Do You Know Your Stress Signature?

When uncertainty is the only certainty, we have to acknowledge that we will respond to this additional stress in one of two ways, either positively or negatively.

The first step in managing our response is to recognise what our response actually is.

Stress is the physical, psychological & behavioural response to situations, people or events when the perceived demands of a situation outweigh our perceived coping ability.

That word – “perceived” is very very important in this definition. No two people will view a stressor in exactly the same way. What causes me stress, may be a walk in the park to you and vice versa. It is also important to recognise that stress can involve an element of “self-fulfilling prophecy”. If I believe that I don’t have the skills/resilience to manage a stressor then I probably won’t. If I do believe I have the skills to manage a stressor or challenge that I am facing – then I probably will cope and even thrive.

The first step is to recognise our stress signature. What starts to happen to me physically and psychologically and what am I doing differently (behaviour) that demonstrates that my stress is getting on top of me.

It is probably likely that your partner, kids or work colleagues know your stress signature even better than you do. They might recognise that you are withdrawn, or get in a bad mood, or have a short fuse or you may be tearful.

What we know is that stress has a physical, psychological and behavioural impact. Here is a list of just a few symptoms in each category. Can you see your typical responses within this list?

Remember – no two individuals are alike, and your stress signature may be very different to those around you. The question is…. are you holding up a mirror to self, looking carefully at your stress signature and then taking proactive steps to manage the stress you are experiencing?

Want to know more about managing your stress more effectively? Contact Michelle on 0412047590 or via email [email protected]

Michelle Bakjac is an experienced Psychologist, Organisational Consultant, Coach, Speaker and Facilitator. As Director of Bakjac Consulting, she is a credentialed Coach with the International Coach Federation (ICF) and a member of Mental Toughness Partners and an MTQ48 accredited Mental Toughness practitioner. Michelle assists individuals and organisations to develop their Mental Toughness to improve performance, leadership, behaviour and wellbeing.