Stress - The Devil Within 

Stress takes many forms in our business lives. Exactly

what it is very hard to define, but two statements seem

to me to sum up the main cause and effect:

o The fear that more is expected of you than you can

reasonably achieve.

o A feeling - real or imagined - that you are out of

control and cannot regain the right track.

Who gets it? Everyone is susceptible, no-one is immune.

However, some people deal with it more effectively.

Over the years I have studied many people who seem to

be able to thrive on stress - or have mastered the

knack of shucking off the effects - and have formulated

a ten-part plan to help others cope.

Why stress is so damaging?

o Health: long term stress can severely affect a

persons health. The immune system is damaged, the

nervous system is impaired and susceptibility to minor

(and sometimes major) illnesses increases.

o Emotions: when under relentless and unmanageable

stress, a persons self-worth is impaired. Relationships

suffer and positive planning becomes very difficult.

o Performance: of course, when under long-term stress

at work, the ability to function at peak levels

diminishes. How can we be expected to give 110% if our

minds and bodies are slowly shutting down through

endless misuse? Typically, a highly stressed person,

who is not managing it well, will subconsciously

develop behaviors that attempt to minimize exposure to

more stress:

o A fear to act - procrastination

o Fear of failure

o Avoidance of the issues

o Withdrawal from 'the cutting edge'

The result? You get sidelined and passed over for the

next person who deals with the pressures better.

Not all stress is bad. Some can be beneficial, but only

when kept in the right proportion.

Most people getting up to give a public presentation

feel a high degree of stress. Those who are not

paralyzes with fear often say that the pressure gave

their talk an edge. That the adrenaline pumping made

them sharp.

How many business people do you know who write

documents and presentations weeks in advance? Hardly

any, I bet. Most prefer to leave things until the last

minute to 'be at their sharpest.' And it is true that

when under the right amount of pressure, the mind tends

to clear and we see to the very heart of the problem.

People who manage stress best seem to be able to manage

the causes of stress, ensuring that too many situations

do not develop at once. Because however positive some

stresses may be, pile a whole lot of them up at the

same time and you still are heading for a nervous

breakdown.

Can it be beaten? Yes and no. Some stresses are in

built - nothing can remove them. They are a part of

each person's individual psyche. Some are a vital part

of life - try crossing a busy road without a care in

the world. Some things that wind us up like a spring

are not stressful to others - public speaking is a good

example.

But... many stresses can be managed and others can be

minimized or removed.

One key factor in dealing with your own stresses is

effective self-management. Deal with your internal

issues before you look to change the world outside

yourself.

Here, then is my ten-part plan. Some of the elements

may seem trite - and on their own they may be - but

they all combine to give you a powerful, workable

strategy to begin to take back control of your life.

1. Get organized

However busy you may think you are, it is a sure bet

that there is a half hour or so every day that is being

wasted. Check out goal-setting techniques and time

management strategies. They really help - and will show

you how to get far more done in the same time than you

ever imagined possible.

2. Preparation

Get in to work ten minutes earlier than usual to write

yourself a list for the day. Consider what you need to

achieve and point your day towards that end. As Seneca

said in the 3rd century BC, "Luck is what happens when

preparation meets opportunity."

3. Breathing

Few people know how to breathe. They suck in, and blow

out air periodically, but without conscious thought.

Every couple of hours, become aware of your breathing.

Take a deep breath, deep into your stomach, filling the

very bottom of your lungs, then slowly let it out.

Repeat five times. This basal breathing is very

relaxing and the few minutes it takes is highly

beneficial in easing stress.

4. Exercise

What happens when all that excess adrenaline has

nowhere to go? It builds stress even further. A little

exercise is the best way of all of burning it all off.

There is no need to join a gym or run a marathon - just

walk up the stairs instead of taking the elevator, do a

set of sit-ups before bedtime or take two minutes to

perform an easy stretching routine before lunch. The

more exercise you can build into your daily life the

better you will be at dealing with each day.

5. Reduce stimulants

Coffee might keep you alert in the short term, but it

plays havoc with your ability to function in the longer

run. Alcohol is a great relaxant in moderation, but

more than a couple of glasses have the opposite effect.

Tobacco puts many added stresses on your body. Drugs

are simply crazy.

All these stimulants just add to the problem: if you

are already stressed, they will not help you get over

it - they will make the situation worse.

6. Recognize stress-point and adjust accordingly

Possibly easier said than done, but knowing your enemy

is 50% of the way to beating it. Take the time to work

out what your stress triggers are and then try to

devise strategies to minimize each one. Taking problems

one at a time is a far more positive approach than

panicking about them all at once.

7. Make time to relax

No matter how hard you work, or how many demands are

put on you, remember - it's your life. You deserve at

least some time every day just to be with you. Maybe it

is just 5 minutes in the morning, but treasure it, make

it yours and don't allow outside pressures in to your

time. Believe me, enjoying your own time every day will

make you far more effective on everybody else's time.

8. Drink herbal tea

Not as silly as it sounds. Many herbal teas contain

substances with naturally calminative properties.

Chamomile tea is very relaxing, Raspberry and Echinacea

tea soothes the mind and helps strengthen the immune

system, Peppermint tea aids in digestion. And they are

refreshing and taste good too.

9. Don't be afraid to ask for help

One of the most often heard complaints I hear from

highly stressed people is that they have too much work

and too little time. Yet they are often the worst

delegators. If you have a downline, delegate. (But mind

you don't pile too much on your subordinates that they

crack under the strain). If you have an upline, see if

any of your workload can be passed that way. That is

more difficult, but often a task that is way too much

for you is easy to someone with a few more years of

experience. And bosses often like to show that they

'still have it.'

10. Smile

The last on the list, but probably number one in

importance. Smile on the telephone, smile in stores,

smile to your colleagues. Your subconscious mind is

just waiting to run whatever program you plug into it.

Stress is a kind of program with an endless negative

loop. Smiling is like pressing the 'break' key. Smile

enough and that becomes a new program in its own right.

You will feel happier and everyone around you will

respond positively.