3 Leadership Stress Myths

We are saturated with messages regarding stress in the workplace: continued uncertainty and worry about the pandemic, challenges presented by supply chain disruptions, and labor shortages created by the Great Resignation, just to name a few. Burnout among leaders across a number of industries pops up frequently in the news. Mental health in the workplace has been bandied about so much that it is producing stress of its own accord!

Stress is a normal part of life and work. In fact, our bodies and minds have been designed to operate best under a certain amount of stress. No doubt the last twenty-four months have provided unique and ongoing opportunities for stress fatigue to set in. However, there are some erroneous myths about stress circulating as well that are unnecessarily discouraging and stress producing themselves. Here are a few encouraging myth-busters:

?Myth: stress is genetic and you can’t do anything about it. True, susceptibility to anxiety and depression have genetic markers, but that does not automatically ensure someone possessing these markers is going to wig-out when things get tough.1

Myth: stress is all in your mind. Actually, stress is physiological in origin with both biological and psychological components. Nutrition, exercise, and?2?sleep are critical to sustained resilience and a healthy mindset. Our brain is an organ that controls everything in our body, and a healthy brain is the foundation for a healthy mind.

Myth: stress is something you can push through and catch-up on the other side. True, you can catch up on sleep, but the physical damage stress does to your body (including the brain) isn’t as easy to recover from.3?The good news is you can recover easily if you typically have a good balance between life and work. Bouncing back from stressful experiences is a function of resilience.

Good life/work balance is key for leaders who bear the brunt of workforce and workplace stressors. Do not allow concern about stress to stress you out! When it comes to managing stress, it is the little things that make a big difference: diet, exercise, sleep; good friends and meaningful work. Together, these are the superfood of profound resilience.

About the Author: Jeff Jernigan, PhD, BCPPC, FAIS is a board-certified mental health professional working with Stanton Chase Los Angeles providing retained executive search and leadership development services as the Life Sciences and Healthcare Practice Director: [email protected]

For more information on how Stanton Chase?can help to build and strengthen your senior leadership team, reach out to our Los Angeles Office executive search consultants.

Article Sources:

1 Schiele, M., Domschke, K., Epigenetics at the crossroads between genes, environment and resilience in anxiety disorders: Genes, Brain and Behavior, Journal of the International Behavioral Genetics Society, 2018 17: 1-15

2 Jernigan, J., Physical Ramifications of Prolonged Stress; Contentment Magazine, American Institute of Stress, Fall 2020

3 Amen, D., Is Your Brian Chemistry Making You Happy, Sad, Mad, or Anxious? www.amenclinics.com/blog excerpted from You, Happier: The 7 Neuroscience Secrets of Feeling Good Based on Your Brain Type, Tyndale 2022