You learn that you are among the top three candidates for a high-level job, and the final selection will be determined by your performance in a 30-minute presentation to upper-level managers. As you get ready for this presentation, do you consider it a stress or a challenge?
In the words of William James, a noted 19th century American philosopher and psychologist, “The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” If we think of it as stressful, it undoubtedly will be.
Job opportunities do not come around every day, but opportunities to feel stress do. There are the pressures of daily life–a traffic jam on the way to work, an impossible deadline, a child with a fever who can’t go to day care.
There are bigger pressures that occur from time to time: marital conflict, the loss of a job, the death of a close friend. And from time to time, we may get caught up in a major traumatic event over which we have no control, such as a tornado, flood or random act of violence.
Again some wisdom from William James: “Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune.”
Contemporary life is jam packed with stress; that’s the popular view. We are warned to cut back on the stress in our lives or face the consequences.
The physical reaction associated with stress was protective for our ancestors who had to fight off predators. Stress hormones such as adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol trigger a physical reaction: a quickened heart rate followed by increased blood flow to muscles and brain. Over the short term, these prepare us to either fight or flee.
When this physical reaction is linked to modern-day stressors such as traffic jams and tight deadlines, the chronic physical reaction can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, weight gain, depression and lower productivity at work.
Stress is usually thought of as an enemy, but any event, even a positive one, can be stressful. Having a baby is a wondrous event; but it can be highly stressful. Sometimes you feel stressed out for seemingly no reason at all. And what is perceived as stressful varies widely from person to person.
Mindset Is Key
A series of studies by Yale psychologists published in 2013 focused on the role of “mindset” in determining whether an event is experienced as stressful or challenging. If you have a negative mindset, that traffic jam on the highway is part of your stressful lifestyle. If you have a positive mindset, it’s an opportunity to relax and listen to music.
When subjects, students in an undergraduate psychology class, were given a stressful assignment, those with a positive mindset responded with an optimal release of cortisol, a major stress hormone. As a result, they were better able to handle the assignment. And, in this study, they were also more likely to grow from the experience by seeking feedback on how well they had performed. So the benerfits were both physical and behavioral.
In sports, we think of positive mindset as confidence. When Lebron James or Kobe Bryant takes a last second shot to determine a national championship, he doesn’t feel stress because he knows it is going to go in (even if it doesn’t always). Coaches teach that players who succeed have confidence in their own ability and confidence in the ability of their teammates. It’s all a way of managing stress and improving performance.
Repeated missed shots can undermine confidence, of course, just as repeated traffic jams can. If you let confidence sag, you not only go into a downward spiral yourself, but your slump tends to rub off on your fellow workers, family members or team-mates.
University of Texas researcher Marci Gleason has focused on the stress generation theory. In her view, stress begets more stress. Persons who worry overly much and over-react have more negative things happen to them compared to those with a more distant attitude and personality. And, over time, they develop an aura of negativity that affects their relationships with those who might otherwise be supportive.
Again, it comes back to the advice of William James: choosing one thought over another. Take charge of your thoughts and your emotions. If you can’t change the situation, change your reaction to it.
Another major factor in dealing with stress is the feeling of being in control. Contrary to popular belief, powerful leaders do not feel overly stressed. In fact, studies have found that they have lower levels of stress hormones and less anxiety than those working under them who face the same situation but have less control over it.
Control is crucial, and there are practical things you can do to exert control over the stressors in your life:
• Control your schedule by setting priorities, learning to say no and, whenever possible, delegating responsibility. Trusting your colleagues or teammates is part of that positive mindset that breeds winners.
• Be assertive and deal with conflicts head-on. Respectfully let others know your concerns but be willing to compromise.
• Accept things you can’t change and move on, looking for the positive side of the situation.
• Set aside time to relax and, if you feel so inclined, try yoga, meditation or deep breathing to help you relax.
• Get plenty of sleep. Studies show that persons who start the day in a bad mood have a more negative frame for interpreting what happens to them during the day. And they react in a way that triggers negative reactions from others. It’s a vicious cycle.
• Exercise regularly; it’s the most effective way for dealing with pent-up tension.
• Eat a healthy diet and try to avoid emotional crutches such as caffeine, sugar, nicotine and alcohol. They can make matters worse rather than better.
• Stay in touch with a core of friends and family who can provide understanding and support.
• If you feel overwhelmed, seek help from a qualified mental health professional.
REFERENCES:
Megan Brooks, “More stress equals more headaches,” Medscape Medical News, February 21, 2014 (66th annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, April 26-May 3, 2014, Abstract 344).
Sherrie Bourg Carter, “Six myths about stress,” Psychology Today, September 25, 2012.
Alia J. Crum and Peter Salovey, “Rethinking stress: the role of mindsets in determining the stress response,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2013;Vol.104,No.4:716-733.
Paul Huljich, “The stress pandemic,” Psychology Today, July 31, 2012.
National Institute of Mental Health, “Adult stress-frequently asked questions.”
Michael O’Riordan, “Stress much? Study suggests lower BP among worriers,” Heartwire, April 10, 2014.
Thea Singer, “The perfect amount of stress,” Psychology Today, March 13, 2012.
Melinda Smith, M.A., Robert Segal, M.A., and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., “Stress symptoms, signs, & causes,” HelpGuide, updated April, 2014.
“What is stress? How to deal with stress,” Medical News Today, last updated August 27, 2013.
Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph.D., “The six best-kept secrets about stress,” Psychology Today, March 12, 2013.
07/21/2014
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