How Followership Can Defuse Stress

Somewhere after 1:00am, I entered the Harbor Tunnel in Baltimore, Maryland. I was less than 30 minutes from home after driving to New York earlier that day to pick up my brother who was to spend the next week visiting me. Traffic was light and I was ready to be out of the car. Roughly halfway through the tunnel, we heard a loud bang from the front of the car. My first thought was that I had hit something on the roadway. The driver display lit up with warnings and the engine temperature soared past the red line. White smoke began to pour out from under the hood.?

In a desperate attempt to bring down the engine temp, I turned the heat on full blast and as high as it would go. Of course, this was useless. The white smoke intensified and I was forced to stop the car in the travel lane (no shoulder), less than a half-mile from the portal. It was definitely a bad place to be stranded, especially without cell service. Flames began to show from around the hood. It was quite the spectacle.?

After gaining our senses, my brother and I walked out of the tunnel and called my wife to rescue us. We later learned that one of the engine belts had snapped, punching a hole in the radiator, dumping the fluid on the roadway and spraying all over the interior of the engine compartment. Bad things happen to engines without coolant.?

The same thing happens to use. Without a way to stay cool and regulated, we run too hot and risk damage to ourselves, sometimes catastrophically.?

Stress and Relieving It

Over the past year, I’ve written a number of articles on the subject of relaxing, unplugging, detoxing, detachment, etc. There is great value in these things, and I do subscribe to the many benefits of them.

Here’s the thing: I’ve noticed that the things I turn to for leisure and relaxation have been less effective lately. This is something I’ve struggled with for most of this year. It’s not that I enjoy the activities and hobbies that I always have, it’s that intrusive thoughts and stress are more likely to break through that wall than they have been, robbing me of the enjoyment and restorative benefits of down time. This compounds the problem and is somewhat alarming.?

Since I moved to Texas, I have played trombone in our community band. With the end of the summer came the resumption of our rehearsals on Monday nights. I have greatly enjoyed the chance to practice and perform with the group several times per year in public. It’s just the right amount of difficulty and commitment that I enjoy it, and the musicianship of the group is impressive for an amateur group.?

As our first fall rehearsal approached, I found myself not wanting to go, only because I didn’t want to do another thing. I was loaded with stress and commitments that were draining me. I wanted to sit on the coach and do mindless things for 3 hours instead of go rehearse. Thankfully, I did go, and while there, noticed something very important in light of my recent battles with stress.?

Where other activities and leisure had failed to restore me, band rehearsal was successful. Why was this??

The primary reason was that there is no room for your brain to be idle. Our music is demanding and stimulating to the brain. It requires focus and precision from all members. The director of the group holds us to a high standard and works us hard, as he should. By standing in front of the group he demonstrates “I am here for you. Stay with me.” This is encouraging.?

I came out of that first rehearsal feeling refreshed and relaxed. My goodness, I had been looking for this!?

I’ve written about the positive effects of music as well, but it’s worth repeating some of the reasons why band rehearsal had such a positive effect on me in this instance.?

Playing in a musical group activates every major part of the central nervous system, according to John Dani, PhD. Requiring the right hand to do something different than the left uses the peripheral nervous system, as well as both fine and gross motor skills. The executive functions of the brain are involved as well as a musician counts and focuses. Add in the sensory experience of listening and feeling the production of music and you have a powerhouse workout for the brain.?

Music is linked with dopamine and has been found to reduce depression and anxiety. There is plenty of research and information on the internet about these things.?

The Real Reason It’s Working

Considering all of this, I believe there is another reason why these 3 hours on Monday nights help me to reset.?

Much of my time, personally and professionally, is spent in a leadership function. I love these opportunities, but it is right to call them draining. In our community band, however, I am a role player. It is not my purpose to determine the direction of the group. My work is explicitly laid out for me, and my task is to follow the director as closely as possible. Doing so requires discipline of assignment, proficiency, and musicianship. I must also listen to those around me. The benefits of playing music are one thing, but I believe that this chance to actively engage in “follower-ship” is responsible as well.?

Since I'm not the director, I'm not responsible for the other musicians and how they play. I don't set the tempos or rehearsal order. I don't provide instruction or make decisions. In that room, my job is to follow.

Don't think that my vocations as a leader are totally sleeping, however. I can also spend time observing our director and noting how he is effective. How is he able to pull greatness out of us? How does he inspire us? It's no coincidence that some of the greatest leaders I've followed have occupied a podium.

Summary and Conclusion

1. If you find yourself stressed and your normal methods or activities aren’t having the positive effect you need, considering doing something that requires your focus and does not allow for intrusive thoughts.?

2. If you spend a lot of your time as a leader or in a position of responsibility, consider balancing that with time doing things in which you are just another face in the crowd. Don’t discount the benefits of great Followership.?

3. You may not always know the source of the stress that is weighing on you. Sometimes it’s just a combination of low-grade everything. Staying proactive and engaging in positive behaviors can help keep things from getting out of control quickly. Yes, that’s easier said than done. Had I checked the belts on my car before my trip from New York to Maryland, I might have saved myself a rough night.?

What about you? Do you have a go-to activity that restores you, no matter how crazy things get? Have you found things that really transport you away from the stress??

Stay the course my friends, it’s worth it.?

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