Dealing with Stress

In his book “Stress and the Manager”, Dr Karl Albrecht, identified 4 types  of stress:

  1. Time Stress (e.g. deadlines, or overload)
  2. Anticipatory Stress (e.g. fear of exams)
  3. Situational Stress (e.g. during an emergency, or conflict)
  4. Encounter Stress (e.g. dealing with a dreadful colleague, or client)

For more info

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/albrecht-stress.htm

Looking out for stress

  • Feelings
    • Irritability; short- tempered; easily flare up
    • Anxiety or feelings of panic
    • Feel – of being out of control
    • Feeling worried – about your health or anything else
    • Feeling miserable or tearful
    • Apathy or agitation
    • Lowered self -esteem
  • Body Language
    • Muscles
    • Voice & tone
    • Reactive response
    • Feel and notice the emotion
    • Mannerisms
    • Reactions and messages from others
  • Behaviours
    • 1.   Getting worse at managing time
    • 2.   Getting worse at organisation, and others
    • 3.   Rushing hither, thither
    • 4.   Finding it hard to delegate or ask for help
    • 5.  Working longer and longer hours; Bringing work home; working weekends
    • 6.  Avoiding tacking problems, or doing things you dislike
    • 7.        Cutting down on the things you do for pleasure
    • 8.       Losing touch with your friends
    • 9.       Blaming others for the problem
    • 10.    Taking it out on others
    • 11.     Finding there’s no time to enjoy yourself
    • 12.    Needing a drink; drugs
    • 13.     Pornography

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When small stresses pile up over time, as they so often do in the work place, it only takes a minor annoyance or irritation to lose control; in other words, to let the Jerk into the driver’s seat. When this hijacking occurs, we might lash out at a colleague or start to feel helpless and overwhelmed or suddenly lose all energy and motivation. (Goleman, 1996)

Ways to Reduce Stress

  1. Increase your confidence
  2. Being Organised
  3. Support from Friends
  4. Finding ways to enjoy your job
  5. Managing time effectively
  6. Seeing the situation differently
  7. Gratitude

Nine Tactics for reducing stress

(Mindgym, 2009)

Tactic Situation 1 Situation 2
1. Reducing the importance
2. Reducing the likelihood of the nightmare scenario
3. Reframing things in a positive way
4. Celebrating minor successes
5. Using mental energy wisely
6. Escaping
7. Seeking support from friends
8. Asking the right questions
9. Confronting the situation

For more ways to reduce stress see Healthy Self-Soothing https://growthtraps.com/inner-conversation/memory/healthy-self-soothing/