Is life more stressful today than it was five years ago? What will it be like five years from now?

Speaking at the CPA Australia-Fiji Branch 2017 Congress, New Zealand motivational speaker, sales trainer and businessman John Shackleton said many people today don’t have time for themselves which causes stress.

A lot of money worries, relationship issues, emails, are contributing factors of stress.

Mr Shackleton added that accountants and lawyers are the two careers that face stress as a challenge nearly every day.

When someone is stressed, behaviours change that you don’t even know of. It is the people that live around you that could identify when you are stressed.

Learn to stop making stress and the only person that can fix the problem is you, said Mr Shackleton.

“What most people don’t do is to work out the real solution.

“We need to observe, dissociate and control our thoughts,” he said.

Focusing on the topic: ‘Mindfulness in business,’ he said Mindfulness is a personal development issues and is a way to deal with stress.

“It is something you take care of as an individual.

“Mindfulness helps you become more productive and you have to be careful with that, because it also causes a lot of problems.”

He also added the importance of dedicating at least 10 minutes a day into meditation and focusing on your breath.

“If you don’t have 10 minutes, I can give you one hour if you delete your Facebook,” he said jokingly.

Meditation changes the structure of the brain and it allows you to listen to your mind, says Mr Shackleton.

“Learn to disassociate from your head.”

The annual congress will end today at Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort on Yanuca Island.

Feedback: selita.bolanavanua@fijisun.com.fj