KAROSHI – STRESS AT WORK PLACE

KAROSHI – STRESS AT WORK PLACE

Published in Free Press Journal: Mumbai

He was an extraordinary Japanese entrepreneur; educated at the Lakeland College and the International University of Japan, who possessed a Midas touch and magically amassed trillions of Yen. As a strapping youngster he was fearless but soon his mind gave way to the lucre of money; indulging in forbidden activities, he perilously ignored the tenets of Shinto and soon succumbed to Karoshi.

Karoshi is a Japanese word which signifies sudden death by cardiac arrest or stroke, triggered by overwork. This is a piquant situation arising when a person is worn out to a mere shadow of himself. In the Land of the Rising Sun ,which is dominated by frenetic work schedules spanning  almost sixteen hours a day, it can  lead to bizarre situations where  tens of  thousands of employees commit suicides on account of this modern day ailment confronting Japan  called Karoshi.

‘The present moment is inevitable,’ is a Sutra which is articulated by several enlightened masters. And only by living in the present moment an individual can annihilate the cobwebs of fear and stress which mushroom in the mind, banish fear and become truly joyous and radiant.

Life is a long journey and everyone is a traveller. It is prudent to live and traverse purposefully and mindfully rather than think about the past or the future and lose track in the byzantine labyrinths and consequently mislaying precious peace of mind. The Japanese entrepreneur became deceitful and snuffed out his life.

Stress is a dynamic condition in which an individual is confronted with an opportunity, constraint, or demand related to what he or she desires and for which the outcome is perceived to be uncertain or unimportant. It is this element of uncertainty that leads to gathering of stress in the minds of employees at workplace.

Contrast Karoshi with a Hindustani word called Khamoshi. Khamoshi simply put implies silence. ‘Silence is essential. We need silence, just as much as plants need light. If our minds are crowded with words and thoughts, there is no space for us’, writes Thich Nhat Hanh.

“Noble silence” envelops our minds through the practice of mindfulness and soon human body and mind stop chattering. The rectitude of silence needs to be juxtaposed against accumulated stressful conditions prevalent in our lives and organisations to appreciate the virtues of a quiet and composed mind.

Stress invariably over a period of time has acquired a negative connotation. However there are high end achievers who rekindle their passion to excel in high pressure conditions. Sportsmen, defence personnel, scientists, politicians or artistes rise to the occasion and deliver high octane stuff in what is referred to as ‘clutch situations’. Tension or stress in these individuals increases tautness or stretch in the mind which make them deliver at the world stage.

Even if they are girdled with negative emotions, their minds are robust and resolute enough not to capitulate and instead blossom like a lotus in a lake which is otherwise overflowing and live in the present moment to accomplish their holy grail.

These progressive minded individuals maintain a positive disposition and oust negative thoughts by remaining jaunty and cheery. Their Mantra in life is to visualise the glass as half-full rather than half- empty. Thereby they become positively inclined achievers.

Those not blessed with such an attitude flounder to clamber the summit and accumulate stress due to constraints and demands they face. Constraints act as a hindrance and an encumbrance from achieving the targeted goal while demand (high expectations) typifies a misplacement of a venture which humans crave for, which results in gathering of stress.

This occurs when high expectations do not match the desired results. In an organisational set up an excellent performance review normally triggers a jump in emoluments or even a promotion, while a below par presentation review may be interpreted as a lackadaisical performance which can even tantamount to being fired from the placement.  This can be an extremely hazardous and demanding situation for the employee.

Environmental factors such as economic and political uncertainties and technological changes may result in an exacting situation for the employees of an organisation.

 An organisation is akin to an organism which has its own limitations and can lead to intriguing situations. These include various tasks, roles and interpersonal demands. The corporate body could be hampered by structural and leadership muddles which generate worrisome conditions.

An employee can also suffer from family, economic or personality misadventures which may disorient his performance and thus result in a tardy end result. Many a times privation of adequate social support system or hostility and perceived malevolence of co- workers affect the performance of employees and thereby lead to stressful situations.

The tragic consequences of such situations are dangerous as it more often than not lead to physiological disorders like migraines, insomnia, spondylosis, diabetes, obesity, infertility, hypertension/hypotension which can result in cardiac problems or strokes.

Dreaded psychological symptoms can also arise in form of anxiety, depression, and diminishing interest at the job in hand which lead to brobdingnagian vexation. The employees become careworn and haggard. They are a demotivated set of personnel whose productivity is singularly low and the organisation is plagued by a high percentage of absenteeism and turnover. Employees can also get addicted to alcohol, drug abuse or excessive smoking.

Organisations need to follow a two-pronged strategy to winch the problem. Actuate the employees by offering suitable apertures and resort to mid-course corrections by stimulating the mind through proper time management, prioritising activities, rescheduling work and offering packages of mental diversion.

Alternatively set up gyms and swimming pools on the premises which exhort employees to take to physical exercise to soothe frayed nerves and also undertake wellness programmes such as the Happiness Programme of the Art of Living, Vipassana breathing technique or proper counselling and hypnosis by trained psychologists.

‘Know your enemy, know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster,’ wrote Sun Tzu. Truly then Khamoshi will prevail over Karoshi.