Stress is often one of the few things we perceive as an unwelcome guest. We consider it an ‘adversary’ to our well-being. But what if I told you there’s a side of it that can be your ally and can actually help you achieve new heights?
Let’s dive into the world of positive stress and uncover the transformative power it holds for stressed-out business leaders.
Cultivating a Mindset that Welcomes Positive Stress
Positive stress is something often overlooked in the complicated world of stress. But in reality… it’s actually behind every motivation and growth. Positive stress urges you to stretch beyond your comfort zone so you can grow and reach your maximum potential.
A SIMPLE REFRAMING
A simple reframing or a change in mindset can help you embrace the power of positive stress. And in the end, instead of viewing it as a hindrance, you will start seeing it as a challenge, or a motivating factor that pushes you to think out of the box, to be creative, and to grow both personally and professionally.
So if you’re looking for a way to open the door to the realm of possibilities, you can begin with a simple shift in perspective.
Positive Stress-Driven Achievements
Remember your most significant achievements? What drove you to accomplish them? Was it because you just love what you do and you’re passionate about it? Or was it because there’s something you cannot exactly pinpoint, but there’s this urge that pushes you to perform beyond what you thought your capabilities were?
That’s positive stress. It’s the urge that you feel, the urge that drives you to accomplish something because you have to, but at the same time NOT let it control you.
AN EXAMPLE TO THINK ABOUT
Did you need to finish something within the given tight deadline? It’s stressful, but you’ve done it anyway, You’ve done it stressed, but you gave your best anyway, and then you got astounding results.
The project timeline stressed you out, but because you know where the balance lies… You harnessed it into positive stress, giving you mind-blowing results!
Positive stress compels you to rise to the occasion, tapping into your hidden talents or potential you might not have known existed.
It transforms challenges into opportunities, and turns the ‘ordinary’ into the ‘extraordinary’.
IF YOU KNOW WHERE THE Balance LIES.
Ah, yes, the balance… ‘What about balance?’
As always, “balance” is the key to everything, and it’s the same here. We all know how positive stress becomes ‘counterproductive’ when it tips the scales into distress, so it is important that you know your thresholds and that you can recognize when stress transforms from invigorating to overwhelming so you do not get drowned by it.
Imagine the case given above, had you let the stress eat you alive… Would you have met the tight deadline? Maybe yes, maybe not, or maybe yes but not as great as the results you got.
So it’s always important to never forget about…
Resiliency and Adaptability
There is also no denying that resiliency and adaptability must always be present when it comes to leadership.
Your active positive stressors also activate your brain’s problem-solving capacities and enhance your cognitive function, which, in turn, not only improves decision-making but also fortifies your mental resilience.
REMEMBER YOUR TEAM
Leadership is also NEVER a solo act, but a combination of diverse talents coming together.
Imagine being stressed on your own; you sometimes just couldn’t find the courage to face it. But imagine when the stress is shared, you and your team also share the “grit” to solve the cause of the stress or issue.
POSITIVE STRESS: WHEN USED CORRECTLY
When harnessed right, positive stress can create an environment where every member is driven, motivated, and invested in ONE shared goal. So as a leader, it’s vital that you encourage a culture that views challenges not as stumbling blocks but as opportunities for collective growth.
You can foster team unity, and propel everyone to work towards shared success, all with the power of positive stress.
Embracing the Thrive
Witness how positive stress is the bedrock of adaptability and resiliency. That even when you sometimes feel like the path seems uncertain, you thrive? So as you lead, remember the power that positive stress holds in uniting and empowering your team!
Ready to embrace the thrive? Join me on this journey, where challenges are opportunities, and stress is not a hurdle but a stepping stone.
In the relentless world of business, stress is often a companion we’d rather not entertain. But what if I told you that understanding stress, particularly its impact on the brain, could be a game-changer for your leadership journey?
The Neuroscience of Stress: Navigating the Brain’s Terrain
Picture your brain as the control center of a bustling city. Stress triggers a cascade of responses, similar to traffic jams during rush hour.
