Worried about your client presentation? Worry is simply an unpleasant feeling about the future. If left unattended, it escalates into physical problems. Our jaws are clenched, our voices are jaded, and our creativity is stifled. The ball of stress can be felt from our stomach to head, which never seems to diminish. Frustration and irritability are your new workplace norm, yet you know it’s not your true nature.
Work is full of stress nowadays. Stress is the result of chemical messengers producing cortisol. It causes the blood pressure to rise, blood sugar to drop, and suppresses the immune system. When we worry constantly at work and in life, we are also prone to being sick or chronically ill since the body’s basic immunity is weakening day after day. When a feeling is triggered, it starts to scream for your attention making you feel nervous as you reach for a cigarette or carbohydrate-craving meal (to increase the blood sugar levels). The direct connection between food consumption and feeling better is the brain’s feedback mechanism giving you serotonin. Essentially, the ball of stress – worry, anxiety, fear, PTSD, trauma, depression – can bounce back hard if left unacknowledged. (Journal of Personal and Social Psychology).
Part of many emotional intelligence workshops and training is first learning self-awareness and self-regulation of your emotions. If you want to unravel the ball of stress (either the one in your head full of negative self-chatter or the one that attacks the physical body), you need to recognize cues. Start asking specific, realistic questions:
- Do I really need to finish all 10 things by the end of the workday?
- Can I finish a few tasks and pass some action items to another team member?
- What can I do differently next time to avoid delays, disruptions, or disappointment?
- What can I reframe in my mind? “I don’t have enough time to do all these things.” Yes, you do. You make time.
- What part of this situation is in MY power to change?
It will not happen over night or with a pill. It will require dedication, and the rewards are worth it for your brain, body, and confidence. You don’t deserve to live a life of suffering. Better food intake, exercise, breathing, occasional pauses from the rat race, put down your phone, being out in nature, meditation – there are hundreds of techniques to calm down and smooth out the ball of stress that keeps you from reaching your potential.
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