The science of workplace stress

Stacy Shaw Welch, Ph.D with Henry Albrecht, Limeade CEO

Today’s speakers

Stacy Shaw Welch, Ph.D

Henry Albrecht, Limeade CEO

Agenda

We’re stressed

57k 52% 83%

Cost of stress 60% of lost work days can be attributed to stress

75-90% of visits to healthcare providers are due to stress-related conditions (increasing employer healthcare costs)

How we’re dealing with stress

The economy of stress Homegrown approach │ 

Clinical care │ │ 

Interactive media │ 

What is stress? Stress is a demand | | | 

The natural pattern of human behavior | 

The body’s stress response system “Fight or flight” response | | 

Stress response in our body | | | 

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No one reaches peak performance without being stressed, whether an athlete or an office worker

Finding the sweet spot of stress We need the stress system “on” | | | 

When stress system is “off” it negatively effects us at an individual & environmental level

Yerkes-Dodson human performance curve

Healthy stress system

Stress symptoms - physical

Stress symptoms – emotional

Stress symptoms – cognitive

Short-term vs. long-term stress Short-term (acute) stress | | 

Long-term (chronic) stress | | | | 

Short-term (acute) stress is usually not harmful

Harmful to the body and contributes to a range of health problems

Chronic stress

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The most dangerous thing that can happen is that you drop into a mode of permanent activity. When you permanently check your smartphone to see if there are any new emails it leads to you not finding any rest whatsoever.

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Be mindful

Stress in the individual vs. environment Both affect each other | 

There is no silver bullet | 

Wherever you start is good

Limeade & stress

We all want happy employees

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