Stabilizing My Consulting World

Open the way for a clear thinking mind

Managing Stress and Retaining Peak Performance

For many people, stress is a reality of life. We are constantly pushed to do more, manage more, and balance more. We learn to multi-task, and we use technology to 'keep an open line' for people to contact us. At what point (if any), does our effort to "do more" work against us as opposed to help us?

Having the capability to focus our mind, and dealing with the situation at hand (whether at work or at home) provides the opportunity for peak performance. From this point, we can:

• Determine what critical information is needed to make a decision
• Call upon our colleagues/neighbors/ partners for help as needed
• Understand what our options are as well as the consequences for each
• Make the decision or understand when to make the decision

These micro-processes happen so quickly, we are often unaware that they are happening unless one of these processes is blocked. If stress or stray thoughts distract our minds, then any of these micro-processes can short-circuit.

The key for each person is knowing how to manage their stress so that it does not impair their ability to execute. For each person, managing their stress can take many forms (e.g. exercise, deep breathing, listening to music, spending time with friends).

Observing the Triggers For My Stress

Another important awareness for managing stress is understanding the nature of the stress. At what level could the stress in your life be described?

• Temporary (e.g. "once this big deadline at work is met, things will calm down")
• Situational (triggered by a certain event or perhaps an interaction with an individual)
• Chronic (the list of worries and responsibilities are so long our emergency stress response is always on)

The nature of the stress and what can be done to alleviate that stress will differ for each person. Stress can also build gradually; people inadvertently allow the stress to grow undetected. Therefore, taking stock of one’s stress as well as the trigger points for that stress can reveal effective stress-relievers. Integrating those stress-relieving activities into one's schedule is not just a "nice thing to do." It can be a critical ingredient to retain peak performance and health.