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Many executives in our team complain of being overworked and hence stressed out. We take a look at some of the main factors that lead to stress and some simple techniques to manage stress:
- Knowing that you are stressed: Many people do not recognise that they are suffering from the effects of stress till they collapse (with a nervous breakdown or illness). Hence realisation of stress allows one to plan for mitigating actions.
- Identify stressors: There are 3 major stressors - professional, personal and emotional. There is a misconception that workload as the only reason for stress. Most people are stressed due to personal and emotional reasons but tend to think that their work is getting to them. Personal and emotional stressors generally remain hidden and are difficult to identify.
One of the following techniques can help to alleviate stress:
1) Value what you do - People suffering from professional stress can benefit from this technique. People get stressed when they can't seem to like the job they do or are not passionate about it. In most cases this "dislike" manifests in low motivation levels, translating into stress. We would recommend that you either develop a liking for what you do or quit altogether and follow your passion. Liking what you do is an attitude which helps you raise the bar in what you achieve, thus reducing stress.
2) Do your best but try to detach from work - Over-involvement in the work we do can lead to stress. For instance, the failure of a business venture or project can create significant stress for the team involved unless they know how to detach. We recommend a simple principle - "Do your best." If you believe you have done your best at work, just relax once you are done with it. Fretting about it even as you are trying to relax creates mental stress and defeats the objective. Worrying about results creates anxiety, which translates into stress. Hence make every effort to "detach from work" by taking part in leisure activities, be they going to the movies, parties, or social gathering.
3) Play a sport - As they say, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Playing a sport keeps you healthy and sickness at bay. Most people underestimate the power of sport. When we take part in games, we experience a sense of relaxation because we get to focus on something entirely different.
4) Balance your life - Most people think balance is always 50:50. This isn't always the case. If you have higher priorities and are a career-minded person, you could settle for a 60:40 (work: family) balance. The trick is to "decide your balance and follow it" religiously. This will ensure that you have a pattern about your personal life that is predictable. This helps in reducing family stress (which in fact is the hidden stress) and allows your family to plan around you. Such a situation helps the family cope with your work schedules.
5) "Meditation or yoga" - Meditation and other yoga techniques allow one to simultaneously take care of work and personal stress by making one more focused and spiritually aware. Meditation is an art which one can learn easily and regular practice will bring healthy benefits.
- Sanjiv Anand is managing director and Chetan Parekh is a principal consultant with Cedar Management Consulting International.
Your comments
Wonderful tips to get on work and be relaxed. Training and development is my passion. I always look forward to building a career based on it.
Ashfaq Ahmad Mian
Karachi,Pakistan
Posted: November 19, 2008, 13:29
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