DO you know what stresses Mzansi’s professionals more than anything else?
According to Profmed’s research among nearly 3 000 graduate professional members, nothing stresses professionals more than family matters . . .
Graham Anderson, principal officer and CEO of Profmed, the medical scheme that caters only for the graduate professional market, said the Profmed Stress Index showed that 40% of those asked ranked family as the leading cause of stress, while 27% said it was health, 17% work and 16% said finances.
“There are many factors that may be attributed to this result including the fact that some professions such as the medical field work long hours and that could cause trouble for families,” he said.
Graduate professionals also tend to demand a higher salary as a result of their skills which are often in short supply, which supports the finding that finances are the least cause of stress for them.
Anderson said it was positive to note that these people appear happy with their chosen occupation, especially given the scarcity of skills we have in Mzansi in the graduate professional market.
“It’s important for working professionals to be aware that stress takes a toll on the body, as well as the mind,” Anderson said.
When asked to evaluate their stress levels on a scale of one to five, the majority of participants appeared to have relatively high stress levels.
Only 20% chose one or two, indicating a low level of stress, while about 66% said they were moderate to highly stressed, and 14% said they were extremely stressed.
Research also showed that 38% of professionals use exercise to cope with stress but 20% said a holiday is the preferred method of dealing with stress.
About 17% said they would talk to someone about their stress and only 8% said they would use medication. Very few – about 8% – take time off work because of stress.
“It is very positive that professionals first turn to exercise as a way to relieve their stress levels.
“Effective management of stress is extremely important as high stress levels can lead to a number of health related issues such as heart disease, gastrointestinal problems, migraines, anxiety and depression,” said Anderson.
