Stress is simply an emotional response—a very unhealthy one, too. You may think stress helps you accomplish things, but while it may spur you to work faster, it usually hampers your ability to perform at your best. Instead of powering your output, stress reduces it, as you waste energy on worry and fear, instead of using all of your energy to get the job done. Plus, stress can lead to burnout—the mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion brought on by chronic stress—which can completely annihilate your output. Here’s what to do.
Focus on the Source
Since stress is your emotional response to a situation, you’ll discover its source in the mirror. Psychologists say you are the one letting stress get in the way of getting more done. But since you’re the one creating the stress, you’re also the one who can control it. Instead of letting stress throw your day off, address it as soon as it appears, employing some of the solutions below. Burnout, on the other hand, happens when you’re chronically subjected to certain kinds of stress. Examples include feeling you’re no longer in control, you’ve been treated unfairly, or you’re disconnected from others. Burnout makes you feel powerless, cynical, helpless, and emotionally exhausted.
Solutions for Stress
Here are some ways psychologists suggest for conquering stress.
- When you’re stressed, write down why. Then write down the worst outcome that could happen. After the situation has passed, look at what you wrote and see if what you were stressed over was all that big a deal.
- Wrap up yesterday. If you’re stressed today over something you didn’t do yesterday, instead of worrying about it, finish the task now. Just don’t obsess over everything on your to-do list. Prioritize what must get done, do those, then go on to today’s tasks.
- Think about the big picture. Before you stress out over a situation, reflect on its significance in the big picture. It’s probably not worth getting upset about a situation unless you’re in physical danger, at which point your adrenalin will come to your aid.
- Set realistic deadlines. Avoid giving yourself a tight deadline. If someone else is setting one, negotiate a deadline that allows you enough time to perform at your best.
- Take a break. When you get worked up about getting something done, take a five- or ten-minute break. Calm down, rest, get some fresh air. Meditate, pray, or simply shut your eyes and think of something that makes you happy. Returning to the job with a clear head helps you complete it more efficiently.
- Seek help. If you need assistance, ask for it, as soon as you can. Another person doubles your productivity and can be a calming influence.
Solutions for Burnout
If you feel burned out, psychologists say you should go learn something new. This will mitigate your feelings of helplessness and hopelessness and re-inspire you. It seems counterintuitive to add something new when you’re feeling overwhelmed, but exploring new information broadens your horizon. This lifts burnout, which has closed your view. It also gives you fresh motivation, develops flexibility, and stops you from feeling disconnected, as you link up with new people. Here are some ways to go.
- Become a board member of a women’s shelter and develop your management skills. Learn to be a dog trainer and offer your services to an animal rescue facility. Join a Habitat for Humanity project and pick up homebuilding skills.
- Teaching others develops your own skills in the area, because you have to deeply understand something in order to explain it to someone else.
- Deepen your own expertise. Further develop core competencies you already have. Dial up your digital marketing chops by learning more about how to boost online reach. Become better at leading others by learning how to develop your emotional intelligence and your ability to take in the big picture.
- Explore new areas. Contact people accomplished in a field you want to learn more about. Join networking groups centered on the knowledge and capabilities you want to learn.
And remember, your AdviCoach is ready to help you take a stress-free route to your next level of success.