The neuroscience of stress is fascinating. It’s not about eliminating stress but managing it effectively.
When stress hits, your amygdala signals danger, prompting the release of stress hormones.
Here’s the trick:
embrace “mono-tasking.”
Your brain is wired to focus on one thing at a time. Pause, breathe, and ground yourself in the present – as this is the cornerstone of stress management.
A Matter of Reframing
Understanding the neuroscience of stress empowers you to reframe your perception. Stress isn’t actually the enemy, as it’s a signal from your brain, indicating an “opportunity for growth”.
Instead of seeing stress as a roadblock, view it as a navigational tool, guiding you toward “areas” that need attention and improvement.
Mastering Cognitive Resilience: Small Steps, Big Impact
Cognitive resilience is your secret weapon against stress. Think of it as your brain’s fitness routine.
Begin with mini-meditations, and remember how a mere 3-5 minutes a day can work wonders. Then gradually extend to 10 minutes, fostering resilience in the face of challenges.
Like Success, It Doesn’t Happen Overnight
Cognitive resilience isn’t an overnight transformation; it’s a journey. So go on and celebrate small victories along the way.
Each mindful minute like small win celebrations contributes to the strengthening of your cognitive muscles. As a leader, cognitive resilience allows you to approach challenges with a clear and focused mind, enhancing decision-making and problem-solving.
Unlocking the Brain’s Potential: A Leadership Power Move
Your brain is like a treasure trove waiting to be explored but to unlock its potential, you must engage in “lifelong learning”.
You must learn to embrace change, encourage curiosity, and even challenge your mental boundaries.
Flexibility and Adaptability Are Your Best Friends
Because leadership is an ever-evolving landscape, your brain needs to be able to catch up. Hence, an active, adaptable brain is your ally in the dynamic world of leadership.
Your brain, like you, is a constant work in progress. So never forget to train your brain and sharpen it through attending workshops, reading diverse materials, and exposing yourself to new ideas.
Think of a leader’s brain as a fine wine, as it gets better with age and continuous refinement.
Emotions, Stress, and Leadership: The Path to Emotional Intelligence
Leadership is not just about strategy; it’s about emotional intelligence. Stress often clouds emotional clarity, and without it, we hit and miss on decision-making.
To prevent this from constantly happening, you must learn to practice active listening, be able to cultivate empathy and understand the emotional landscape of not just yourself, but also your team, as this not only enhances leadership but also fosters a harmonious work environment.
STRESS: Both A Disruptor and a Catalyst
In the realm of emotions, stress can be both a disruptor and a catalyst. But in between – there’s your emotional intelligence.
Your level of emotional intelligence allows you to discern between the two, as it’s the ability to understand not just your emotions but also the emotions of those around you. When stress arises, emotional intelligence guides you to “respond” RATHER THAN “react”.
Nurturing a Resilient Mind: Brain-Boosting Tips for Leaders
A resilient mind is a leader’s fortress. But how can one boost their resilience? Well, there are plenty of options for this.
Getting quality sleep, balanced nutrition, and regular exercise.
Delegating tasks, outsourcing when needed, and building a robust support system.
Journaling is your bonus tool—it’s not just about documenting, but processing.
A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO RESILIENCY
Nurturing a resilient mind involves a holistic approach. It’s not just about managing stress when it occurs but creating a lifestyle that minimizes its impact.
Quality sleep is your brain’s recovery period, balanced nutrition provides the fuel for optimal cognitive function, and regular exercise is the key to a healthy mind in a healthy body.
In your leadership journey, remember that stress isn’t the enemy; but a companion.
By understanding its nuances, you can harness its energy for growth.
Navigate the neural terrain, cultivate cognitive resilience, and unlock the limitless potential of your brain!
GET HELP IF YOU NEED
Ready to embark on this journey? I invite you to explore my Complimentary Resource for Leaders for more insights. Together, let’s master stress, nurture resilient minds, and lead with unwavering brilliance.
