Stress often has a bad reputation and is perceived negatively, as an enemy that is detrimental to our health and our quest for peace of mind. Some would even call it a “social evil”. The Internet is full of articles on the subject; we need to avoid it, reduce it and try to banish it from our personal and professional lives. A stress-free life is a guarantee of happiness. Really?
I’m stressed… Long live stress!
The aim of this article is to introduce you to another facet of stress, and to convince you to make it an ally at work, transforming it into a positive factor rather than a negative one. These few words will help you improve your response to stress. Rather than being afraid of stress and avoiding it, it’s better to change the way we perceive stress, and change the way we react when we’re faced with it. Of course, we’re talking about mild to moderate stress, not acute stress levels so high that we lose all our physical, psychological and cognitive abilities.
The different ways of tackling stress
- Why be stressed, it’s cool!
- Stress and performance
- Differentiating between good stress and bad stress
- Practical tips to make stress your ally!
- I stress so I am! | Mythbusters
Why be stressed, it’s cool!
Stress is stimulating!
Think about it. Feeling a little stress at work is a good sign. That means you’re committed, enthusiastic and passionate about your work! When you challenge yourself and get out of your comfort zone, you continue your personal/professional growth. Putting yourself in a somewhat uncomfortable position and setting yourself new challenges will be slightly stressful. It’s normal, it’s part of life. Accept it. It’s good stress.
There is no life without stress. Bear in mind that stress also has a very useful and indispensable side to human achievement.
Stress improves memory and concentration
Studies have shown that stress can improve your working memory and concentration, which is extremely positive in the workplace. This is because in times of stress, your body makes you more vigilant by manifesting a “fight” response.
Stress keeps you healthy
Did you know that in times of stress, your body releases hormones designed to fight disease and maintain health? Stress helps boost your immune system, which is beneficial to both your professional and personal life. But let’s not be too ambitious! As with many other aspects of life, there are limits to the effectiveness of this principle. Too much stress can cause damage, particularly to the cardiovascular system, while a “good” level of stress can be positive. So the trick is to take steps to manage your stress on a daily basis, so that it never gets to that point. Practicing a sport or meditating, for example, can help with stress management.
Stress and performance
One of the main reasons we need to stop fearing stress is that it’s actually good for our performance! Think about it. Inadequate stress levels give way to boredom and procrastination, and that’s not good for performance or motivation. Too much stress, however, leaves us feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope with our workload. What we want to achieve is the right balance to optimize our performance. Striking the right balance is easier said than done, we agree, but it’s not always easy.
we have to work at it to achieve optimum performance.
It’s by doing ever more difficult and varied things that we become better and more efficient. The last time you did something that scared you or took you out of your comfort zone, were you perfectly calm and reassured? In our opinion, not really… We think you were more or less stressed.
So to stop suffering from stress, we need to :
- Avoid difficulties, bolder goals and challenges, and anything that
scares us. - Carefully wading into our comfort zone.
Obviously, this is unacceptable! If you’re afraid of stress, you run the risk of falling into a cycle of anxiety avoidance, in which you no longer do anything difficult and become professionally and personally clogged up.
Differentiating between good stress and bad stress
What’s stressing you out? According to a recent American study, the two main sources of stress for people are money and work. If we break down work-related stress factors, workload and human relations (tensions with colleagues or disagreements with your manager, for example) would be the main culprits. Bad stress, which is harmful to health, is the kind you can never get rid of. The one over which we have little or no control and which regularly comes back to haunt us.
Ask yourself: do you tend to “stress over nothing”? You know when you’re anticipating a situation and you’re running disaster scenarios, and in the end, none of it has happened. If this happens to you a lot, you need to learn to put things in perspective. Remember that stress can turn into an enemy when there’s a disproportion between the state of stress you’re in and the actual situation. The trick to managing this type of situation is to ask yourself: what’s the worst that can happen to me? Most of the time, the “worst” is not so bad. So, relativez.
You’ve been working under stress all day, but you still manage to relax when you get home? You’re under good stress. Indeed, once the period of stress is over, you should feel a sense of calm. We need two alternating forces to find balance: a period of stress followed by a period of rest.
