Consider using these methods to better manage your stress.
Editor’s note: This article is from WeChat public account “Harvard Business Review” (ID: hbrchinese) , author Kristi Hedges. Authorized to reprint.
The feeling of stress is very uncomfortable, and the environment in which it is suppressed is also miserable. 80% of Americans say they feel pressure every day. In many companies, although everyone wants to know how to deal with stress, it has become part of the corporate culture.
The pressure will spread like an infectious disease. We can really feel the pressure of others. Just looking at other people’s nervousness may trigger the release of the stress hormone cortisol in our own body. When I used the interview as part of the coaching work, I heard the pressured colleagues say this:
“When he is under pressure, I will try to avoid him.”
“Everyone knows when she is in a bad mood, which can be seen from her face.”
“When others anger him, he also irritates other people, which is exhausting.”
“I am really worried about her health.”
Most of us will think of the damage that stress brings to ourselves. However, few people will consider the negative impact of stress on others. Especially when you are a manager, your pressure will definitely have a negative impact on others. In fact, when the pressure of the leader affects the mood of the entire team, he will also feel strong pressure.
People avoid the over-stressed colleagues in search of their psychological security. If people don’t want to be with you, they feel that working with you is not passionate or worthwhile, then your work efficiency will be greatly reduced. After all, who is not willing to work with people who seem to be full of energy?
To prevent your stress from affecting others (and to make you feel overwhelmed), consider using these methods to better manage your stress.
1. Find out what your real stressors are. When people talk about what is putting pressure on them, they tend to describe the source of stress in a general way as “my job.””Or “unrealistic deadlines” or “new bosses take office.” We usually don’t delve into the source of stress because we don’t want to think about it. However, we can’t solve problems that we can’t really understand.
Try this: stick to the stress log for a month. At the end of the day, if you feel pressure, you can rush it down. The content can include details and details of what happened at the time. Then reflect on these questions: What is the situation today that makes me feel stressed? What was the situation that I felt important at the time? What does this mean for me?
A client who has tried this strategy found that her “non-interference” management was originally designed to alleviate the workload, but it actually exacerbated her pressure because she could not know the progress of the project. Fearing that she would be caught off guard at the last minute if she made a mistake in her work, she spent a lot of time studying various possible situations. Even if she didn’t do the job, she was pressured.
As long as you find your source of stress, you can find a workable solution to the root cause of the problem, not just the symptoms.
2. Change your attitude first, then change your workload. Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson in their “Is not have to work so crazy” (It Doesn’t Have to be Crazy at Work) The book points out that even if employees complain that overwork is harmful to their well-being, the excessive workload is still touted as a symbol of honor in many organizations.
In fact, the primary goal of many of my most stressful customers is to find effective strategies to reduce their workload, such as better licensing or desired settings. This is not without help, it is not enough. You can make the appropriate adjustments, but there will still be more work to do.
Instead, first of all, reflect on your attitude towards the workload. Do you feel the need to pursue perfection? Do you tend to question yourself? Is there a pattern in your career that rejects requests from others?
You may have encountered this situation – in the face of the same work, the same amount of work, one will feel pressure and the other will not be affected. A salesperson who worked with me was amazed that her colleague Raj didn’t take the customer’s refusal seriously. Instead, he would say that this is just “a part of the game.” When she found herself still worried about being able to do more work, she eventually adopted Raj’s attitude. Her work has not changed, but her attitude towards work has changed.
3. Create a rational resting space. When every job is busy, the best strategy is to kneel down and look for the light at the end of the tunnel. When your work never stops, it will destroy your soul and collapse.
If your work does not have a regular rest period, create a recovery period for yourself. These recovery periods can be arranged around some common sources of stress, such as business trips or key meetings, or you can schedule regular breaks. When arranging activities that allow you to relax, be as vigilant as scheduling work-related activities.
A customer was exhausted because of excessive business travel, so he rescheduled his time to reward himself. He chose a hotel that offers spa services and booked a massage during his stay – something he never had time to do at home. If possible, he can extend the trip for one night, visit local friends, and not work on the flight home. He also made sure that there was no meeting when he returned on the first day, so he could catch up with the work.
You don’t have to make a big effort to create a rest space for yourself. Allowing half a day to reflect each month can help reposition priorities and reduce stress. Even a short waking time, such as a walk to lunch, can provide you with the necessary rest time.
4. Don’t just say that you are under pressure, learn to share how you manage it. Because stress is very common at work, we often talk about it. While sharing our pressures can make us feel better in a short period of time, we actually promote the development of a stress culture because emotions spread infections. In short, saying “I am too stressed” will add pressure to others. In addition, the things we focus on will become stronger, so we can even increase our own pressure by talking about it.
This does not mean that you should hide your stress. A more useful approach is to share stress management strategies. When the work pressure is high, you can try to manage yourself, so the impact of the pressure will be smaller. By sharing the strategy you are using, you set an example for others, that is, you can resist stress rather than accept stress. As a gift, if you say aloud what you are doing, you are more likely to fulfill your promise.
In a turbulent industry, Daphne is a leader in lobbying groups. When she announced to the team that she was trying not to process emails during the weekend to get a break, she found that other people’s response pressures were alleviated. Her entire team is more cautious about sending emails over the weekend, clearly indicating what is really urgent, and people are more rejuvenated when they go to work on Monday.
5. Stress planning around the surrounding pressure. Although most of us have accepted work pressure, we are still surprised to feel surrounded by pressure. We even have meta-stress, which is the psychological pressure we generate because of external pressure. Perhaps a better solution is to think of it as a normal state and plan for it. Work is stressful, industry is turbulent, and resources and time are lacking. If this is the case, how can you avoid yourself?Can you get out of the whirlpool? Do you have any way to maintain the energy of yourself and others?
We are not as helpless as we think. By exercising your own autonomy, you can ease your stress and show others how to do it. You may be able to change this culture of stress. Because despite the contagion of stress, it is also true to reason.
Kristi Hedges|文
Christie Hutches is a senior leadership coach. She is also the president of The Hedges Company.
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