“Take a walk! Take a hike!” No, seriously…
Image by Hermann Traub from Pixabay
The International Labour Organization estimated in 2012 that 50% to 60% of all workdays lost were caused by factors associated with work stress. Improvements in technology, and especially mobile technology, may not be helping this.
Other studies have come to a similar conclusion, for example from the 2023-2024 Human Development Report, United Nations Development Programme
“People’s mental wellbeing has been worsening. In the last 10 years, the number of people expressing stress, sadness, anxiety, anger or worry has been on the rise, reaching its highest levels since the Gallup surveys began.”
However, stress is not always bad. For example, it can provide drive, energy and focus.
Too much stress though, or the wrong kind of stress can be bad for the employee and, as the ILO report shows, the bottom line.
Program and project managers are not immune. For example, under stress, a person’s cognitive ability (as measured by IQ) can drop by 15 points. This is can be illustrated by the Yerkes–Dodson curve showing moderate levels of stress improve performance, but high levels reduce it.
But there is a practical step we can take to reduce the effects of negative stress….
Walk.
Or take a hike.
Walking has been found to improve the immune system, exactly the opposite effect that negative stress has on the immune system. BUPA suggest that just walking 15 minutes a day can increase your longevity by 3 years. By providing nutrients and oxygen to cells, walking improves circulation. And don’t forget the benefits of being forced to breathe regularly. When walking, we literally breathe out the stress and the tension.
Indeed, hiking in the countryside can provide even more health benefits. Dr. Aaron L. Baggish, from Massachusetts General Hospital, says that there are some studies showing that open spaces, parks and countryside help reduce people’s stress.
How does this help program and project managers? There is evidence that shows “changes in higher-level cognitive function … are measurable, even in completely disconnected natural environments.”
To increase your problem-solving capability – a walk in the woods seems a great way of doing it.
So, if you can get out and walk, 15 minutes a day, or even more; if you can join a hiking club or venture into the countryside – then not only you but your project will see the benefits……
Good news for employers. Good news for employees.
And it is free.
As we have mentioned, under stress, cognitive ability can drop significantly (as much as 15 IQ points). But evidence shows that immersion in natural settings improves higher-level cognitive function and problem-solving.
One study demonstrated that multi-day immersion in nature, away from technology, boosted creative reasoning performance. (PLOS ONE is a peer-reviewed, open-access scientific journal published by the non-profit Public Library of Science (PLOS)).
So whether it’s 15 minutes of walking each day, joining a hiking club, or taking a longer trek in the countryside — walking is a powerful, accessible tool.
Good news for employers.
Great news for employees!
See you on the trail!
Photo by Toomas Tartes on Unsplash
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