STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING STRESS
Why is it that some people under stress can still move forward while others sit depressed, withdraw, or become physically sick? Given that so many stressors are inevitable and beyond our control, the most critical lesson of stress management is not to aim to eliminate all stressors in your life, but rather to build your resiliency and personal systems (for example, time management) to cope with the stress you will face. The fact is events do not cause stress, we do. It is how we experience events, and how resilient we are, that determines how stress affects us.
Building resiliency to stress can involve a variety of skills. At the most fundamental level, however, effective stress control is largely a function of your physical hardiness, your psychological hardiness, and your management of time. Learning the behaviors that contribute to each of those three can yield big payoffs in your productivity and health.
Physical Hardiness.
Various studies show fitness boosts mental performance and is critical to coping with stress. For example, one study of college professors found that those most physically active processed data faster and experienced slower age-related decline in information processing. In another study, commercial real estate brokers who participated in an aerobics training program (walking or running once a day, three times a week, for 12 weeks) earned larger commissions than brokers who did not participate.
People who are fit are less likely to suffer from illnesses exacerbated by obesity and more likely to possess higher levels of energy and become more resilient to depression, tension, and stress. The resiliency allows you to fend off those uncontrollable stressors and deal more productively with daily hassles.
In a study of managers in an extremely stressful transition, it was found that those with the highest psychological hardiness engaged in significantly more regular physical exercise. Unfortunately, a common stress-induced trap is to believe we are too busy to exercise and maintain our physical condition. That thinking produces a negative cycle that further reduces our physical capacity to deal with stress at the very times we need it most.
Psychological Hardiness
The fact is people who have their stress levels under control still experience an equal share of bad events and daily hassles in their lives. They face the same pressures and adversity as everyone else. Yet some people do have a mental resiliency or hardiness that helps them cope with stress. During the breakup of AT&T in the 1980s, researchers explored what distinguished those managers who were most susceptible to physical and emotional illness from those who demonstrated psychological hardiness, the ability to remain psychologically stable and healthy in the face of significant stress. Other studies of successful coping have been conducted in a variety of demanding settings including businesses, battlefields, schools, and medical clinics. That research has helped identify three recurring factors that distinguish those with psychological hardiness: commitment, control, and challenge.
Dealing with Stress in the Moment
Psychologically hardy managers are able to deal with stress in the moment. They do not panic, withdraw, or flounder but rather rely on several techniques for dealing with their stressors. That is, they are more skilled in relaxing their mind and body, taking a time-out, and knowing how to “repair” their mood. The following are examples of techniques you can use to deal with stress in the moment:
Muscle relaxation
Sometimes stress is so great a time-out is need. Muscle relaxation only takes a few minutes, but can help relieve the stress you feel immediately. Simply tense then release muscle groups, starting with your feet and working your way up your body (legs, torso, arms, neck). Roll your head and shrug your shoulders.
Deep breathing
This simple exercise can make a difference in short-term stress relief. First, take a deep breath and hold it for about five seconds. Then breathe out slowly (that’s important) until you have completely exhaled, trying to extend the length of the out-breathe a little bit longer each time. Repeat this about 5-10 times.
Mood repair
Much research demonstrates that people in positive mood are more resilient to stress. Moreover, it has been found that you can curb or “repair” your negative moods by understanding what triggers your positive moods. For some, it is a piece of chocolate, for others it may be listening to a piece of music, talking on the phone with a friend, or visualizing a scenario that gives them pleasure (their “happy place”). Learn what puts you in a positive mood and use it when you are in a stressed or negative frame of mind.
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