Longer working hours, work related stress major cause of cardiac stroke: Study

The case of young people fainting due to exhaustion is not an unknown factor in the current times in young people.

When Prateek fainted in his office, his colleagues assumed that he was exhausted with the long hours he had been putting in at office. Little did they know or were prepared for when the doctor at the hospital they had rushed Prateek to informed them that their colleague had had a stroke!

Prateek Gogia was a young corporate executive who had worked his way up the ladder with sheer hard work. He had put in hours every day, much beyond what was expected of him and put his personal life on the back burner. He was at an enviable position in his organization and many did not even like it that he had climbed the corporate ladder so quickly!

For millions of working people, the dream of having a career and a personal life balance seems like a faraway possibility. This is especially true in developing nations, where professionals frequently work overtime, neglect to take paid time off, and are locked into cycles of work aholism. It's even more prevalent with entrepreneurs. It's really not surprising that stress from working too much causes so many illnesses, diseases and disorders along with family problems with strokes topping the list.

If you happen to meet an executive, you will find that during the interaction the following points is being highlighted on what he/she is going through anxiety/worry/job insecurity, getting upset over trivial issues, psychosomatic pains, depression, substance abuse, insomnia.

According to Dr Bhawna Barmi, the senior clinical psychologist at Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, they did a research to find out "the sources of stress and responses to stress in executives''.

The hospital took a sample size of 2000 patients of age group of 30-45 years. We included both males and females as they are equal part of growing India. We took 1400 males and 600 females in our study.

The most widely accepted explanation of job satisfaction is given by Locke (1976), who defined job satisfaction as "a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one's job or job experiences''.

Job has emotional, cognitive and behavioral components. During the analysis with sample size it was found that generally, if you go and tell anyone that he or she is suffering from stress and need counseling the first reaction is that I don't need a counsel to listen me.

They will agree that they are satisfied with their personal and professional life balance. But when you make them understand that there is need and they should listen to their mind calling, there are chances of improvement.

We have known for several years that diet and exercise can help people maintain their physical health and live longer, but maintaining mental health is just as important. Lifestyle changes are a process that take time and require support. Once you're ready to make a change, the difficult part is committing and following through. Careful planning means setting small goals and taking things one step at a time.

Here are some ways to restore work life balance, harmony to your lifestyle and that will help you make lasting positive lifestyles and behavior changes.

Make a plan that will stick. Your plan is a map that will guide you on this journey of change. You can even think of it as an adventure. When making your plan, be specific. Want to exercise more? Detail the time of day when you can take walks and how long you'll walk. Write everything down, and ask yourself if you're confident that these activities and goals are realistic for you. If not, start with smaller steps. Post your plan where you'll most often see it as a reminder.

Change one behavior at a time. Unhealthy behaviors develop over the course of time, so replacing unhealthy behaviors with healthy ones requires time. Many people run into problems when they try to change too much too fast. To improve your success, focus on one goal or change at a time. As new healthy behaviors become a habit, try to add another goal that works toward the overall change you're striving for.

Put your personal health first. A large part of having work life balance is taking good care of your physical and mental well-being. Eating a healthy diet, getting adequate exercise, and taking breaks can help you to remain healthy. This health translates to better performance when engaged in work or family activity.

Prioritize your family, then work. Create your own personal time boundaries and stick to them. Ensure you build family time into your schedule and 'me' time and do not compromise that time. Don't answer your phone or check emails. Keep the time devoted to your family to connect and focus. Do not be distracted by work obligations.