Is the stress of work life bogging you down? Have you been feeling like a hamster on a wheel—busy but getting nowhere?
Life is too short to spend wound up with stress, or chronically living with a phantom on your shoulder saying you’re not good enough. Only you can decide how much stress you will choose to live with. Whether you’re a top-level executive or trying to climb that ladder of success, there are systems you can put in place that will protect you and help you enjoy life a little more.
Check your expectations: Most of us put high expectations on ourselves. Why? Because intellectually we know there is always something more or better to be achieved. This creates a vicious cycle though. That hamster running wheel feeling stems from never being completely satisfied with our accomplishments. This type of stress shows up in the type of person that always wants to improve the bottom line, the performance numbers, and ratings.
While good numbers may look great on paper and give you a momentary feeling of accomplishment, there is a cost to be paid. A good question to ask is: Is the drive taking me anywhere?
Check your destination: If the drive is taking you somewhere, how will you know when you’re there? How much is enough? Is the destination going to bring you more happiness? Is it worth the drive if along the way normal pleasures are forsaken? Is the drive worth the cost?
While most achievers aren’t willing to risk downgrading the push, especially in a competitive employment environment, choosing the right things to push might make a difference. Don’t keep beating a dead horse, don’t expect your employees to do things you wouldn’t do or have never done, accept failure or loss as part of the learning curve. Before accepting a new assignment, weigh the cost of how your other assignments might be negatively affected. Focus on the main thing.
Change your perspective: Instead of seeing your workload as a mountain, break it into chunks. As you accomplish one thing, check it off and move on to the next one. Learn that saying no to some things might actually put you ahead on others.
Instead of focusing on what is still to be done, or how impossible things seem, remind yourself how much progress you’ve made and how possible things are. Focus on the positive and overcome feelings of self-sabotage and helplessness.
Accept change as part of life: Of course it’s difficult to be headed in one direction only to realize part way there, the game has changed. Any business going anywhere will experience change.
Those that have trouble with change seem to like to worry and gossip about it. Change is rarely about some mean wannabe person “up there” in management trying to squeeze you out. Unless change is pointed toward growth there’s no point to it, so find out what the growth target in the change is. Then see how you can fit in and be a catalyst of change.
The reality of today’s work culture means most people are confronted with a high range of stressors. You are certainly not alone. The best way to deal with stress is to manage it before it manages you. Stressors, when harnessed, can be converted into energy and motivation that will help you enjoy your life.
At SCR, we can help you find the experienced, innovative energy sector talent you need. We supply talent throughout the world, and we can find you the people you need for your organization or your next project. Contact us today!
