80% of workers feel stress on the job, nearly half say they need help in learning how to manage stress and 42% say their co-workers need such help.
Stress.org
Our reactions to stress form our habitual behaviours. Most of us push stresses away, procrastinate and make it about us. Some blame, some hide, some snap. We are all unique. But what if your stresses were trying to tell you something?
What is it that challenges you?
What are your triggers?
How do your cope?
Are your coping mechanisms unique, could they help others?
What signals are you picking up?
I recently read a BBC article about Chris Quickfall, the founder of Cognassist. He woke up one morning and 70% of his hair had fallen out. He was massively stressed sharing that there was so much going on that he became anxious and couldn’t sleep. ‘One of my rules now is I’m not allowed to hold anything in my head”. He took his challenge and created a dashboard of his goals, diary and anything so that it was out of is head. He used his stress as a strength, rather than labelling it as a weakness. He used it to create a product to help others. He shares today that now he is less stressed as a result.
We all have frustrations, not just in work but in all aspects of our lives and our relationships. What do you do with yours?
Much of our society today is moving towards instant gratification, think Deliveroo and Just Eat. You can order your shopping right now in 10 minutes. How is this spreading into your culture at work? Do you expect responses fast, even subconsciously? For many of us working from home has generated more work and less time to reflect, notice, and be conscious of our inner worlds and big picture. I have noticed a marked increase in stress and the tendency for people to question themselves over the last year. Next week I have almost 1,000 people signed up for a client’s webinar, a record for them. The topic? ‘How to build your confidence with a positive mindset’.
50% have no positive self-talk at all, and when it is there, 75% say it’s very critical.
(#beyourselfatwork global survey Courageous Success).
My number one piece of advice when I support people who are stressed is to notice the stress. Get to know it, listen to it. How does it feel? How are you reacting? What triggers it? Are you controlling it? Where is it coming from?
Only when you know yourself and your buttons and reactions can you get on top of it. Then you have the opportunity to do something with it! I was recently asked an crazy question about something. My instant immediate reaction was a ‘no’. I shared the question and others reacted the same way. Then I questioned by reaction and asked myself, ‘if this situation looking back was one of the best decisions I had made, what would have made it so?’ I said, ‘yes’.
Using the challenges in your world as a potential opportunity can be a wondrous gift. Give it a go!
Be you.