The invisible productivity killer: How unconscious stress affects organisations

Website Disclaimer October 2024

Important Legal Information & Terms of Use

By using the Cape Capital website (“Website”), you declare that:

You are a qualified investor according to Art. 10 para.3 of the Swiss Collective Investment Scheme Act (CISA) and/or a professional or institutional investor according to Art. 4 of the Financial Services Act (FinSA).
You are domiciled in Switzerland
You have understood and agree to the following Important Legal Information and Terms of Use (together “Conditions”)

By clicking “Accept all” you acknowledge and accept the following Important Legal Information and Terms of Use:

‍

About this Website

‍

The content of this Website (including microsites) has been prepared by Cape Capital AG, with its registered address at Utoquai 55, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland (“Cape Capital”), duly registered at the commercial register of the Canton of Zurich with number CHE-109.617.147. and contains the views and opinions of the particular individuals and is for general information and marketing purposes only. All copyrights and other rights, included but not limited to logos and registered trademarks relating to the entire content of the Website are reserved exclusively to Cape Capital or the specifically designated right holders. Any use, in particular the reproduction or publication in full or in part is permitted only with the prior written consent of Cape Capital. Cape Capital may from time to time suspend the operation of this Website for repair, maintenance or improvement work, or in order to update or upgrade its content or functionality. Cape Capital may also change the format, content and/or access of this Website at any time at its sole discretion without notice. Although Cape Capital believes that information provided on this Website is based on reliable sources, content on this Website is presented only as of the date published or indicated, and may be superseded by subsequent market events or for other reasons. Therefore Cape Capital cannot assume responsibility for the quality, correctness, timeliness or completeness of the information contained herein. Unless otherwise stated, the numbers/figures on the Website are unaudited.

‍

Regulatory Status & Ombudsman

‍

Cape Capital is a regulated asset manager of collective assets according to the Federal Act on Financial Institutions of 15 June 2018 (FinIA) and supervised by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA, Laupenstrasse 27, CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland (FINMA). The Website contains information about various collective investments (“Funds”) which may have been registered or otherwise notified for distribution and marketing in the jurisdiction you have selected. Please note, that such registration or notification does not mean that the Funds are suitable for all investors and their investment objectives, financial situation and risk profile. As an asset manager of collective assets, Cape Capital is, among others, subject to the rules under the Swiss Financial Services Act (FinSA), the Swiss Collective Investment Schemes Act (CISA) and the Swiss Financial Institutions Act (FinIA).Cape Capital is affiliated to the following Ombudsman according to FinSA: Finanzombudsstelle Schweiz (FINOS), Talstrasse 20, CH-8001 Zurich, Switzerland. For further information, please refer to the General Client Information Document available on the Website which forms an integral part of these Conditions.

‍

No Solicitation, Offer, Recommendation or Advice

‍

Nothing contained on this Website constitutes a solicitation, an offer or a recommendation to buy or sell any Cape Capital Funds or other financial instruments, nor does it constitute any form of personal investment advice which takes into account your personal circumstances. Cape Capital does not provide investment, legal, tax or other advice through this Website and nothing herein should be construed as such advice. Cape Capital does not represent that any Cape Capital collective assets or financial instruments mentioned on this Cape Capital website are suitable for any investor. Investment or other decisions should be made solely on the basis of the relevant product and/or service documents (prospectus/offering memorandum, fund contract/articles, key information documents, financial reports) of the respective collective investment. If not a Cape Capital client, it is strongly recommended to contact a professional financial advisor, tax consultant or other qualified expert in order to determine whether an investment in a Fund or other financial instrument corresponds to the specific requirements and preferred level of risk of the investor.

‍

US Persons

‍

Any collective investment schemes mentioned on this Website may, unless explicitly stated otherwise, not be offered, sold or delivered to United States (U.S.) citizens or persons resident or incorporated in the U.S. and/or other natural or legal persons whose income and/or returns, regardless of origin, are subject to U.S. income tax, as well as persons who are considered to be U.S. persons pursuant to Regulation S of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and/or the U.S. Commodity Exchange Act, in each case as amended from time to time.

