These days, stress defines the psychological and physical state occurring when an individual’s resources are not enough to cope
to confront the demands and pressures of a given situation.
If professional stress has long been ignored, it is now an essential subject for companies seeking to provide the best working conditions for their employees. Something which, btw, promotes better performance. Stress management and the ability to manage it positively are now real differentiating assets at work. Nevertheless,
37 % of working persons state to have their sleep disturbed by stress. Only 15%, however, take up the subject of stress with their managers. This taboo is not in the interest of companies since productivity shoots up by 31 % with fulfilled employees. So, how does one convert one’s professional stress into a positive and creative energy?
The signs of stress at work
Confronted to situations that make us feel threatened or upset, the body creates a stress response. This can cause a variety of symptoms, bring about changes in behavior and lead to the experiencing of more intense emotions. These reactions, sometimes quite useful, as during
a reaction to danger placing the body into a state of alert, are, however, generally harmful in a workplace context. Several studies have established a link between chronic stress and a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, depression, gain weight, memory loss, and even premature death. So as to avoid the most dramatic consequences of stress, certain signs can alert individuals: sleep troubles, psychic exhaustion, strong irritability, heightened emotions, series of “light” illnesses or even physical aches and pains. After two years of health crisis, the Empreinte Humaine [Human Footprint] running study reveals that 2,5 million employees just in France would be in a severe burn-out state.
Being positively confronted with stress, it’s possible
Research has shown that stress can sometimes be positive. It can make one more alert and help to better perform in certain situations. However, it is only beneficial if it’s of short duration. Excessive or prolonged stress can entail heart disease and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.
Several techniques allow to internalize one’s stress and to make it something that can be controlled, mastered. One must identify the causes of stress. The psychiatrist Patrick Légeron recommends to give each of these sources of anguish a grade from 0 to 10, to determine which are the dominant ones.
To work on one’s stress,
it’s taking care of oneself first
The basics of stress management rest first on our physical and psychological state. Four main pillars must be taken into account so as to improve in a sustainable manner our sensitivity to stress:
• Nutrition plays a fundamental part. The nutrients contained in certain foods contribute to decrease anxiety. One must favor foods rich in vitamin B, magnesium, Omega-3 or even in vitamin C.
• Sports allow to diminish stress hormones. It also stimulates the production of endorphins. Here too, well-being and relaxation feelings rise up during the practice of sports. Even at work, to stand up is excellent for the whole body. This posture allows to release those tensions accumulated in a seating position. And from a psychological standpoint, it fosters proactivity.
• Rest allows to extend productivity and attention span. Ideally,
one should take a 5 to 10 minute break just about every hour and 30 minutes every 2 to 4 hours. This frequency allows to keep a constant energy level all day long and avoid stress accumulation.
• Meditation allows to better identify and understand one’s issues. Those who practice it regularly demonstrate a better resilience against anxiety and succeed to keep their distance when a stressful element arises.
Stress is unavoidable: “We live in a world of permanent worry, upheaval and uncertainty. You must get used to it”, states Justin Menkes, an author and coaching expert. Shawn Achor, expert in positive psychology and founder of Good Think Inc., adds: “Stress is
an unavoidable part of work and life, but the effect of stress on us
is far from being unavoidable.”
Five keys to face stress
Several techniques allow to deal internally with stress and
to make it into a positive energy:
Technique 1 – to know what is dependent on oneself
One of the most positive things one can do about worry or anxiety
is remembering what one can do and what one can't.
A majority of people spend time feeling bad about things they just can't change. In his book The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor describes an exercise he calls “the island experience”. He suggests to write down a list of all the stress sources and to divide them in two circles, small “islands”. One island contains those things one can control. The other, those over which one has no power. This second island is to be ignored. One does then concentrate on a single concrete action to be undertaken on the first. This will begin
to resolve the stress and will lead towards the objective.
Technique 2 – concentrate on what matters the most
In situations of intense anxiety, it may happen one feels overwhelmed, and one must sometimes know how to choose which next step will be the most effective. To avoid such a situation, it is interesting to go for the so-called “drawer” method. It’s about carrying out tasks one after the other, starting with the most important. This necessarily means a disconnection: it is therefore imperative to silence one’s e-mail inbox and to get away from one’s smartphone!
Technique 3 – stress training
According to Menkes, the best way to learn how to manage stress is through practice: ”If the body is not used to stress and you experience it, you panic and this becomes a vicious circle that must be broken.” Menkes sees this often among the youngest: “They have a more intense reactivity than older people. This is not only a matter of hormones, it’s also a matter of experience. Do not wait for a disastrous situation to try out these techniques”, recommends Justin Menkes. Through training, one approaches the tests in a positive way, knowing one’s capacity to overcome pressure.
Technique 4 – sharing
Some companies assign certain employees with the task of identifying sometimes “weak” signals of stress among others.
This allows to promote sharing and listening among employees, but also to detect any discomfort. Stress reduction increases employee engagement, and therefore their loyalty towards the company. They can even become external ambassadors and thus attract new talents.
Technique 5 – celebrate one’s achievements
The need for accomplishment, expressed in particular in the pyramid of Maslow, is part of the expectations of each individual. Taking note on a regular basis of one’s achievements allows to have a feeling of success that replenishes motivation. Stress disappears little by little, giving room to pride.
It’s better to prevent than to cure
If stress can turn out to be positive, it’s always preferable to work in an environment in which one feels good. In 2021 and 2022, FiveForty° was certified Best Place to Work and ranks in the top 5 of companies with less than 50 employees. This label is witness to the fact that in these companies, employees go forward in a culture of engagement, proof of reciprocal trust and pride of belonging. In fact, at FiveForty°, 100 % of employees make this assertion their own: “As a whole, I can say this is a company where it really feels good to work.”
In conclusion, to choose a job in synch with one’s values and expectations is always the best solution. However, a workplace without pressure does not exist. Knowing how to make of this debilitating stress a creative force is a powerful asset, on the condition to correctly identify it to understand and thus manage it better. It then becomes possible to transform the negativity of stress such as that of one’s coworkers into a positive company-wide energy.
Sources :
10 Simple Ways to Cope with Stress | Sutter Health
Turning Stress into an Asset | Harvard Business Review
Les chiffres et statistiques du stress à l’étranger | (Stress Figures and Statistics abroad) Stress.eu
Ad Libitum weekend Recovery Sleep Fails to Prevent Metabolic Dysregulation during a Repeating Pattern of Insufficient Sleep and Weekend Recovery Sleep | Current Biology
Comment mieux gérer votre stress au travail et éviter le burn-out ? | (How to best manage your stress at work and avoid burn-out ?) Everlaab
Santé : 2,5 millions de salariés en état de burn-out après deux ans de crise sanitaire | (Health: 2.5 million employees in a burn-out state after two years of health crisis) Franceinfo
Rapport au travail et état psychologique des salariés français post-crise : quelles attentes, quelles solutions ? | (Report on the State of work and the psychological state of French employees post-crisis : what expectations, what solutions ?) Empreinte Humaine
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