Stress is Good for You…ReallyI had the pleasure of hearing Kelly McGonigal, PhD, @KellyMcGonigal present thoughts from her book, the Upside of Stress, Why Stress is Good for You and How to Get Good at It at the California HR Conference recently. She had a lot of great information to share. Here are a few of her key points:People who experience major challenges increase their resiliency, many top athletes who overcome major adversity go on to rise to the top of their profession.It is impossible to live a stress free life and we wouldn’t really want to. Anxiety can come from too little stress and can lead to depression.Mindset plays a significant role in how you perceive stress, the Growth Mindset creates health and resiliency – see Mindset And How it can Affect Your Destiny enewsHigh levels of stress can lead to burnout, if you see stress as negative. If you view stress as a motivator and energizer you don’t tend to burnout.Three mindset resets to transform stress:View stress as energy, remind yourself how stress can help you.Focus on meaning – for ex. “What’s important about this meeting?”.Choose the courage to grow.During moments of stress, notice and accept it, it’s part of being human.What helps people thrive?Make sure you have enough good stress (growth, learning, love and gratitude).As leaders, get rid of unnecessary stress like red tape, office politics, drama and discrimination.As leaders, give yourself and others resources to engage in meaningful stress outside of work. What policies can you create to allow people to grieve important losses, handle important family needs, etc.?You have the ability to control your thoughts if not always to control your workload, choose positive thoughts to embrace the stress and let it help you succeed. Not a day goes by that I don’t ask someone, “How are you?” and the response is “I’m so busy.” Those who are excited about their work and lives are handling that busyness and stress more positively and effectively that those who are not. If you feel your resilience is low, ask yourself, “What you need? Sleep? Exercise? Healthy food? Quiet time? A hug?” Then get what is needed to boost your resiliency.For more great info, read Kelly’s books and/or watch her TED talk.Words of Wisdom“When you embrace stress, you can transform fear into courage, isolation into connection, and suffering into meaning.” Kelly McGonigalSpeaking, Events and TravelSept. 19-24 - American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration (ASHHRA) Conference, Orlando, FLSept. 26 - Using Emotional Intelligence (EQ) to Enhance Your Healthy Lifestyle, Blog Radio Interview with Therese PaulOct. 2 – Executive Team Development with assessments, Phoenix, AZOct. 21-22 - Healthcare Executives Program Graduation, Marana, AZWe are always grateful for ongoing work with our treasured clients and for referrals! They are one of the highest compliments you can provide.
