting up with the demands, cynicism, negativity, and irritability, a sense of being besieged, exploding easily at seemingly inconsequential things, frequent headaches and gastrointestinal disturbances, weight loss or gain, sleeplessness and depression, shortness of breath suspiciousness, feelings of helplessness, an increased degree of risk taking; and take whatever measures to provide a healthy task force. This will benefit all concerned in the long run.

The application of human values in the management of the workplace isjust as important as it is within the family circle. The elements of love and trust are missing in many families. This is the actual root cause of all the stress that affects every aspect of our daily lives,both at work and at play. We have forgotten how to praise and reward one another with the right words or tokens of recognition for work well done; and make each other feel appreciated. Many people find this hard to do; it is not within the culture of certain groups to do so. Therefore, psychologists will continue to carry out more studies; while miracle-workers and quacks will continue to make a fastbuck at our expense. Once you have managed to digest this, do take a deep breath and relax. It won?t cost you a penny. You will feel better, I hope.

Dr David LINGIAH *(Health & Counselling psychologist)