Stress
The most commonly accepted definition
of stress is that stress is a condition or feeling
experienced when a person perceives that "demands exceed the personal and
social resources the individual is able to mobilize." In short, it's what
we feel when we think we've lost control of events.
Some of the early research on stress
established the existence of the well-known "fight-or-flight"
response. This work showed that when a person experiences a shock or perceives
a threat, it quickly releases hormones that help it to survive.
Not only life-threatening events
trigger this reaction: We experience it almost any time we come across
something unexpected or something that frustrates our goals. When the threat is
small, our response is small and we often do not notice it among the many other
distractions of a stressful situation.
Unfortunately, this mobilization of
the body for survival also has negative consequences. In this state, we are
excitable, anxious, jumpy and irritable. This actually reduces our ability to
work effectively with other people. With trembling and a pounding heart, we can
find it difficult to execute precise, controlled skills. The intensity of our
focus on survival interferes with our ability to make fine judgments by drawing
information from many sources. We find ourselves more accident-prone and less
able to make good decisions.
There are very few situations in our working
life where this response is useful. Most situations benefit from a calm,
rational, controlled and socially sensitive approach.
In the short term, we need to keep
this fight-or-flight response under control to be effective in our jobs. In the
long term we need to keep it under control to avoid problems of poor health and
burnout.
Introducing
Stress Management
There are very many proven skills
that we can use to manage stress. These help us to remain calm and effective in
high pressure situations, and help us avoid the problems of long term stress.
1. Acknowledge some stress is good
Make
stress your friend! Based on the body’s natural “fight or flight” response, that
burst of energy will enhance your performance at the right moment. I’ve yet to
see a top sportsman totally relaxed before a big competition. Use stress wisely
to push yourself that little bit harder when it counts most.
2. Avoid stress sneezers
Stressed
people sneeze stress germs indiscriminately and before you know it, you are
infected too!
Protect
yourself by recognizing stress in others and limiting your contact with them.
Or if you’ve got the inclination, play stress doctor and teach them how to
better manage themselves.
3. Learn from the best
When
people around are losing their head, who keeps calm? What are they doing
differently? What is their attitude? What language do they use? Are they trained
and experienced?
Figure
it out from afar or sit them down for a chat. Learn from the best stress
managers and copy what they do.
4. Practice socially acceptable heavy breathing
You
can trick your body into relaxing by using heavy breathing. Breathe in slowly
for a count of 7 then breathe out for a count of 11. Repeat the 7-11 breathing
until your heart rate slows down, your sweaty palms dry off and things start to
feel more normal.
5. Give “stressy” thoughts the red light
It
is possible to tangle yourself up in a stress knot all by yourself. “If this
happens, then that might happen and then we’re all up the creek!” Most of these
things never happen, so why waste all that energy worrying needlessly?
Give
stress thought-trains the red light and stop them in their tracks. Okay so it
might go wrong – how likely is that, and what can you do to prevent it?
6. Know your trigger points and hot spots
Presentations,
interviews, meetings, giving difficult feedback, tight deadlines, traffic, rude
customers, dealing with our supervisors……. My heart rate is cranking up just
writing these down!
Make
your own list of stress trigger points or hot spots. Be specific. Is it only
presentations to a certain audience that get you worked up? Does one project
cause more stress than another? Did you drink too much coffee?
Knowing
what causes you stress is powerful information, as you can take action to make
it less stressful. Do you need to learn some new skills? Do you need extra
resources? Do you need to switch to de-caf?
7. Burn the candle at one end
Lack
of sleep, poor diet and no exercise wreaks havoc on our body and mind. Kind of
obvious, but worth mentioning as it’s often ignored as a stress management
technique. Listen to your elders and don’t burn the candle at both ends!
*Warning: Stress can cause
severe health problems. While these stress management techniques have been
shown to have a positive effect on reducing stress, they are for guidance only,
and people should take the advice of suitably qualified health professionals if
they have any concerns over stress-related illnesses or if stress is causing
significant or persistent unhappiness. Health professionals should also be
consulted before any major change in diet or levels of exercise.
Those
are the best stress management techniques I know! Learn them, use them and
teach them, and be a great stress manager.