Is it even possible? To be able to manage stress every day in our lives, or before they even come?
If you ever wondered whether quick fixes work better as they’re usually easier, you might want to reconsider and look for long-term changes as well, as working on both ends has better chances of helping you live a good life.
FACT: STRESS IS, AND WILL ALWAYS BE PART OF OUR LIVES.
Yes, it’s part of us, and part of what biologically makes us. It’s a biological reaction we can never lock out. It’s been there and always comes knocking when we cannot meet life’s current demands.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
Instead of trying to get rid of the stress in our system, because it literally won’t ever happen, we just have to learn to “keep” the stress levels at “NORMAL LEVEL”.
The stress that we feel only happens when our stress levels are above what our bodies naturally need.
SO HOW DO WE KEEP OUR STRESS LEVELS NORMAL?
From my own experience of tragic deaths happening together with work overload and life overload in general, the days when I was lost… and as a Certified Stress Strategist and a Doctor, here are the things that can really help you:
1. THE HERE AND NOW
“What does that even mean?”
The Here and Now is a skill really helpful to use during raging stress levels. It simply means keeping your focus “at the very moment” you’re in, like instead of thinking the what ifs after the fact, you just pause, take deep breaths, and take a good look at WHERE YOU’RE AT.
Doing so prevents you from having anxiety or panic attacks.
Some people have this naturally within them, but to some, it takes a lot of practice.
Starting slowly with daily practice of 3-5 minutes of mini-meditation or breathing exercises, and then slowly increasing the time to 10 minutes and so on, helps.
2. THE LONG TERM
Focusing on the here and now is what can help you the moment you’re experiencing stress. But when you have calmed down, you must also get to the “root cause” of your stress.
What triggered you? What stressed you out? Is there something you can do about it to change it? Are there necessary changes you can make in order to avoid the trigger long-term, or forever if it can be controlled?
Getting to the root cause or the trigger, and making changes so that the trigger doesn’t often happen, will help you avoid the same experience again.
THE LONG-TERM TOOLKIT
As I mentioned stress is and will always be part of our lives, I also have seen a pattern and the 3 things that matter in your long-term toolkit.
Mindset: Are you mentally prepared to make the changes you need to make? Because if you’re not, you won’t act on it.
Energy: One key thing in preventing attacks is living healthy, as it’s a good source of energy. We know how draining it is for our energy to deal with stress.
Your External Platform: You have a world outside your body, and it matters in the long term. Keep good acquaintances, those that are mentally and emotionally healthy for you, not an additional cause of stress.
WHAT THE NEUROSCIENCE SAYS
Neuroscience is clear: We are wired to be mono-taskers, Our brain cannot effectively concentrate on more than one thought at a time, and it better be an active thought by you than an amygdala hijack moment. After that micro-rest, you will feel calmer and more effective.
Hence, the here and now or the “at the moment” actions mentioned above, as it helps in resting your brain from your problem for a few seconds..
And it doesn’t even cost a penny! You just have to see the clearer, bigger picture – then when calm enough, tackle the root cause.
And don’t forget about…
INCREASING YOUR ENERGY
Increasing your energy, or raising your potential capacity is necessary because with more energy, you’ll be able to do more without getting stressed.
But if it’s just too much… Don’t forget the practical tips too, such as:
Delegating tasks/outsourcing
Sleeping, eating, & exercising for health and happy hormones
SOUNDS ALL EASY, UNTIL YOU NEED TO ACTUALLY DO THEM
It all sounds so easy, doesn’t it? But then why is it hard to do it consistently?
BONUS
Try journaling.
Yes, maybe play some music in the background and just start writing things down.
Writing helps you to be able to reflect more, plan more, and even release more. Jotting down things that stress you out, your goals, where you’re currently at, your action plan, and your emotions…
Self-care. What really is it and how do you make sure you’re already doing it right? Or when you’re having a hard time, how do you even start?? Are you even getting the results that you want?
ACTION, ACTION, & ACTION
When you start to feel low, it’s natural that your mind wanders a lot and gets into a lot of thinking.
