Like manna from heaven, the Anti-Ageing Conference in London last week told Guru something he had long suspected: stress is good for you.
Through the stressful environment Guru has encouraged at work, he has driven many staff to drink, and driven others home (for one of his special de-stressing massages). Yours Truly has taken a lot of stick over the years for this ‘neanderthal’ approach to HR. But as they say, he who laughs last… doesn’t get the joke.
According to Dr Mario Kyriazis, medical director of the British Longevity Society, stress helps you to live longer and stay healthier. Now pay attention, here’s the science: stress increases the production of certain proteins that repair cells, including some in the brain that help you work at peak levels.
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The good doctor told the conference that long-term exposure to stress is not as good, but Guru thinks this is just an excuse not to see things through.
So what have we learned this week, children? Work-life balance is not a natural state for the human body, and it will not repair itself properly if you become too lenient on staff. Be cruel to be kind – long-live the stress ‘epidemic’.
