April is stress awareness month. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), in 2015/16, 488,000 people in the UK reported work-related stress at a level they believed was making them ill. That's 40% of all work-related illness.

"In life, there’s always a solution to a problem," says Professor Cary Cooper, an occupational health expert at the University of Lancaster. "Not taking control of the situation and doing nothing will only make your problems worse."

He says the keys to good stress management are building emotional strength, being in control of your situation, having a good social network and adopting a positive outlook. 

Professor Cooper's top ten stress-busting suggestions:

Be active

Exercise won’t make your stress disappear, but it will reduce some of the emotional intensity that you’re feeling, clearing your thoughts and letting you to deal with your problems more calmly.

Take control

There’s a solution to any problem. "If you remain passive, thinking, 'I can’t do anything about my problem', your stress will get worse," says Professor Cooper. "That feeling of loss of control is one of the main causes of stress and lack of well-being."

The act of taking control is in itself empowering, and it's a crucial part of finding a solution that satisfies you and not someone else.

Connect with people

A good support network of colleagues, friends and family can ease your work troubles and help you see things in a different way.

"If you don’t connect with people, you won’t have support to turn to when you need help," says Professor Cooper.

The activities we do with friends help us relax. We often have a good laugh with them, which is an excellent stress reliever.

"Talking things through with a friend will also help you find solutions to your problems," says Professor Cooper

Have some 'me time'

Here in the UK, we work the longest hours in Europe, meaning we often don’t spend enough time doing things we really enjoy.

"We all need to take some time for socialising, relaxation or exercise," says Professor Cooper.

He recommends setting aside a couple of nights a week for some quality "me time" away from work. "By earmarking those two days, it means you won’t be tempted to work overtime," he says.

Challenge yourself

Setting yourself goals and challenges, whether at work or outside, such as learning a new language or a new sport, helps to build confidence. This will help you deal with stress.

"By continuing to learn, you become more emotionally resilient as a person," says Professor Cooper. "It arms you with knowledge and makes you want to do things rather than be passive, such as watching TV all the time."

Avoid unhealthy habits

Don't rely on alcohol, smoking and caffeine as your ways of coping. "Men more than women are likely to do this. We call this avoidance behaviour," says Professor Cooper. "Women are better at seeking support from their social circle."

Over the long term, these crutches won’t solve your problems. They’ll just create new ones. "It’s like putting your head in the sand," says Professor Cooper. "It might provide temporary relief, but it won’t make the problems disappear. You need to tackle the cause of your stress."

Help other people

Professor Cooper says evidence shows that people who help others, through activities such as volunteering or community work, become more resilient.

"Helping people who are often in situations worse than yours will help you put your problems into perspective," says Professor Cooper. "The more you give the more resilient and happy you feel."

If you don't have time to volunteer, try to do someone a favour every day. It can be something as small as helping someone to cross the road or going on a coffee run for colleagues.

Work smarter, not harder

Working smarter means prioritising your work, concentrating on the tasks that will make a real difference. "Leave the least important tasks to last," says Cooper. "Accept that your in-tray will always be full. Don’t expect it to be empty at the end of the day."

Try to be positive

Look for the positives in life, and things for which you're grateful. "People don’t always appreciate what they have," says Professor Cooper. "Try to be glass half full instead of glass half empty," he says. Try writing down three things that went well, or for which you're grateful, at the end of every day.

Accept the things you can't change

Changing a difficult situation isn't always possible. Try to concentrate on the things you do have control over. "If your company is going under and is making redundancies, for example, there’s nothing you can do about it," says Professor Cooper.  "In a situation like that, you need to focus on the things that you can control, such as looking for a new job."

Reigate and Banstead Borough Council want to encourage existing business to maximise their potential and grow within the borough. We recognise that winning awards is a great way to increase your business profile both locally and nationally. 

Construction News Award Finalist
Prater, Specialist contractor of the year (turnover over £100m)

Free From Food Awards 29 March
Slightly Different Foods, Salfords - Silver, meaty and fishy ready meals
Slightly Different Foods, Salfords - Bronze, best product from a start up

Surrey Digital Awards 9 March
Shippo, Gold Award for best business to business website
Sonin, Gold Award for best mobile app for Forefit Football
WS Planning, Reigate - Bronze award for website

PCR (PC and tech industry)Awards 9 March
Sweethaven Computers, Reigate - SMB reseller

SME Surrey Business Awards 1 December
Reigate Manor, Winner Business of the Year
3FEV, Reigate, Runner up Business of the Year
Reigate Manor, Runner up Best Customer Services
3FEV Reigate, Runner up Green Award

Why not enter your business into:
The Toast of Surrey Awards deadline extended to the 7 April
The National Business Awards deadline 19 May
The Sunday Times Fast Track 100, Britain's private companies with the largest sales

Five to 10 retail technology start-ups will receive 12-weeks of mentorship, free workspace at the John Lewis or Waitrose head offices and up to £100,000

Waitrose and the John Lewis Partnership are looking for retail technology start-ups to join the 2017 intake of their JLABS accelerator programme.

Run in association with innovation specialist L Marks, this is the fourth year for the programme, which gives emerging start-ups access to resources, support and equity funding.

Five to 10 successful applicants will take part in a 12-week programme, receiving mentorship and free workspace at the John Lewis head office in Victoria and the Waitrose head office in Bracknell.

Participants will be able to apply for funding of up to £100,000 from a dedicated £200,000 microfund in exchange for a share in their company.

This year JLABS is looking for retail tech start-ups focused on the following areas:

• Amazing Food Experiences – systems to make food service to customers more convenient, exciting and innovative
• Amazing Store Experiences – partnerships with start-ups that will make in-store experiences “more inspiring and individual”
• Effortless Shopping – solutions to improve online and offline shopping experiences for customers
• Help Me Live a Healthier Life – health and wellbeing solutions that can be used both online and in store to help customers improve their lifestyles
• Smarter Supply Chain – ideas that disrupt and improve traditional supply chain practices
• Surprise us – innovative ideas that don’t fit into a classification

Paul Coby, chief information officer of John Lewis Partnership, commented: “Waitrose involvement in JLAB means we can now provide start-ups with unprecedented access to two of the UK’s leading retailers and ensure we add value to these fledgling companies, in the same spirit of cooperation the John Lewis Partnership was founded on.”

Stuart Marks, chairman of L Marks, said: “At a time when most large companies are seeing disruption all around them, the John Lewis Partnership has willingly opened up its entire business up to assist and develop start-ups.

“We are excited to have Waitrose join the programme and bringing with it their unique grocery related categories. We expect this to be our best JLAB yet.”

Applications for JLAB close at midnight on 30 April 2017. Find out more and enter here.

The FSE Group are pleased to announce the appointment of Jon Cornell as the Fund manager for the Coast to Capital Expansion Loan Scheme, supporting SMEs in the Coast to Capital area with their job creation.

The Coast to Capital Expansion Loan Scheme is part of the Coast to Capital Funding Escalator, which is able to provide up to £500,000 by way of a loan to established SMEs (small and medium enterprises) businesses requiring finance to implement expansion activities that will deliver substantial growth.

If you are an ambitious SME based in Surrey or Sussex with the potential to deliver high growth and employment opportunities, you may be eligible to apply.

For more details visit: www.thefsegroup.com/fund/coast-to-capital-expansion-loan-scheme/ or contact Jon Cornell – jon.cornell@thefsegroup.com / 01276 608530.