But you must watch out, as that can easily escalate to overthinking – and you’ll immediately spiral down to a negative look, without you even realizing.
So how do you really care for yourself through action?
Instead of thinking when feeling low, START DOING – as the best-underrated antidote to overthinking is… “ACTING”.
When you act, even if that is the bare minimum you’re giving, that’s one step ahead! One clutter cleaned and one step closer to clarity.
TAKE A LOOK AROUND
Everyone almost always tells you to “control your emotions”, without considering that it’s not always easy to do that naturally.
It takes awareness of one’s emotions and lots of practice.
Can someone really even take hold or get a good control of their emotions, when they’re not even aware of the way they’re acting?
Control requires awareness. Without being aware of something, the power to change it is close to none.
So, take a look around. How do people react? Does it seem off? Do they do the same way? What ticks them off, what do they like? Pay close attention to those and you can start living mindfully.
HOW DOES ONE ACT WHEN FEELING LOW?
When we feel low, it’s natural we don’t feel like doing anything or we feel really unproductive. What do we do?
ONE STEP AT A TIME.
Are you set to take the act? Are your tools ready? Say for work, you feel low so you don’t feel like working. But does the look of your work desk help? Is it full of clutter? A clean surrounding helps boost productivity too.
UTILIZING WILLPOWER
The best way to utilize oneself’s willpower is to “JUST TAKE THE FIRST STEP”. When you take the first step, you’ll be one step ahead and you’ll see where you were, and where you are after taking that first step.
With the first step, you’ll boost more of your willpower when your brain sees that YOU HAVE PROGRESS.
So really, yes, save your energy and refrain from being a victim of overthinking, and just start TAKING THAT FIRST STEP.
HOW OVERTHINKING BEGINS
Some won’t really be able to stop overthinking, because they don’t see how it begins – so let me walk you through its process.
You saw something in front of you, it was enough to get your attention. And then you saw a dot behind it, and one more further – they all seem related, so you connect the dots.
That’s the present, being connected to the past, and the future. And then more dots come in, so you draw more possibilities in your mind until ideas just keep on coming.
You get excited as more ideas come until your brain gets tired and couldn’t give you more ideas, and you try so hard to think more – you start to get tired, which leads you to more overthinking:
“Where did it go wrong, am I still thinking this right?”, and such.
HOW TO AVOID FATIGUE FROM THOSE IDEAS
You start with the PROCESS. Do not overthink things, when you already have something good, START THE PROCESS.
Or else you’ll lose all your energy into thinking and have no energy left for the real deal – ACTION.
ACTION, that leads to RESULTS.
IF YOU WANT RESULTS, FOCUS ON THE ACTION
Always remember, overthinking could kill your productivity – but you have the power to turn the tables and instead kill your overthinking through productivity.
Plan -> Execute -> Results NOT Plan -> plan more -> plan more….
GET HELP IF YOU NEED
If it feels hard to decide what you want to do on your own – get a mentor. Reach out if you need help. It is always important and there will always be things that you can support.
Check HERE to see if you feel like we’re a good fit.
Stress… an annoying word and annoying feelings – hence needed to be appropriately managed before it progresses to something we don’t want, or worse, something unmanageable.
INTRO TO STRESS MANAGEMENT: STICKING TO THE WAY WE FUNCTION
Stress management today is still about sticking to the way we functioned 200,000 years ago in Savannah.
We have survival instincts and we either fight, freeze, or flight. The only difference is the changing scenarios and situations we need to face.
BUT THAT’S WHERE OUR BASIC BIOLOGY IS WIRED
Like 200,000 years ago, we need to know the HOWs in order to survive – just like how we need to learn everything else.
So how did our ancestors survive? By using the basic survival instincts of fight, flight, or freeze, right?
The only problem is…
Is it still applicable in today’s modern world?
Can you punch your boss when he’s stressing you out with the things he/she wants you to do? Can you just run away from all your work deadlines? Or can you just freeze and not do anything at all when given a task to accomplish?
