Stress Management

Can stress be good for you at work? Most of us who have been under pressure and often overwhelmed or drained by our workload would have difficulty in believing stress can be good for us.  Well, there is a lot of documented evidence suggesting that some stress can even be healthy. The key is what happens in the brain when we are stressed. Researchers at Berkeley University (Kaufer and Kirby) have discovered that moderately stressful events can actually be good for us.  Short spurts of stress can have a positive effect on the body and mind in two major ways. Keeps the brain sharp Exposure to moderate stress challenges the brain to seek ways to adapt to the stressful event.  The brain responds by producing and growing more brain cells. The result is the brain is more alert, and of course we perform and function much better when we are alert. Boosts the Immune System Stress triggers the primitive ‘flight or fight’ response in the brain, which in turn produces...

Be prepared for the times at work when things don't go plan.... The best laid plans, of mice and men, will often go astray - Robert Burns Has this happened to you?  I was just about to start a workshop with a great training organisation recently and my lap top decided it was a good time to do updates!  A lesson learnt on improvisation.. It got me thinking in more ways than one.  Life and work seldom runs according to plan and often throws a curved ball or two. How well we do in those circumstances will depend largely on our ability to adapt or improvise. To reduce stress at these times, try the following: 1. Be flexible Flexibility is evident in employees who easily adapt to changes in the workplace.  They are the ones who are willing to step outside of their job description should the situation require it and take on other tasks and responsibilities to accomplish organisational goals. It works both ways of course.  Flexibility in manage...

Listening is a two-way skill that you can develop Do you struggle to get your point across with some of your colleagues? Do you sometimes feel disrespected because you haven’t been heard in meetings?  Stephen Covey coined the phrase, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” Everyone wants to be heard, but do we honestly take the time to listen to others first? There are 4 essential listening skills which, if you genuinely cultivate in your workplace, will change the way people listen to you.  Be present Have you ever been speaking to someone and they are constantly looking around and not focused on you, or worse they are messaging while you are talking?  You are saying something that is quite important to you, but it’s lost. What does that feel like? It’s annoying, frustrating, and disrespectful. When someone is speaking it’s important to be fully present. If something else is on your mind, or there’s an urgent call or email to attend to, let t...

Mindfulness can relieve stress by staying in the present moment Has this ever happened to you? You have driven a short distance in your car and suddenly realised you have no recollection of how you got from A to B. You navigated traffic but can't recall any of it because your mind was elsewhere Most of us will recognise how easily our mind wanders off on its own. What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is the capacity to be fully aware of your thoughts, feelings and sensations in the present moment, without judging there is a right or wrong way to think or feel, but accepting what is, for now. It takes some practice but mindfulness can be very helpful to managing stress. The present If you think about your life as a timeline, made up of present moments, then this moment as you are reading this, is probably okay. Some moments can be painful but usually the present moment is okay. The problem is our attention leaves the present moment quite frequently because our mind h...

Difficult conversations are inevitable and can be extremely stressful.  We’ve all been there. We’ve had to speak to a boss or work colleague, a friend or family member about something that has the potential to be explosive.  No one enjoys this kind of situation, so we usually put it off until we end up having a confrontation instead of a conversation.   With a little thought and preparation, we can make these conversations far less stressful and get the outcome we want. Prepare Prepare yourself by taking a few moments to breath. Never have a difficult conversation when you are angry or emotionally charged.  Prepare what you want to say and say it.   If you are conveying something you know is going to be hard to hear, state it clearly in the first few sentences. Keep the outcome you want to achieve in mind, but be realistic and willing to compromise. Body language Watch your tone of voice. It might surprise you but words only convey about 10% ...

Quote by Hans Selye Changing a stressful situation is often out of our realm of control, and we can’t change how other people think or make people behave differently.  There are some situations we have no ability to ‘fix’. Just as blasting the horn and banging on the steering wheel isn’t going to make the traffic move any faster.  Some things are not within our power to control. We do however, have the choice of how we are going to respond to any stressful situation. Attitude is a choice Every morning you wake up, you get to decide which attitude you will choose for the day. You can choose a negative attitude or a positive one.  It’s your choice.   To get you thinking about it, let me share with you one thing I’ve discovered in my life which I know to be true.  Negativity attracts negativity.  When you go into your day expecting things to go wrong, they probably will.  Conversely the opposite is also true, a positive attitude seems ...

Do you make well intentioned resolutions for the New Year, but come February you’ve either forgotten them, or end up feeling guilty because you didn’t stick to them?   You are not alone; I think it would apply to most of us.   Nevertheless, the beginning of a new year with all the potential and possibilities that lie ahead is a good time to stop and take stock of where we are in life.   Instead of making resolutions, here are a few suggestions to help you embrace the changes you would like to make in the year ahead. Set aside some time for yourself and download your free Embracing the New Year worksheet . Sit quietly for a few moments and concentrate on just breathing. Then, with a pen and your worksheet ( download it here if you haven't already ) in hand, slowly reflect on the past year.  Here are some questions to inspire your thoughts. What challenges did I face and overcome this past year? What did I learn about myself that surprised me, ...