Amitabh Sharma, Features Coordinator 
Meeting deadlines, back-to-back meetings, proposals, projects, meetings again, another deadline advanced, the list seems endless, but it is a chronology of a day in the life of an executive. Job responsibilities bring more work and with it more pressure, which apart from being the force to keep one going can also be detrimental to one's health.
For those whose average workweek is 30 hours a day and eight days a week, there is an easy way out. "We can certainly make our stressful jobs happy and pleasant and work with smiles," says Dr. Hame C. Persaud.
"The causes of stress can be tracked down to the environment or equipment at the workplace, the type of work, volume of work, or the people with whom you work," explains Dr. Persaud, who has authored A Renewed You, a book that uses humour and positive thinking as techniques to fight stress, maintain good health and lifestyle.
According to the United States National Institute of Occupational Safety: Job stress can be defined as the painful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources or needs of the worker. Job stress can lead to poor health and even injury.
"The capabilities of the worker not met reminds me of the humorous experience of Sir Philip Sherlock travelling up the Gordon Town Road one Saturday morning," Dr. Persaud says as he goes on to tell a joke.
"A lady had three hampers to load on a donkey. He (Sherlock) stopped and courteously offered to help. After putting two hampers in the back of his car, the grateful lady put her last hamper on the jackass, he started driving off slowly with a pleasant wave, he was lucky to hear the lady shouting to her husband, "Hey darling, didn't I tell you that one jackass alone could not fetch the load to the market. Sir Philip had nothing else to do but smile recognising that he was the other jackass."
"Work environment stresses can be due to many causes," explains Dr. Persaud. "These can include lack of proper equipment, uncongenial environment and the lack of interpersonal interactions."
"It could be as basic as a worker being lazy or a grumpy or an angry boss," he adds.
He finds that homour and jokes are important tools to de-stress oneself and may even be used as tools for learning the day-to-day rigours of working.
"People management can be very difficult indeed," says Dr. Persaud. "If it is not one thing, it's the other that could be a bother, managers have to be properly trained and be very cautious in making decisions," he adds.
Methods to cope with stress
Dr. Persaud prescribes three therapies and seven golden rules to overcome stress. "I always stress on spiritual, mental and physical therapies," he says.
Spiritual Therapy
One should accept God, or a power greater than self. This can and will be the greatest therapy. So long as man feels superior or separate from the world around him, he is doomed to stress. When he becomes humble to count his blessings one by one; learn to pray or meditate; and find time to attend some church or temple or place of worship, or meet with friends for helping others, or simply to relax, he will find a special bliss.
Mental or Cognitive Therapy
"This is akin to love thy neighbour as thyself - I can have all the power to move mountains, but if I have not love I have nothing," says Dr. Persaud. "My encouragement is simply summarised as love and laughter, (forgiveness), peace and prosperity, health and harmony."
Physical Therapy
Living one day at a time, in day-tight compartments, is one sure way to be healed. Planning one's day can certainly relieve all your stresses.
In addition, he prescribes the 'golden seven' blueprint for good health:
1. Eat right (plus drink six to eight glasses of water each day)
2. Exercise regularly
3. Sleep or rest for eight hours non-stop
4. Work for eight hours
5. Relax for eight hours smiling, laughing, praying, meditating, appreciating beauty, appreciating music, exercise vigorously (if sedentary lifestyle), care for your body, rest and thank God.
6. Get a dose of sunshine it helps to fight stress and depression
7. Dental care.
All these factors are related says Dr. Persaud, "Any lack of care of your body will cause deterioration of one or all systems and create a direct stress at work," he says.
So while you are still fighting to keep up to the clock, a little tweaking of your schedule and the attitude would do good for a healthy life and a productive you.
amitabh.sharma@gleanerjm.com
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