Instead, we need work to survive in our daily lives. Again, WE NEED WORK. And doing the flight, freeze, or fight tactic WOULD all make us LOSE WORK.
So, what do we do?
WE GET THE PRINCIPLES AND REAPPLY
We get the principles and the foundation of our basic biology, and then we reapply it to the appropriate scenarios.
But how do we even do that?
That’s where THE 5 ACTIONABLE STEPS TO MANAGING STRESS COME:
1. UNDERSTANDING STRESS SOURCES
The first step is understanding where your stress comes from. What causes it? What are your triggers? What is stress and when does it spike?
This is a necessary first step because without understanding something, we will fail to evaluate and see the options we have in fixing it.
Our ancestors during the Savannah understood that they are always fighting for survival. They understood that the cause of their stress and the triggers are rooted in the fear of not surviving such as getting eaten by the animals. Once they understood what situation they were in, they saw their survival options.
2. MINDSET
We have to embrace the fact, that stress work is also about mindset, and that everything else can also be about mindset.
Why? Because when you practice training your mindset, your thoughts eventually invade your subconscious, and your subconscious makes us act based on your subconsciousness’ deepest desires.
Let’s reapply in Savannah. Our ancestors knew they wanted to survive, no matter what. They could be tired physically or mentally, but deep inside, they know THEY WANT to survive. So in that desire to survive, their bodies act that way in times of danger.
3. MOVING AROUND
Moving around is vital as it helps in giving you energy and it also helps in your thinking and processing.
We have a connection between our muscles and brain cells, that when we move our muscles, so do our brain cells – helping us be able to think clearer.
Wonder why our ancestors run and choose flight even when they can fight, then suddenly do some sure-win survival movements after running? Because when they choose flight, they don’t just run away to survive – they also buy themselves time. Time to think of a way to defeat their opponent, time to make a great escape, or time to just figure out a way to survive at that specific moment.
4. Healthy Sleeping & Eating Habits
This is a no-brainer. We get grumpy when we do not get enough sleep, just as how we get grumpy when we are hungry.
Our ancestors still sleep and eat in the Savannah, but if they get good and healthy amounts of it is the question… it’s possible but depends on whether they have #5 below.
5. Support System
We often forget or fail to realize the importance of having a strong support system. I’m sure you’re familiar with the famous saying: “No man is an Island”.
Why? Life can be lonely, and sometimes we make decisions based on emotions – but having a strong support system helps us be better than that.
It’s great to get different insights, and the support is healthy (just make sure to find ones you can trust, this is crucial).
But how is the support system beneficial in Savannah?
As mentioned, they were in survival mode. Without a support system, they’re just easy targets for the animals. At the same time, without this, they will fail to get healthy amounts of sleep because they have no one to be on the lookout for while they sleep, plus hunting food would be harder as opposed to when they’re in a group.
SAME BASE SYSTEM, DIFFERENT SCENARIOS
You see how we’re wired, and how we have the same base system but just needs to be applied in different scenarios?
That’s how we can successfully deal with and manage our stress levels. We are naturally wired to those, we just have to be creative in order to make it applicable in our today’s world.
REMEMBER WHERE IT ALL STARTS
Always remember that you have to understand where it all starts – without these, your options will not be accurate or effective.
Remember, same principles… but different applications.
GET HELP IF YOU NEED
If it feels hard to decide what you want to do on your own – get a mentor. Reach out if you need help. It is always important and there will always be things that you can support.
Check HERE to see if you feel like we’re a good fit.
On top of being a speaker, mentor, and stress strategist, I am a Medical Doctor who works in healthcare every now and then. And that includes having a very extraordinary day at work which reminded me that stress indeed, is a lifelong story.
HOW IS STRESS A LIFELONG STORY?
BECAUSE HEY, LIFE HAPPENS…
So I was in primary care in a small station that is almost in the middle of nowhere – with 2 doctors in an ordinary day – and one of them was on vacation so I got called in.
