Today is stress awareness day, so I would like you to take a moment to really think about what stress means to you? How often do you feel stressed? How do you manage it and if you are really honest have you been stressed for so long, that it has become your ‘new normal’?
Stress is something which my clients talk about a lot, the pressures of running a business, the stress of a job, the stress of family life, the stress of the modern world. I have written previously about technology and how we never escape it and are always contactable, and how that too brings stress. One thing that also comes up a lot, is that they feel they have no option; this is what they need to do to achieve their goals, to run their business, to keep that job and to provide for themselves and their families. Another thing which comes up a lot is that they feel they have to deal with these stresses alone, they don’t want to worry their partners or families, they might not have colleagues to discuss their concerns with, so they keep on going, they internalise their worries, put their head down and carry on.
If we are honest I think there are times when we have all felt like this, felt pressure and not known a way out of it. Sometimes one of the reasons we don’t reach out for help, is that we are worried we may be judged, that we have failed in some way, or that we will look weak. To use an old saying often ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’, what I know from my own personal experience and from what my clients tell me, is that after seeking help and support, and having another person to hear what you are going through and to be able to get things off your chest really helps.
I truly believe that seeking help and support from others is a real strength, and when you take a step back and look around you, what you will see is that all successful people in business, sports and so on, have a mentor, advisor or a coach. What this allows them to do is to explore different options and ideas, to look at things from other perspectives, to have accountability and to not be in this alone, things then start to become easier. Not only that, but by reaching out and managing their stress they become stronger, more successful and less stressed.
This is only one way to manage stress and we all need to find our own way, I love to swim or be out in nature, but I also have a coach, which is an essential for me both personally and professionally, it helps me to manage any stresses which come up, but it also helps me to become better and stronger. So I will finish up, by asking you this, what you will do to help manage your stress in the future? Will you feel the stress alone, or will you find a way to relieve your stress or find a way to access that support? Remember you do not have to be alone. I would love to hear from you, please post below or drop me an email.
Until next time,
Emma
