Written by: Ursula Pottinga, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
According to the World Health Organization, stress is classified as the health epidemic of the 21st century.
Nowhere is stress more pronounced than in the workplace. According to Stress.org:
US businesses lose up to $300 billion every single year due to stress.
A whopping 83% of US workers suffer from work-related stress related to heavy workloads, interpersonal issues, poor work-life balance, and lack of job security.
One million workers miss work every day because of stress.
Depression is one of the three main workplace problems, leading to $51 billion in absentee costs and $26 billion in treatment costs.
Work-related stress causes 120,000 deaths and results in $190 billion in healthcare costs yearly.
Stress isn’t limited to the C-suite…
Stress isn’t limited to the C-suite. Entrepreneurs and small business owners face similar challenges. Work stress also spills over to our personal lives. When you add personal stress factors (financial worries, caring for aging parents, raising children) to anxiety about work, it’s hardly surprising that stress levels are at an all-time high.
A recent Gallup study showed that 55% of Americans experience stress daily, 20% higher than the world average of 35% while up to 90% of doctor visits in the US are linked to stress.
The speeding up of our lives due to the tech revolution has certainly contributed to this “stress mess”. The pressure to perform is greater than ever and saying “I am crazy busy” has become a cultural badge of honor. We cram more and more into each day. Our to-do lists get longer and longer. We constantly flirt with burnout.
Is stress all bad?
Now that stress is a predominant thread running through all of our lives, we need to ask the question… Is stress all bad?
Interestingly, stress is not a dirty word when it comes to neuroscience as we begin to understand that some stress is crucial for optimal importance. To appreciate why, we need to take a closer look at the role of the prefrontal cortex or PFC.
The prefrontal cortex is known as the “CEO” of the brain because it controls many of the brain’s executive functions: goal setting, conceptual thinking, decision making, planning, working memory, conflict management, mood regulation, and more.
Getting to “just the right” levels of stress…
Amy Arnsten, a neuroscientist, psychologist and professor at Yale, calls the prefrontal cortex the “Goldilocks” of the brain because its optimal performance is dependent on maintaining the “just the right” balance of two chemicals: dopamine (the “happy hormone) and norepinephrine (a neurotransmitter that is activated in response to stress).
With too little stress, you will produce low levels of these two neurotransmitters. With too much stress, you will activate an increasing flow of these and your prefrontal cortex becomes overwhelmed. In both instances, the chemical disequilibrium will cause you to be distracted, disorganized, and forgetful and you lose empathy!!
With “just the right amount” of stress however, you will be focused, organized, and able to perform at the highest level.
4 ways to manage your stress and increase your performance
Here are four ways you can ensure your brain gets the right level of stress for optimal performance:
Identify your priorities. Always start with your ultimate goal and evaluate each task with the following question. “When it comes to achieving my goal, what do I need to get done today that is both important and urgent?
Establish clear boundaries. Learn to say no. Saying yes to too many things will lead to skyrocketing stress levels. Clarify and communicate what you can and cannot do.
Delegate. Enlisting the brain power of other people is an excellent way to reduce stress. Instead of multitasking, why not focus on one task at a time and give the rest to someone else?
Talk about your stress. If you are feeling overwhelmed, reach out to a trusted friend, mentor, or coach. Research clearly shows that talking about the emotions that make as feel stressed is a great way to regulate some of the stress chemicals in your brain.
For more on stress and other helpful tips from the “User’s Manual to your brain” read my blog.
For free monthly webinars on other topics contact Ursula at ursula@profoundgrowth.com.
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Ursula Pottinga, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Ursula Pottinga is a thought leader at the intersection of neuroscience, effectiveness and transformational coaching and a certified Neuro-Transformational Coach. Ursula gives her clients the "User's Manual" to their brain to powerfully create awareness and shifts in their thinking and approach to business and life. She also is the co-creator of the groundbreaking Advanced Coaching Series, offered by the premier coach training institute, BEabove Leadership, of which she also is the COO. A native of Germany, she now divides her time between Minnesota and Florida, where she practices her tennis and golf game.