‍

Risk Considerations

‍

The provision of financial services and investments in Funds and other financial instruments involve opportunities but also bear risks, including the risk that the value of investments and the income therefrom may fall or rise and investors may not get back the full amount invested or may even lose all of their investment. Investors should ensure to have fully understood such risks before taking any investment decisions. Cape Capital strongly advises to consult the brochure “Risks Involved in Trading Financial Instruments” of the Swiss Bankers Association (SBA) as well as the relevant documents of the respective Fund or financial instrument and to seek professional investment advice before taking any decision to invest. Investors should note, that these Conditions do not represent a complete statement of risks associated to a Fund or a financial instrument. Past performance is no indication of current or future performance. Performance data do not include commissions and costs incurred by investors when subscribing or redeeming Fund shares.Investments, in particular collective investments in private equity, venture capital and other illiquid assets involve an above-average degree of risk, including the risk that losses may even exceed the original investment and should be seen as long-term in nature.

‍

No Warranties

‍

The use of this Website, including any information accessed, downloaded or otherwise obtained through the Website is at your own risk. This Website, together with all content, information and materials contained therein, is provided “as is” and “as available”, without any representations or warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, with respect to the Website, and all information and functionalities contained therein.

‍

Limitations of Liability

‍

IN NO EVENT SHALL CAPE CAPITAL BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF DATA, BUSINESS OR PROFITS) ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THESE CONDITIONS, THIS WEBSITE, THE INABILITY TO USE THIS WEBSITE OR ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED OR STORED THERFROM. Cape Capital excludes any liability for any loss, damage or alteration of any kind including but not limited to transmission to losses, delays, misunderstandings, unauthorized interception by third parties, duplication or fraud, except in the event of gross negligence on the part of Cape Capital. Any transmission or download of information is entirely at your own risk.

‍

Use of Links

‍

The hyperlinks on the Website are only provided for information and convenience purposes. Cape Capital is not responsible for the content of external websites that link or are accessible from this Website. Cape Capital does not assume any responsibility or liability with respect to any website accessed via this Website. Please note that when you click on any external website’s hypertext link you will leave this Website. You should review the privacy statements of such websites carefully before you provide any personal or confidential information.

‍

Electronic Communication Channels

‍

The use of electronic communication channels, in particular unencrypted e-mails and text messages, is associated with various risks which may include, but are not limited to, the risk of transmission errors, alterations or duplications, the risk of interception or manipulation of content and the risk of introducing malicious software (malware) by unauthorized third parties. By using such electronic communication channels, you accept these risks and agree to bear any resulting losses or damages.

‍

Data Protection and Privacy Settings

‍

Cape Capital has established a Cape Capital Privacy Notice, which forms an integral part of these Conditions. It explains how personal data is collected and processed at Cape Capital, including this Website. Cape Capital uses cookies to personalize and improve site experience. You can at any time change or withdraw your consent from the Cookie Declaration on the Website. Your consent applies to the following domains: capecapital.com. Your current state: Consent accepted or Consent rejected. Manage your consent.

‍

Applicable Law and Jurisdiction

‍

The access and use of this Website, and these present Conditions are governed by substantive Swiss law with the exclusion of the conflict of law principles. The place of jurisdiction is Zurich, Switzerland.

Last Update: October 2024

Your preference will be securely stored for the next 30 days.

Decline Accept All

To access the website, the terms and conditions need to be accepted.

View terms

Präferenzen

Datenschutz ist uns wichtig, daher haben Sie die Möglichkeit, bestimmte Speicherarten zu deaktivieren, die für das grundlegende Funktionieren der Website möglicherweise nicht erforderlich sind. Das Blockieren von Kategorien kann sich auf Ihre Erfahrung auf der Website auswirken. capecapital.com

Alle Cookies akzeptieren

Danke! Deine Einreichung ist eingegangen!

Hoppla! Beim Absenden des Formulars ist etwas schief gelaufen.

Consultant, trainer and Cape Conversation participant Dr Nikolas Epp talks brain training, biology and why multitasking isn’t always a good thing

Recognizing hidden stress in the workplace

‍

Have you ever lost focus in a meeting because your mind is already racing ahead to the next one? Or typed an email to a colleague while on a call with your manager? According to Dr Nikolas Epp, this type of multitasking is a typical display of unconscious workplace stress. "As humans, we can induce our biological stress response by thought alone: we don’t need a life-threatening situation such as a predator or a natural disaster," he explains. "These thoughts become repetitive and we get very good at creating them. Habituated or unconscious stress is characterised by us not noticing when we are in that state."

