Stress is a growing concern. Not just for workers, but for businesses too.

We have identified the key causes of stress and how it impacts on your bottom line.

If we can manage it better, we can all become far more productive.

Here are my tips for staying stress free:

1. Identify the causes of stress

The majority of the 16,000 workers questioned confirmed that the primary source of this stress is the workplace, rather than domestic pressures..

2. You can’ t avoid the ‘ GFC’ but you can change the way you work

Being Regus, we’ve got plenty of experience in relieving workplace pressure: we call it flexible working, and unsurprisingly six in ten of those we spoke to (63%) identified this as a desirable way to cut stress.

3. Take some exercise

“Going for a short walk, doing stretching or breathing exercises, or just getting away from your desk would have a greater impact,” says Neil Shah, the director of the Stress Management Society in the UK. Exercise also produces endorphins, the body’s natural opiates, which boost mood.

4. Regus CEO Mark Dixon explains in the age of permanent connectivity, we need to learn to switch ourselves off

So turn off your cellphone. Smartphones mean we can be emailing or taking calls wherever we are, whether that’s in the bath or on a beach.

5. Take time out

It may seem obvious, but surprisingly few of us actually make time to relax. Do you use up your holiday allowance? And when you do get away from the office, do you spend too much time chasing your tail – doing DIY, admin, running around organising your family? How much time do you actually spend switching off?

Kirsten Morgendaal is the Regus Area Director.