Stress less? Stress different!
(c) Gerd Altmann /pixelio
Recently, all laughters were on my side during a group of people. I was telling them the title of the last training I have been providing: „Stress Management“ What was so funny about? Well, to them it seemed to be weird to learn to manage stress. They were opting to stop stress, to get rid of it. But is that realistic? And do we really want to go there? So lets take a closer look at one of the many different existing stressconcepts, which was developped by the famous "father of stress". this might provide new perspectives in some points about stress.
Let take a look to get new perspectives in some points about stress. Knowing how our body functions, we obviously need a certain kind of stress. The organizational Psychologist Hans Selye found the amazing stress concept, which consists of twoe very diffrent experiences of stress. He found out, that stress works in two very different ways: the first is, that its kind of fuel to our body system. It enables us to to grow and show good performances, and leads to positive emotions. So far, so good.
On the other hand, tasks and requirements that are leading towards feeling overextended, feeling threatened, is negative stress. So the idea is, that there is a continuum floating from one end to the other. And that´s the good ones, as there are may ways to deal with tasks and projects, to design a workplace and work life that reduces stress. The most important thing is, to create an awareness.
In his HBR Blog http://blogs.hbr.org/schwartz/2012/04/stress-is-not-your-enemy.html?goback=.gde_3044917_member_110565866 „stress is not your enemy“ Tony Schwartz presents his growth ideas about stress. He argues, that the mere exposition to stress can lead to growing stress resistance. So even more, you could be training your body in this discipline, growing your self awareness and strengthen your body and mind.....and you will finally end up with the ability to cope with challenging situations and life events - psychologists know this phenomenon as resilience ; )
So: don´t stress less, but stress different!
Yours, Netti Kutsche-Roch
