While we in the United States recognize that we are hyper-busy and multitasking all the time in our business lives, it is interesting to note that other countries have reported high increases in stress levels during the last year. Responses from small- and medium-sized businesses in other nations indicate that they are coping with the same problem.

The “winner” was Taiwan where 89% of respondents indicated that work stress levels had increased significantly from 2005 to 2006. Other nations topping the U.S. with increased stress included Mainland China, Phillippines, Botswana, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malayasia, South Africa and Poland.

In comparison, the U.S. came in with 45% of the business people polled saying their stress levels had increased in the last year. The true comparison though would be to have an indication of what the stress level was at the start.

It is interesting to see the smaller nations developing the symptoms of our fast-paced life with the growth of the global economy, as the survey was reported in Priority Magazine (www.prioritymagazine.com). I’d like to see it taken one step further.Š