Deal with stress like a star

Everyone is bound to face stress from time to time but how you deal with it is what differentiates a performer from a star performer. There is no “one size fits all” solution to dealing with stress, however there are some important guidelines that can be helpful. The first thing to remember when dealing with stress, particularly stress in the workplace, is to affirm your values.  Work can be very stressful for many people, which is why we have people begin our workshops or learning programs by affirming in writing and verbally their commitment to creating some type of greater good from their work. This creates engagement and stress visibly decreases. It’s a motivator, too. Affirmations in this context are positive, specific statements that help one overcome self-sabotaging, negative thoughts while building a strong vision for the future and the value they are able to provide to their organization and ultimately society at large.  Such statements in turn help individuals facing a stressful situation visualize, and believe in, the values they have developed, enabling them to make positive, sustainable changes in their performance. The power of affirmation is well supported in science. In a study by researchers at Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, people who used positive affirmations for two weeks experienced higher self esteem than at the beginning of the study. Also, in a study published in the Journal of American College Health, researchers found that women treated with cognitive behavioral techniques, which included use of positive affirmations, experienced a decrease in depressive symptoms and negative thinking. A study by researchers at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, had similar results, and came to a similar conclusion. We’ve also found that review of a passionate statement from the positive deviants in the organization by a user of the system creates engagement, which reduces stress, and also seems to positively motivate people. Stress happens. Its part of life and it’s not always possible to fix a situation in the best way possible. More often than not, maintaining focus on the greater purpose will lead to a successful outcome and minimize the impact stress has on performance.]]>