Hong Kong people are among the world’s most stressed populations – the city is ranked fifth globally, behind South Korea, Nigeria, Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates, according to this year’s Cigna 360 Well-Being Survey. As many as 92% of Hong Kongers face stress in their daily lives, with work and finances cited as the two main factors by two-thirds of the respondents. Furthermore, the city’s overall well-being index has fallen for the fourth consecutive year to its lowest since the survey began in 2015.

The Cigna study, released on July 9, also reveals a significant gender disparity: women feel more under pressure and more pessimistic than men particularly about health, as well as workplace and financial well-being. This aligns with a Hong Kong University study, which was released earlier this year. HKU researchers found that Hong Kong women are more prone to stress than their male counterparts, especially when faced with health and family-related issues.

This may be due to the fact that “if a family [member] is ill, [stress] borne by a woman will be a bit more,” Professor Eric Chen, research leader and head of HKU’s Department of Psychiatry, said. “Perhaps it is because women have been playing the role of carers in our society.”

Another takeaway from the Cigna survey is the lack of employers’ support in managing stress. Some 60% of the respondents said they received no support from their employers; of those who received support, only 13% said it was adequate.

To maintain a more productive workforce, it’s important that companies prioritise employee well being. There are companies taking the lead in offering a rich array of services that employees can utilise from mindfulness training to on-site fitness programmes and employee-driven support networks. Encouraging staff to opt in to flexible working programmes, dismantling a culture of presenteeism, and nurturing an environment that supports open dialogues with managers and teammates about stress levels and workloads all also contribute positively towards this goal.

On an individual level, we can all be better about hitting the pause button – taking out time to recharge, refresh and reframe. It’s also important to take steps to equip ourselves with the tools and training to manage stress more effectively. This is why TWF integrates positive psychology and resilience training into our community programmes, and mindfulness workshops in our Mentoring Programme for Women Leaders. This is also why our staff all participated in mindfulness training last autumn. Managing stress is an integral part of having a successful career; more importantly, it is essential to living a full and satisfying life.