The $500 question during your busiest season: Is a heavy workload good or bad stress? It’s good stress if you’re in control of your emotions during this period, if you feel empathy and recognition from your manager and colleagues, and if you manage to find a few moments to decompress (going out for a walk at lunchtime, relaxing at the end of the evening, taking time for yourself at the weekend) and know that this hectic period has a beginning and an end. It’s bad stress if it keeps you awake at night, you cry regularly, you feel isolated and unsupported with this workload and you can’t see the end… in such a case, talk to your manager or the Rh group quickly. Solutions do exist.
Tips to make stress your ally
Do you have 15 minutes? On the subway, on the train or in the bath(!), the first thing I suggest you do is watch this lecture by Kelly McGonigal entitled “How To Make Stress Your Friend”. It’s easy to find on Google. You’ll learn a lot!
The best way to manage stress is first and foremost to be more attentive and adopt better lifestyle habits. Here are a few simple tips to help you make the most of stress.
Boosting confidence
When a positive or self-confident person is faced with a stressful situation, he or she reacts better than someone who is not so self-confident. If you build up your confidence, you’ll be able to handle the pressure of these situations. This takes time and energy, and involves introspection / positive self-talk (without cheap esotericism!) and activities that make you happy. When we’re happy, we’re more confident and better able to handle stress.
Benefit from strong social support
Strong, close ties with people you can turn to in stressful situations are an excellent way of facilitating stress management. One of the best ways to reduce stress is to release a substance in your body called oxytocin. Social contact and support are just some of the ways in which you can achieve this. When you’re stressed, go and ask for help and advice. Don’t hesitate to confide in your family and friends.
Developing an ideology based on growth
Do you get easily offended when people comment on your work? Work on being less touchy and see feedback or criticism as positive. You need to see it as an opportunity to grow and improve, not as a personal insult. Stressed about those famous evaluation meetings? Instead of thinking “These meetings are stressful; I hate them!”, replace these thoughts with “We’re taking time out for my professional development; that’s cool, I accept it and I’ll come away with positive, constructive feedback”. Distance yourself from toxic thoughts; they serve no purpose except to diminish your quality of life.
Physical activity
I don’t think I’m telling you anything when I say that physical activity is an excellent way to improve mental health, stress response and quality of life! By being stronger (physically and psychologically), we are better equipped to deal with stress.
Learn to relax
Many people think they can relax by listening to a TV series with their phone not too far away, checking/answering e-mails during commercial breaks and sending text messages. Learn to disconnect for a few minutes during the day, by going for a walk for example, simply to let your mind escape for a moment.
I stress so I am! | Mythbusters
For some people, the image of someone who’s always stressed and overwhelmed by their workload serves to show that they’re busy and in demand. They often seek to arouse the sympathy and appreciation of others by deliberately cultivating this image. We all know people who are always short of time, eternally overworked and out of breath, running in all directions. Many people cultivate this image for most of the year.
Let’s face it: it’s perfectly normal to be busy… but to be swamped year-round without respite? Why maintain this image? Out of insecurity! Yet when you think of inspirational leaders and model managers, I’m convinced you have in mind an image of a calm manager in full control of his emotions and the situation. However, leaders are undoubtedly faced with a heavy workload and a diary full of commitments.
Keep in mind that people who climb the ladder give off a calm, composed and reassuring image. Pouring out your stress and panic to your colleagues and team, and always looking overwhelmed, impresses no one and, on the contrary, projects a certain insecurity. Just because you appear “relaxed” and in control doesn’t mean you’re not busy; on the contrary, you appear in control, inspire confidence and increase your political capital in the organization.
In conclusion
As you’ve seen, some tips are easier said than done, but the idea of this newsletter is to change your perception of stress and welcome good stress into your life! Don’t lose sight of what’s going on in your life, and be grateful for what it brings you. You can manage stress so that it doesn’t take over, and live an effective, happy and healthy life.
Let’s not forget our value of respect, which also applies to stress management. While we need to recognize the good and bad stressors in our lives, we also need to respect other people’s sources of stress. An element/situation that stresses a colleague may be harmless to you. We shouldn’t judge, but we should be sympathetic. To make stress your ally, you must first understand that stress is a natural and healthy response to difficult situations. It’s how we deal with them that makes us who we are. A meaningful life in which you build resilience inevitably involves stress.
Discover our articles written by our Wellness, Culture and Commitment team in the section of the same name, right here.
References:
Kelly McGonigal’s “How To Make Stress Your Friend”.
Officevibe : Stress management
Stress as an ally / December 2018
