Dubai: Stress is transforming people in the UAE into jaw-clenching, panda-eyed beasts of burden. According to Dubai Health Authority (DHA), about 65 per cent of the country’s population is suffering from anxiety due to increased workloads.
Researchers at the Abu Dhabi-based American Centre for Psychiatry and Neurology estimate that we encounter a thousand times more events per year than our great-grandparents did, but the time available for decision-making remains the same or even less. It’s no wonder then that a 2010 survey conducted by YouGov Siraj found that 6 out of every 10 residents in the UAE are stressed out.
Diseases linked to high blood pressure — a direct result of stress — were among the top-10 causes of death among UAE nationals in 2005. Gulf News readers feel that being “stressed out” has become almost a nationwide condition.
Aisha Abdul Noor Al Janahi, an Emirati IT product manager, said she wasn’t surprised by the figures. She said: “The lifestyle here has led people to become stressed because they don’t find peace of mind. People are much more ambitious — they have set goals, so they are doing whatever it takes to reach their dreams.”
While such aspirations are worth encouraging, Aisha said it comes with a price: “I have my iPhone, BlackBerry and iPad and with access to my emails, I am working non-stop. I run my own business and am a mother. So I’m never free, not even on weekends. I often tell my friends I need some ‘me’ time where I’d just be able to stay away from everything.
“Earlier, before technology became so widespread, people in Dubai or the UAE used their mobile phones to occasionally call or send text messages. Now, their phones are all-in-one devices. They can’t live without them.”
For those who are employed, always being connected means always being available for work — and it can take its toll.
Saleh Al Beloushi said in his comment on Gulf News’ Facebook page: “UAE’s lifestyle is quite good, but stress is mainly caused due to long working hours.”
For Jayvi Javier, who works as an usher in a cinema, financial burdens are the scourge of his existence and his constant worry.
The Philippines national said: “On a scale of one to 10, my stress level is at eight. Working takes up most of my time. I try to manage it by watching movies and spending time with my friends.”
Working non-stop is also a familiar tune for Aslam Doi, a manager who has had a 12-hour work day for the past 18 years.
The Indian national said that for most people in the UAE, stress begins at the workplace.
Doi said: “I think employers should be more flexible … they want the maximum out of their employees. Everyone’s expected to be a multi-tasker and most people are afraid to fall short, making them more anxious.”
Used to the strain he faces regularly, Doi said his coping mechanism is simply acceptance and perseverance.
He said: “There is no way out. I just deal with it on a day-to-day basis.”
Another source of stress for people in the UAE is apparently their eating habits. Hajra Khatoon said that the ‘fast food culture’ is a major culprit.
She said: “People in the UAE tend to indulge in a lot of unhealthy eating habits and that leads to stress [on our bodies]. Lack of activity makes it even more difficult to combat such a situation.”
DHA figures state that about 20 per cent of the UAE’s population has diabetes — with sedentary lifestyles, low physical activity and poor diets contributing to its rise.
But even as our lifestyles determine how much stress we bring into it, the outcome is still within our control.
Mohannad Majeed, a UAE resident, was optimistic: “Stress is in the mind. If we recognise it, we can stop it. We have the ability to choose, so choose the attitude [that we need] to have towards our problems.”
