Not All Stress is Bad

Take Out Your Trash

When you hear that word – STRESS – what do you think of?

Most of the time, our thoughts turn to negative feelings.  We may think of too much work, not enough time.  Too many bills, not enough money.  Too many projects, not enough people.  Too many decisions, not enough information.

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However, stress can also be invigorating. Stress can bring out the best in people.  Stress can bring a group together to form a team.  Stress can energize.

Surprised?

The difference is in how stress is managed; or rather, how it is not managed. As leaders, we must be aware of the pressures our people are feeling and how they are adjusting to it.  Under the right conditions, some job stress can motivate and prompt a rise to excellence.  Some people can handle stress very well.  They know when to take a step back and breathe deep.

Other people may not have enough self-awareness or emotional intelligence to realize that stress is negatively affecting them.  They may bend under the pressure of a tight deadline.  They may lash out during times of conflict.  They may reduce productivity or increase absenteeism.

Stress is the trash of modern life – we all generate it but if you don’t dispose of it properly, it will pile up and overtake your life. ~Danzae Pace

Business Link offers numerous tools to help us identify, manage, and remedy workplace stress.  One great tool to start with is to conduct a stress audit.  It’s very simple.  Talk to your staff.  Ask how they are feeling.  Ask what the three best and worst things are about their job.  Ask if those times lead the employee to feel excessive pressures.  Assure confidentiality in the responses.  Cross reference the responses to look for patterns of stress levels in both the best and worst categories.  Then take action to mitigate the stressors.

So, is your stress mounting within and on top of you with no place to go? Or are you able to use it effectively and discard what is not needed or potentially harmful to you and to those around you. Please share you tips here! I would love to hear from you.

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L2L Contributing Author

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