I hear many people say that they feel stressed and overwhelmed. A certain amount of stress is good for us but extreme stress has a negative impact on us and causes illness.

Increased stress levels may be a symptom of globalisation, the advances in technology and the 24/7 connected world which leads to people feeling that they are always plugged in and on. There are a variety of reasons why people feel stressed such as workloads, juggling work and family life, commuting, relationships, job interviews, public speaking, making ends meet etc.

Stress is a major cost for businesses. According to a survey by Labour Force, the British economy is losing £2.4 billion a year due to work-related stress, depression or anxiety. The research also suggests that a total of 30 million working days were lost to these conditions between 2012 and 2015. Stress accounted for almost half of all work absences (43%). The World Health Organisation declared stress to be the health epidemic of the 21st century.

In view of the cost to the economy I was interested to watch a documentary recently on the topic presented by Fiona Philips called “The Truth about Stress.”

The programme provided some useful insights into the subject of stress and suggestions on stress reduction techniques. Here are some of the insights that I gained from the programme:-

The symptoms of anxiety and excitement are the same and we need to use them positively

Professor Ian Robertson, Neuroscientist and Clinical Psychologist explained the symptoms of anxiety and excitement are the same e.g. racing heart, twisting stomach, dry mouth, and sweaty skin. He claimed that you can change the anxious feelings into feelings of excitement by writing a line of code in the mind. These three words allow you to control anxiety. The words are “I feel excited” and it works on the principle that you “fake it until you make it.”

He got Fiona Phillips to get on a zip wire 30 metres up (something that made her feel very anxious and she didn’t want to go down the zip wire). However, the Professor got her to repeat “I feel excited” and it enabled her to travel down the wire.

One of the hormones released into our brains when anxious/excited is noradrenaline

To counteract anxiety it’s important that we tap into the energy of a stressful situation. Noradrenaline is produced in a tiny area of the brain called locus coeruleus which is sensitive to how much carbon dioxide is in our blood. We can regulate it by taking a few slow breaths and control it further by adopting a confident head up posture. This helps to deepen the breath and it also affects our mood.

Too much or too little of noradrenaline and our brain under performs but once we hit the sweet spot where we’re challenged but not overwhelmed we’re capable of performing at our best!

Harness stress to your advantage

Harnessing stress positively can help people to feel less anxious. Successful business people, athletes and performers do this all the time. The programme went some way to explaining how they optimise stress to turn out world class performances. A middle distance athlete Ellie Stevens was featured. She had lost confidence in herself through not being able to complete because of illness and injury.

She worked with Tom Bates, a Sports Psychologist, who explained that Ellie was in a stressed state because of the challenges she was going through and this was preventing her from doing what she loved. He helped her to realise that she can achieve what she aspires to achieve. He taught her to think about her stress in a more positive way. Ellie’s performance dramatically improved over a couple of months when she changed her perception of stress and used it to enhance her performance.

What you think, you will become

People are always saying “I am stressed” or “I’m stressed out” and sadly this can become their reality. We can’t exceed our own self-image and the way we see ourselves is what we become. If we expect lots of hassle at work and lots of pressure or if we expect to get stressed when we get into a traffic jam, we will live out our expectations.

We can’t always control situations we find ourselves in but we can always control our response. Our mindset defines our performance. Stress can be seen as something very positive and can drive success instead of becoming a hindrance. It’s all to do with the way we see it and the way we use it that matters. It can be the difference between a bad performance and a gold medal or an A or D grade in an exam.

Stress can be a really empowering tool and it’s down to us to use it properly. It’s a complex, powerful, perfectly natural response to situations. It is part and parcel of everyday life and it’s difficult to avoid it but there are ways to keep it under control.

Here are 3 ways to reduce stress:-

  1. Improve your diet. Eat a balanced diet with healthy foods that help to energise you. Ensure you include fruit and vegetables in your daily intake and drink plenty of water. Avoid drinking too many caffeine laden drinks and comfort foods.
  2. Increase physical exercise. This helps to release endorphins which help counteract the negative thoughts and anxiety which means our bodies release less cortisol. Regular exercise helps you to feel more energised and lighter and helps you to feel good.
  3. Practice Mindfulness. This helps us to anchor our attention in the present moment and spend less time reliving the past or allowing our mind to race forward into the future. It allows us to pay attention to the present moment without judgement.

This week, take a few moments out to reflect and consider how your stress levels are at the moment. What action can you take to ensure that you use stress in an empowering and helpful way?

This week’s quotation:

“A Calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence, so that’s very important for good health.” Dalai Lama.

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk