Stress management: an important topic in business.
I’m stressed. Stressed because I’m 2 3 4 5 weeks late to deliver this article (and a few other files ;-))! Missing a deadline is not my style… What makes us put ourselves in a state of stress for a pressure that we (often) put on ourselves? I have reasons, of course, and those reasons stress me out in addition to creating stress on other aspects of my life. Hello vicious circle.
Stress management is important. So, I decided to read up on stress, in order to understand this bug and especially to be able to better manage it. I had in my library: “For the Love of Stress” by Sonia Lupien, a Ph.D. stress specialist.
If we know (and recognize) stress, we can tame it.
In short, exactly what I needed! Here’s what would cause stress:
- The impression of not being in control of the situation. (C)
- The situation is unforeseen or unforeseeable. (I)
- The situation is new. (N)
- The situation can threaten your ego, your image, your reputation. (E)
The four factors are not necessarily involved every time, and there is at least one. Can all stressful situations be avoided? No, you can’t eradicate stress, and you shouldn’t because stress is positive and allows you to react. Think of all the times your reflexes saved you from an accident, for example. At the same time, stress can become negative.
Being able to manage stress will prevent you from being impatient with your loved ones, having insomnia or experiencing physical discomfort.
*Image source:positif-stress.fr
So, if we can’t eliminate it, we still have to know how to manage it. Inspired by what Ms. Lupien offers, here are 4 steps to learn how to manage your stress:
1. Recognize what stresses us out
Stress management starts with awareness. Recognize what stresses us out. First, ask yourself this question: what or who do you talk to your loved ones about the most? Your job? A colleague? Your love situation?
2. Deconstructing the situation to better rebuild it from a new angle
Then, deconstruct the situation:
- Are you in control of the situation? (C)
- Is it an unforeseen or unforeseeable situation? (I)
- Is this a new situation? (N)
- Is your ego, personality, reputation threatened? (E)
If you answer these questions every time you’re stressed, you’ll probably notice that you’re more sensitive to one or the other factor. So, the more aware you are of it, the easier it will be for you to manage.
3. Rebuilding the situation
Then, answer these four questions:
- What can you control over the situation? (C)
- What can you do to make this situation less unpredictable? (I)
- What can you do to make this situation less new? (N)
- What can you do to manage your ego, personality, reputation? (E)
4. Make an action plan
Finally, switch to solution mode and make a plan based on the previous step.
To conclude, the exercise of identifying your stress, deconstructing it, rebuilding it and then making strategies to manage it is very effective in allowing you to better manage your stress. If you want more tips to manage your stress, I invite you to read the article “How to release pressure?“.
As a bonus, if you do it every time you feel stressed, you could even target what stresses you out the most: control, unexpected, novelty, reputation. The better you know yourself, the better you react!
To understand how stress works and causes, have tools to better communicate your emotions as well as strategies to better manage your stress, take the online training Managing Stress and Emotions.