But you can do something about it
Harry S. Dennis III, for SBT
The holidays are just around the corner, and the new year is just about here. It’s winter. Inevitably, this is the time of the year when anxiety levels, in general, and stress in particular, go into orbit.
This month, I’d like to reacquaint you with some timeless thoughts, articulated by TEC resource Dr. Martin Blacker, on how to get a quick handle on the source of potential stress these days, and another handle on how to manage it.
There are three stress sources: environmental, somatogenic, and psychogenic. Knowing which category is having the most impact on you is the first step toward developing a strategy to reduce the potential damage to your immune system.
Environmental stress is a function of our external environment such as financial pressures, business problems, a long ride in congested traffic on Interstate 94, children with problems, or a relative in distress.
Somatogenic stress is wholly related to how we punish ourselves by smoking, eating fast foods, not exercising, or drinking heavily.
Psychogenic stress is mental onto ourselves. It surfaces when we take something nominal in our own minds and make it catastrophic.
Interestingly, when under stress, we are usually too preoccupied to notice it. More common is this declaration by a friend or associate, "Hey, have you noticed Mary lately? She looks like she’s stressed out."
Back to the strategies for dealing with stress. The bottom line is that there are only three ways to manage stress: avoid it, minimize it or counteract it. TEC speakers over the years have hammered the point that avoidance is in many cases impossible, minimizing it is hard to measure, and counteracting it is the best stress-proofing alternative.
I’m going to talk about counteraction strategies in terms that we can all relate to.
Things we can do alone
1. Exercise. I like walking on a treadmill the best. Thirty minutes at 4 mph or 3.5 mph (on a down day) three to four times a week does it for me. The point is you have to discipline yourself to do it and then keep track of it (documentation will make you feel good about your progress). A notation on your daily calendar is good enough.
2. Diet. Obviously, a proper diet enhances your immune system. These days we all know what a proper diet is all about.
3. Nutrition and supplements. Arguable I know, but I, personally, have benefited from the use of supplements. Stop at your neighborhood health food store. You will be surprised to see the new offerings in this category. You know, it’s medically documented that placebos can make you feel better. That means that even if the supplements aren’t for real, you will feel as though they are.
4. Meditation. It induces what the experts call the "autogenic" response. That’s a fancy word to indicate that when it occurs your heart rate slows down, blood pressure and sweat gland activity decrease, the blood vessels dilate, and skin temperature rises.
I try to meditate twice a day, 10 minutes each. All it entails is sitting in a restful position, closing your eyes, and telling yourself over and over again that you are relaxing. No interruptions, no distractions. Believe me, you will come out of it like you would from a one-hour restful nap.
5. Sleep. Believe it or not, today’s thinking is that we need more of it, not less. But each one of our body chemistries and metabolisms do respond differently. The recommended average is eight solid hours between pillow to the floor. Insomnia does increase stress levels, but it is treatable.
Things we can do with others
1. Focus. A stress reliever that has an instant positive impact is to focus on others rather than yourself. Dr. Bowen White, another distinguished TEC resource, states that in this regard "the best leader is the best servant." Focusing on others (colleagues, family, and friends) offers a high degree of personal satisfaction that is also calming when in stressful waters.
2. Play. Play can run the gamut from a weekly tennis or golf game to a hobby that requires a different type of play (bridge, model airplane combat, bowling, or "real time" interactive computer games). Play was a critical growing experience early in our lives and, unfortunately, it is one of the few early imprints that is not naturally sustained in adult life. But what a wonderful stress buster!
3. Service. Volunteering for any cause that enriches the lives of others because of your personal effort is an easy and great way to reduce personal stress. For instance, all it takes is a walk through a retirement home, sharing some intimate moments with residents, to make one realize how precious life is and how dysfunctional stress is to our everyday existence.
As we approach the time when the curtain closes for 2002, I sincerely hope that your curtain of stress disappears in 2003. Until next month, good de-stressing it!
Harry S. Dennis III is the president of TEC (The Executive Committee) in Wisconsin and Michigan. TEC is a professional development group for CEOs, presidents and business owners. He can be reached at 262-821-3340.
Dec. 20, 2002 Small Business Times, Milwaukee
