“So you mean a stress ball is not for throwing at someone who stresses you out?” – Anonymous
Nearly half (43%) of Americans report feeling more stressed just within the past year, and some report feeling it has reached an epidemic level. Stress gets a bad rep. As a noun, the word actually means “the importance attached to a thing,” and as a verb, the word means “to emphasize.”
So there’s good stress and bad stress. Good stress is when you are rushing to the hospital to have a baby, preparing for an audition with your favorite film director, going to your dream job interview, or studying to pass the Bar Exam. Bad stress is being stuck in traffic when you are late for any of those opportunities. Bad stress is when you feel out of control and are forced to accept a situation beyond your control, which many are indeed experiencing at this moment in our country.
And then there are situations that seem like bad stress (Tax Day!) where you must complete paperwork by a firm deadline and possibly pay more money than you’d rather part with. But a shift in mindset, in cases like this, can help defray the cost to your nervous system and turn bad stress into good stress. Realizing that if you do owe the IRS, it may indicate that you were fortunate enough to make more money last year, or it may be time to hire a better accountant.
Stress can hijack your working memory, that space where you make choices and solve problems. Ever feel like you have to re-read the same paragraph over and over again? More than likely, your working memory was suffering from overload. Stress can also divert your attention from the task at hand to the unpleasant feelings you are experiencing. This can create underperformance, even if it is a task you normally perform very well.
When things seem overwhelming, pause and ask: “What is good about this situation?” No matter what, there is always something to learn. As Einstein said: “In the middle of adversity, there is the seed of great opportunity.”
Be grateful for the good stress, and manage the bad stress with enough self-care: music or anything creative, massage, exercise, hobbies, nature, pets, children, movies, comedy, meditation, journaling, or whatever makes you say “ah.” Research shows that just 20 minutes in nature decreases cortisol (the stress hormone) levels. Just breathing and moving allows you to re-focus to some degree. Not so long ago, if we didn’t move, we didn’t eat. Evolutionarily, we are designed to move. Just a simple walk around the block or in a beautiful park can allow you to come back to the issue at hand with more focus. Plus, this allows you to raise your “window of frustration tolerance.” Bottom line: intervening with just a five-minute break can enhance your performance. Consider factoring these micro breaks into your day… they work like a control-alt-delete reset for your brain.
Remember to manage your thoughts, too. Negativity and unhelpful thoughts can sabotage not only your focus but also your mood and health. Some research posits that 70% of illnesses are stress-driven. Surround yourself as much as possible with positive, upbeat people. Our environment is a powerful influence on our thinking and mental health.
Come up with ideas of your own to give your precious brain the nurturing it deserves. It’s working for you 24/7. It will thank you by becoming more creative, smarter, and a better performer.
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“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” – Unknown