Stressed for Success

"In the old days, if a person missed the stage coach, s/he was content to wait a day or two for the next one. Nowadays, we feel frustrated if we miss one section of a revolving door."  --Doris Dolphin, The Wall Street Journal

Stress - What is this buzzword that seems to stay on the forefront of people's minds no matter how many decades we live through? It's been around as long as time, but due to our ever-increasing health consciousness, it is talked about at seminars, doctor's offices and cocktail parties. Simply, stress is the body's natural reaction to a pleasant or unpleasant demand placed upon it. Although physical demands – such as fleeing from danger - are certainly a stressor, it is the psychological demands of deadlines, worry, embarrassment, etc. that are the primary stressors of modern times. 

Fortunately, we don't have to face the problems of our prehistoric ancestors and deal with dangerous predators, starvation or extreme weather. However, our rapidly changing society has brought us from the "stone age" to the "stress age." Today we have to learn to cope with stress…our reactions to job pressures, relationship conflicts and uncertainties in our ever demanding lives. Symptoms of stress range from decrease of productivity, heart palpitations, depression and tension to physical manifestations including ulcers, skin problems, coughing and headaches. Hans Selye, noted stress physiologist, said, "Although we cannot eliminate stress, we can learn a great deal about minimizing its damaging side effects," hence we call it stress "management."  

Certain amounts of stress are normal and necessary for productivity. Life's challenges provide us with the opportunity to self-motivate, take risks and develop self-discipline. In order to reach our full potential, we need stimulating situations. To fully understand the processes we must first acknowledge the two different stress phenomena. "Distress" is negative stress, causing anxiety-like symptoms, while positive stress, known as "eustress" is experienced as excitement. "Some days you're the pigeon, some days you're the statue." 

Stress management is an emerging personnel issue. As a result of corporate downsizing and unstable business environments, stress is reaching unhealthy proportions, effecting company loyalty and productivity. Courses are offered at all levels of management within companies to help people understand and cope. Awareness is the first step, then learning to balance your stresses in developing a positive attitude and lifestyle can insure "stress for success." 

In my career as a professional speaker/trainer, I conducted a program for an insurance company and found the participants eager for more information on lifestyle and empowerment. We covered fifteen stress busters to incorporate into their lifestyle such as the big one… taking time for yourself. According to George Stevenson in his book, How to Deal with your Tensions. sometimes when things go wrong it helps to escape from a painful problem for a while: "To lose yourself in a movie, a book, a game or a brief trip for a change of scene. Making yourself stand there and suffer is a form of punishment, not a way to solve a problem. It is perfectly realistic and healthy to escape punishment long enough to recover breath and balance, but be prepared to come back and deal with your difficulty when you are more composed and when you and others involved are in a better condition to deal with it."  Some examples of taking time for yourself might include taking a walk, exercising, taking a bath, meditating, SHOPPINGJ, watching television and reading. 

Exercise regularly. Regular physical activity is one of the best ways to relieve work-a-day tension. Pick an activity you enjoy, such as running, swimming, tennis, etc. and stick with it. You will look and feel better. Always consult a physician before starting an exercise program. Also reduce stress by making a list. Write down everything you must do. Decide which tasks are most important and which ones can be done later.  

"I am a totally different person after lunch," says James Fitzpatrick, technical consultant for the aerospace industry. And it isn't his tuna sandwich that effects those changes in him. For ten minutes each day he meditates. How? He merely types a calm-inducing word into his computer and stares at it. As a businessman with many pursuits, his daily activities cause a lot of anxiety and stress, so when it gets too hectic, he says, "I type in a word that describes how I would rather be feeling like serene or relaxed."  He repeats it over and over to himself, letting his mind and thoughts ramble. Apparently he is doing the right thing. According to Jerome Walman of the Meditation and Mental Development Center of New York, this is one of many ways to quiet the mind, to include focusing on breathing or visualizing. The results of meditation are lowered blood pressure, decreased heart palpitations, heightened concentration and bodily changes.

By identifying certain attitudes, behaviors, needs and values through stress management, workers can learn to better manage their lifestyles and become winners. Learn to laugh--it's the greatest stress reducer of all.  As Norman Cousins once said, "Laughter is inner jogging!"

© 2011 Mikki Williams Unltd.