As February is drawing to a close and many have been examining their risk factors for heart disease and stroke potential, we ask you to examine the heart of your business as well.

Most of us here at Muskoka Futures feel that the heart of any business is made of employees, the folks who meet and greet clients, process orders and paperwork, take the time to put their talents and skills to work and who gather around the water cooler to share stories, build relationships and create strong teams.

Do you properly recognize your employees? (and yes this includes you if you are the sole soul!) Do you take time to recognize stress on your business as you do your self? Do you know the signs of stress? Can you tell if your employees are stressed out?

Here are some of the warning signs that your working environment might be putting undue stress on your business heart:

• Memory problems;

• Indecisiveness, inability to concentrate, trouble thinking clearly, poor judgment;

• Anxious or racing thoughts, constant worrying, fearful anticipation;

• Moodiness – restlessness, agitation, short temper, irritability, impatience, feeling tense or overwhelmed;

• Depression or general unhappiness;

• Sickness – headaches, muscle tension and stiffness, frequent colds;

• Eating more or less;

• Isolation, procrastination, neglect of responsibilities.

Maybe some of these symptoms are stress related, maybe personal life-related. Either way they can hurt your business. To combat these symptoms and make your environment less stressful, take a few minutes to see if any of these signs are present in your environment.

• Environmental factors – too hot, too cold, too quiet, too loud, distracting noises, colours, etc.;

• Logistics – long hours, too much time away from family, overworked, underworked;

• Poor team relations – bullying, harassment, conflicts;

• Poor morale – feeling powerless, unreasonable performance levels, lack of security and/or communication.

If these items are present, don’t panic. You can still turn the bus around. Why not talk with your workers and start a game plan that will ensure your long term sustainable prosperity? Figure out what works for you and what works for them.

Here are five simple options to incorporate:

• Humour – post funny pictures, jokes, news items. Remember we all have differing tastes, but laughter will help the stress disappear and might even strengthen your team;

• Get out – take a walk, leave the building and the stressors behind with a brisk walk. Be sure to notify others you are leaving and then get out. This helps you remember that there is a real world beyond the office;

• Drink some water – that’s right. Go get a good old-fashioned glass of water. As humans we need water for our body and organs. Plus it gets you up and away from your desk on a mini break;

• Cry – this is a major mother nature stress reliever. Granted it isn’t for everyone, but better out than in.

• Sleep – not such an easy one to incorporate into the daily operations but still if you can grab a 10-to-30-minute power nap. This will restore your energy and maybe give you sweet dreams too.