Ask anyone in business today if they feel stressed and under pressure and, at least 85 times out of a hundred, you will get the answer ‘yes.’ Stress can and does affect performance. Individuals tend to think that we can hide the signs and that, therefore, other people will not notice. This is simply not the case. We all have issues with stress, how we deal with them is what makes us different. Certain individuals can recognise the signs and then take positive actions to deal with it, others continue blindly on perhaps until they can continue no more and illness forces them to take a rest.

Recognition of the symptoms of stress is vital if you are going to get the best out of your team and be a quality leader. It is not enough to simply ask ‘Are you alright?’ and just accept the answer because when we have noticed a difference in their work rate or standard of work, ‘Yes I am fine’ is clearly not the truth. Likewise, if we are stressed, our team will pick up on this and we will all become less effective.

I would like give you some examples of the types of symptoms that indicate whether a person could be stressed. Consider physical, behavioural and emotional symptoms. Physical symptoms could be frequent colds, muscle tension, headaches, arthritis, backache, fatigue, muscle twitching, rashes or itching, ulcers - the list goes on. Behavioural symptoms - perhaps nervousness or aggressiveness when one is not normally nervous or aggressive. Or the use of alcohol, poor posture, difficulty in  concentrating, anger, teeth grinding, compulsive eating, daydreaming, sleeplessness and sighing. Emotional symptoms – well, they can be depression, impatience, loneliness, anxiousness, frustration, inflexibility.
So what are some of the methods for dealing with stress? As we stated earlier, recognition is fine, but how can you deal with it? It is not often practical to expect to run off into the country every time we feel that we are under pressure or stressed. There are however positive ways to deal with it. Let us consider four: active, mental or physical distraction; self nurturance or spoiling; emotional expression; and confronting the issue.
Firstly active, mental or physical distraction: look at hobbies that you can take or retake up, such as gardening, reading, sewing, listening to music, crosswords, woodwork, houseplants, chess, cooking, writing letters, DIY - the list goes on, even going to the cinema or theatre or perhaps shopping. Then there is physical exercise – walking, jogging, squash, cycling, tennis, golf, you get the idea. Even chores are an active physical distraction such as housework, laundry, ironing, washing the car or grocery shopping. Then there are people, why not have ordinary chitchat with friends and thinking about or helping out someone worse off than you?
Next we have self nurturance or spoiling yourself. First and foremost - rest, take proper breaks, ensure you get enough sleep, take catnaps if you can’t, relaxation exercises and we have done some of those before, yoga, putting your feet up, even a long, hot bath, sauna or a jacuzzi. Look at your diet, always have a proper breakfast and lunch. Have more whole foods and less refined foods and not an excess of any one kind of food and why not check out food allergies. Treats – buy something new or special, have a special meal, have a cuddle, stroke the dog or have an aromatherapy massage. You get the idea.
Then there is emotional expression. Why not write or talk about your stress, unburdening to a friend or colleague, having a moaning session, telephoning someone or writing down your feelings, catharsis – have a good cry! Bash cushions, punch a punch bag, stamp your feet, scream or shout, swear, even smashing or ripping up something that is of little value. Then there is creative, emotional expression, try poetry, painting, drawing, writing a song, singing a song, sculpture, making music, amateur dramatics or dancing.
Finally, confront the issue by thinking, working it through step by step, pinpointing and analysing the problem. Clarify the causes of stress, brainstorm and decide on priorities and make a plan. This may be helpful if you use someone else alongside. So, ask other people for help and advice on certain needs and wants and challenge someone if they are causing stress. Finally, look at the organisation or the system, telling people in power how you think and giving them any information which will help make them change. Join a pressure group or form a project team.
One thing is important though – recognise your stress, get help if necessary and deal with it.

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