Greetings!
“I’m not stressed!”
Really!? Who are you fooling? The truth is, even the best leaders are faced with struggles and challenges that create worry, frustration and anxiety and stress – all leading to unproductive behaviors, health issues and ultimately burn-out. The key is to learn to work calmly and effectively under these daily pressures by becoming aware, in the moment, of your own reactions to stress and choose a healthier response.
Today we explore
Stress Management
in our
“Cultivating your Leadership Brand” series
. The purpose of this series is to provide tips, tools and resources to help you develop an effective leadership brand that drives high quality performance and allows you to bring your best self to work everyday while inspiring others to do the same!
Leaders that are able to manage their stress levels are immediately aware of their feelings of rising stress. They know that stress is inevitable and deal with it productively. They have the ability to maintain composure and control aggressive, hostile and irresponsible behavior and know when to “push back” and when to “let go” when appropriate. These strong leaders have developed a high tolerance for frustration, “don’t sweat the small stuff” and know how to act to improve the immediate situation of a stressful event.
The good news is that
Stress Management
is a core competency that can be developed over time. The first step is self-awareness. With awareness comes responsibility – by becoming more aware you can make better decisions for yourself, your health, your family and your co-workers.
Take a moment to reflect on how you handle stressful situations:
- Do you develop somatic responses to stress such as irritability, moodiness, dry mouth, nervous laughter or tension headaches?
- Are you unable to concentrate or think clearly or sometimes become forgetful?
- Do you have a low frustration tolerance and engage in unpredictable, sometimes explosive, abusive or self-defeating behavior?
What symptoms of stress do you feel physically and emotionally?
Consider the following
stress management
techniques to ease your stress so you are leading at your best:
Practice Self-care.
Taking care of yourself is a necessity, not a luxury. You cannot be a strong and inspiring leader if you don't have the strength to lead and inspire. Eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep, helps you to be better prepared to cope with stress. And don't forget to take deep breaths through those stressful moments.
Balance your lifestyle.
All work and no play can be debilitating. Even the most dedicated leaders need a break and quality time to devote to family, friends, community, and spiritual practices as well as the many other things that bring them real joy and fulfillment. Let it be know that it is ok to leave work at 4:00 to get to your daughter's dance recital or make it to your favorite yoga class. Set an example for others by living a balanced lifestyle and encourage others to do the same.
Live your Values.
If you’re able to pursue activities and interests that are in line with your values and what’s important to you at a core level, you will be less stressed. You’ll also save energy and lower conflict—internally and with others. Your values can point your decision making in the right direction so you can spend your time in the “right” areas. There’s nothing more powerful than aligning
who
you are with
what
you do and
how
you do it and spending your time on pursuits that have meaning to you.
Tap into
your
Passions.
Engaging in your passions fuel your actions and provides a productive outlet for excess energy or stress.
No matter how busy or tired you are, you always find time and energy to do the things you are passionate about. It lowers your stress and can turn a bad day to good. When you integrate your passions into what you do, you’re more engaged and it can create enthusiasm and inspiration for those around you.
Do your best at what is in your control.
Stop trying to control the uncontrollable and blaming yourself. Set realistic goals, prioritize, do your best, and let go of things that are not your responsibility to control. Assume the positive intent of others to follow through and be accountable to their own expectations.
Set boundaries and honor them.
Our time and energy is precious. We only seem to realize how precious when our time is robbed by distractions and others’ priorities. We certainly don’t need the “noise" of others getting in the way when we are already challenged by our own unproductive behaviors such as self-doubt and procrastination. Plan ahead, be clear about expectations and be assertive in communicating when boundaries are not honored appropriately by others.
Give yourself permission to be rewarded.
All too often we think we don't deserve praise or rewards for our achievements or progress towards our goals. Wrong! We need to find ways to refuel and celebrate our accomplishments and those of others. Take a day off or a go on an exotic vacation. Soothe your stress-filled body with a hot bath or a massage. Meditate or let your mind wander by walking in nature. Practice gratitude.
Talk it out.
Be honest about your concerns, frustrations and worries by sharing your issues with a colleague, friend, professional coach, or a therapist. You don't have to go at it alone. Although venting can provide temporary feeling of relief, revisiting and ruminating on the problem can be unproductive. Talking to a trusted advisor can help bring awareness to the situation and help you tap into you own wisdom in how to move forward with more ease and less stress.
Visualize your Happy Place.
Paint a picture in your mind of the place you feel the happiest and metaphorically go there when you are feeling stressed. Maybe it's a place on the beach being comforted by the warmth of the sun and listening to the rolling waves. Where is your happy place?
Have Fun and Laugh.
Above all else keep your sense of humor. Even in the most pressure-filled moments you can find time to poke fun, make a joke or laugh at an absurd situation that needs to be addressed. Laughter can sometimes be the best medicine to release tension and add a little to levity to the day.
Taking an active approach to managing your
Stress
will support you in achieving your Leadership brand. Remember the
26 key competencies
of
Social+Emotional Intelligence
can be learned and strengthened over time. It’s never too late to develop these essential skills
to perform in alignment with your leadership brand.
Ready to take your leadership brand to the next level?
Invest in yourself, your people and your organization by registering for our eye-opening and dynamic 2-day workshop designed to cultivate your leadership brand and keep you and your employees performing at their best.