‍

‍

On a wider level, employees in survival mode affect organisations in a multitude of negative ways – an area Nikolas delved deeper into for a research paper he wrote in collaboration with the St Gallen Business School, published last year. "The main finding was that all issues within businesses are fuelled to some extent by unconscious stress. This manifests itself in various symptoms, from burnout rates to work dissatisfaction and a lack of communication,’ he reveals. ‘An organisation is the sum of the group of people working there and when an individual is in a state of unconscious stress, it impacts health and behaviour collectively."

‍

When survival mode takes over

‍

Changes in behaviour can include someone becoming less creative, more controlling - he says. "When an individual has a narrow focus on a perceived threat, they try to control and predict everything. They don’t open up or share ideas; they’re not good at finding solutions. That’s usually called micro-management. Or they begin to complain and suffer more. That affects the entire workforce." He believes the biggest mistake businesses often make is to try and find solutions to a problem while their employees are in a negative state of mind. "That's what most businesses force employees to do. They say: we have this tough competitor, our numbers are decreasing, let's have a brainstorm meeting now, because otherwise we’ll lose our jobs. You don't get much creativity out of people in that mindset."

‍

Nikolas began his own career by studying chemistry with a focus on quantum mechanics before doing a PHD in cell biology (the former teachings on energy now feed into his one-to-one counselling sessions; the latter gave him an in-depth understanding of the science behind how the body works). After 15 years working in management positions in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, he switched to what he does today: helping companies and individuals treat, not just the surface-level symptoms of unconscious stress, but the root cause. ‘When you really want to change things, you need to teach people how to alter their biology of flow, those biological principles that apply when an organism is in survival mode,’ he explains.

‍

Building resilience from within

‍

The first step, of course, is knowledge. "There needs to be an awareness about what unconscious stress really is – that is, being in a non-positive emotional state and not fully in the present. When people understand it from an intellectual perspective, they realise that they don’t want to continually live in survival mode," he continues. "Many organisations spend a lot of money to overcome symptoms of stress but find that it doesn’t work because they are bringing in something from outside. Change has to come from within."

‍

‍

His solution sounds deceptively simple: "The easiest tool to use when you become aware of your brain jumping around in a negative way, is to stop those thoughts. Literally, just stop them." The difficulty though, lies in the fact that stress is habit-forming. "Cortisol is highly addictive and your brain gets used to this rush of energy. When you start relaxing, usually, your body goes on the rampage and tries to find something to worry about or a reason to be hard on yourself, just to allow your emotional brain to produce those chemicals again," says Nikolas. "The initial stopping is easy, it’s the continuing to stop which is the hard part because the body doesn’t know what it feels like to be in a calm, natural state."

‍

Mindset, breathwork, and daily practice

‍

To counteract this, he encourages individuals in the workplace to re-evaluate how they might respond to certain scenarios. For instance, if someone has spent weeks preparing for a presentation which is cancelled at the last minute, rather than feeling frustrated about the time and effort wasted, instead he advises honing in on the positive take-aways and what’s been learnt throughout the process. "It’s all about mindset, rewiring the programme in your brain to practise different thoughts,’ says Nikolas, who suggests writing down thoughts, actions and how someone wants to feel as a tool to help alter their reactions. ‘I often find that successful, high-performers want change to happen all at once but really, for this approach to be sustainable, small steps need to be taken."

‍

‍

He also advocates breathwork. "It’s not about specific breathing techniques such as Kundalini or Wim Hof. In my lectures, I talk about putting the attention on the breath as a way of focusing people’s thoughts on the now," says Nikolas. *When we catch ourselves not being in the present, putting the attention on your breath is a very good idea. The nervous system calms down and this is when we become creative again." On a fundamental level, for a company to thrive it must have a high interest in having healthy employees. "If you want an atmosphere of creation and collaboration, you need people who have an understanding about their biology and how to bring themselves out of the state of survival that they are so well conditioned to be in," Nikolas concludes.

In this article

Dr. Nikolas Epp

Consultant, trainer and expert on unconscious stress.

Written by