I’m familiar with the place as I’ve been there already many times before.
So I thought, yeah, no problem.
BUT THEN UNEXPECTED THINGS HAPPEN.
Yes, oh how we hate them – when a few unexpected things come out of the ordinary – it just triggers our stressors to rise. Right?
For me, it was that day that I needed to be the replacement doctor for the one on vacation. Because out of all days, systems could mess up the work, it chose that day.
“We cannot get into the computers”.
I WAS WORRIED.
I felt some stress coming. How could I not? We were totally dependent on computers! Patient records, prescriptions, ordering of tests…
That’s basically how we operate.
STRESS CAME IN, HIGH.
Stress came in very quickly because patients also started coming in. Patients who booked but you don’t have their names, records, or anything.
Imagine the stress, delay, and everything. What do we do?
THANKFULLY, ONE WORKED.
We saw one who got into her computer. It was lagging, and couldn’t do prints at all – nothing extra, but at least we could read?!
So we took photos. Copies for us to use as a list of who was booked at what time, but that’s it – no records, only the booked names.
STILL ANOTHER PROBLEM, BUT ONE STEP AT A TIME
Still stressful because we only have the names, but still don’t have anything other than that.
The patients had no clue. They came in and needed help, but we don’t have their history at hand.
WE JUST CAME UP FRONT AND WERE HONEST ABOUT IT.
“So our main system’s not working at the moment so we do not have access to your history. Do you remember what you’ve done before or the medications you’ve been given, or are still taking at the moment?”
WE WROTE EVERYTHING DOWN.
We just had to scribble down everything because we couldn’t record them where we usually do – and it was all integrated in the system we use for main records but then we gotta do what we do and work on what we only had.
IT’S A BIG ISSUE
Apparently, we weren’t the only healthcare who experienced it. It was everywhere in that area, and entirely out of the tiny healthcare’s control.
All we could do was wait for the bigger ones to fix the systems we all use.
THERE WERE EMERGENCIES
I had a full schedule of patients and 2 that came as emergencies. I had to handwrite the
preferred referral paper, which was supposed to be just sent in the integrated system we all had.
ONE OF THE MOST STRESSFUL HEALTHCARE EXPERIENCE
Admittedly, this was one of the more stressful days I had in health care in many years.
No kidding, we get a handful of patients every day, and the system makes everything easier, faster, and smoother – basically a more efficient workflow for the Doctors and the patients.
But with that unexpected system-wide breakdown, we all had to keep up with the many things we needed to do and patients just kept on coming in like usual, but because of the unexpected hiccup, we all were much slower than usual.
So the patients were piling up and all.
It was really really stressful, as there were some prescriptions we really needed to give but couldn’t because some patients couldn’t remember their history, and we don’t have access to the record.
So they have to come back, but who knows when the issue’s gonna get fixed? The patients needed help.
WE WERE ON THE EDGE.
We were all on the edge all the time, and it was barely lunch break but I felt as if my brain almost stopped working – and I still had the whole day to survive.
BUT THE COMMUNITY HELPED.
We all came to lunch, sat down, and looked at each other, knowing it was all absolutely crazy, but we all ended up just sitting there – LAUGHING.
And it was such a relief.
LAUGHTER, INDEED IS THE BEST MEDICINE.
Sounds cliche, but always works especially on days that you really couldn’t do anything about, and would just waste energy for something out of your hands.
It helps when a community is with you – easier to get reminded.
WE JUST HAVE TO WORK ON WHAT WE HAVE.
In the end, since it was totally out of our control, we went on with our days waiting for the system to get fixed, and while at it just worked on what we had.
RELAX, RESET, RECHARGE
After a long stressful, tiring day…
I would still like to remind you not to forget to squeeze in even a little time for relaxation – so you could reset and be recharged to face another day.
Whether that’s listening to your favorite music, singing, pampering, or just doing nothing – find the time to relax.
Or if reading helps you calm down, might as well read an e-book that teaches you strategies for calm as well
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