Management has always been a demanding job accompanied by high levels of stress; yet today stress levels in and out of the workplace are off the charts. There are consequences to health, safety and motivation so it’s never been more important to manage your stress levels and encourage your employees to do the same. Here are some tips.
1. Don’t think you’re weak because you’re stressed
The most demanding positions are always stressful. Think of a Roman Emperor, struggling to survive in a world where many envied his position and murder was an everyday practice in politics – and not just metaphorically. However, successful managers do not feel weak because of stress. Of course, it is better to reduce the pressures and have time to yourself; but stress – per se – is not a weakness; it is usually a symptom of power.
2. Pay attention to your own stress level
Sometimes people are under stress even if they don’t notice it. Pay attention to symptoms such as tics, recurrent headaches, sleep problems, recurrent indigestion or stomach/intestinal problems, and even skin problems. Be especially vigilant if you smoke or regularly drink alcohol. Are you worried, irritated or unmotivated more than you usually are? Add up the symptoms and anxieties. If you are stressed, acknowledge it.
3. Don’t ignore stress
Stress is a serious matter that affects your performance and therefore your career. Do all that is at your hand to reduce it to manageable levels. It is possible to do great things without falling in the grip of extreme stress; it is up to you to achieve the balance.
4. Identify the source
Try to identify whether negative changes took place in your life when you started to feel the symptoms of stress. It might be a divorce, a financial problem, or demanding deadlines. Sometimes there is no single source but a combination of several. Experts suggest identifying all of them clearly, because that way you can start handling the issue.
5. Accept yourself
Sometimes you feel stressed when you feel inferior. Although comparison is normal and healthy, in a highly stressed person it can triggers the pursuit of unrealistic goals. If you find yourself experiencing low self-esteem, work to put that aside and recognise it is a symptom of stress rather than a reality.
6. Don’t stop working
Unless you are in extremis and your doctor decides it is better for you to stop working, don’t stay home from work. Work itself is not the cause of stress; inability to address work properly is.
7. Learn to delegate
Overload is a major source of avoidable stress. Although you may solve that by simply dropping some activities, it would be wiser to learn how to delegate. Most of the time proper delegation saves money and in this case you would become available to watch over the big picture.
8. Learn to communicate and lower your stress
NLP defines effective communication by the results you get. Therefore, if you speak "correctly" and even "nicely" or "beautifully", but you fail to get the desired result, then you are not communicating effectively. For instance, if you want a task to be performed by another person immediately, you can communicate it in different ways. Sometimes you can think that because you used the proper syntax and you picked gorgeous words, you are an expert in communication. Even if you sometimes make a mistake while speaking or writing, if you are able to produce the result you expect, then you may say that you communicated effectively.
9. Don’t accuse others or the environment
Even if you identify external sources of stress, your goal is to handle your problem and to reduce the stress. There is no sense in blaming the environment if that means complaining and more stress but no solution. Change your point of view, so you can perceive yourself as able to produce a change. For instance, if financial problems caused your stress, try to handle your debts, make every effort to pay them and then reduce your expenses.
10. Meditate
Several scientific studies have showed that yoga or any other form of meditation is powerful against stress. It brings more clarity to your mind and you are able to sense and feel any stress you are experiencing. It also raises consciousness and therefore it helps you become aware. Meditation can also help you clarify whether external sources may be contributing to your stress, it can help you to accept yourself, and it leads you away from the path of blaming the environment. Finally, it can even help you to cultivate a shortage attitude that will be helpful if you have to reduce your expenses or limit your store of material possessions.
This article was written by Luis E Bastias and is part of the Learning Academy, an online management learning website, provided by the Working Manager. AP subscribers receive discounts on The Learning Academy. For details contact Diana Barden.