How To Manage Stress to Thrive in a High-Pressure Job

In?the hustle and bustle of the performance-based professional world, where deadlines loom like shadows and expectations weigh heavy on your shoulders, stress can often feel like an unwelcome companion. However, within the crucible of pressure lies the opportunity for growth, resilience, and triumph. From the high stakes of PR to the fast-paced world of sales, specific roles demand peak performance under intense pressure.?

How to combat stress and thrive in a high-pressure job

Here's a guide to help you through this fiery circumstance with seven impactful techniques for combating and thriving in your high-pressure jobs.

• 1. Align your purpose with your tasks: Take charge of your professional journey by aligning your purpose with the tasks you do. Remind yourself why you chose your profession and value your own contributions. Like in PR, every press release or media pitch serves a greater purpose—to shape public perception or drive brand awareness. By reminding yourself of the bigger picture, you infuse your work with meaning and derive satisfaction from contributing to a larger goal, empowering yourself in the process.
• 2. Lessons from the past: Learn from your past experiences, understand your thresholds, and identify peak periods that often drain you out. Record negative behavioural patterns and devise a way to combat them. Understanding your limits is crucial in high-pressure roles. Just as athletes train their bodies, mental preparation is essential for peak performance. Whether through mindfulness practices, visualization techniques, or simply taking moments to centre yourself, build a toolkit to fortify your mental resilience. Re:Set understands this need to build a toolkit of effective techniques to combat stress. We’ve designed effective and hands-on well-being courses to empower employees by building mental fortitude and a growth mindset, leading to a more productive and resilient workplace.
• 3. Perceive pressure as a challenge to grow: Just as a diamond forms under immense pressure, so can you shine amidst challenging circumstances. View stress as an opportunity for personal and professional growth. Each obstacle you overcome is a testament to your resilience and a step forward in honing your skills for future endeavours. For PR, a crisis communication specialist navigates a media storm with poise and agility. By aligning her actions with the greater purpose of protecting her client's reputation, she transforms pressure into an opportunity to showcase her expertise and resilience, inspiring others with her achievements.
• 4. Make it a fun challenge: Nothing seems to be a challenge when you rewire your brain to have fun. Imagine each task as a game, with challenges waiting to be conquered. In sales, for instance, meeting targets could be likened to leveling up in a video game. By reframing stress as an exciting challenge, you and your team can tap into your competitive spirit and turn pressure into team motivation, fostering camaraderie and support.? Read more here:?Level Up: How Goal Setting Games Can Improve Your Productivity
• 5. Keep internal battles and external pressures separate: While external expectations and deadlines are unavoidable, internal pressures often stem from your need for perfectionism or fear of failure. Learn to differentiate between the two and focus on what's within your control. By managing your internal dialogue, you can easily navigate external pressures. To attain this very objective, at Re:Set, we’ve crafted?bespoke self-reflective well-being courses to help you rewire negative thoughts, challenge thinking patterns that impact work and replace them with positive strokes and self-affirming beliefs that often help employees improve their productivity and focus at work.
• 6. Figure out the next step: In the whirlwind of deadlines and deliverables, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Rather than focusing too much on the future, be in the present and tackle one challenge at a time. Break down big targets into smaller, manageable steps. If you’re too overwhelmed with everything around you, the best thing to do is just to figure out the next step, just one step at a time. In sales, for instance, focus on initiating meaningful conversations rather than fixating on the end goal. Celebrate each small victory along the way.?
• 7. Develop a self-care routine: Amidst the chaos of high-pressure environments, your self-care often takes a backseat. However, nurturing your physical and mental well-being is essential for sustained performance. Whether through exercise, meditation or simply indulging in hobbies, prioritize activities that recharge your batteries. You can read our blog on Rest and Rejuvenate: Creating a Relaxation Routine for Mental Wellness to understand the importance of rest. Read more here: Rest and Rejuvenate: Creating a Relaxation Routine for Mental Wellness

While high-pressure work environments may seem daunting, they also present you with a fertile ground for personal and professional growth. By reframing stress as a catalyst for success, adopting a strategic mindset, and prioritizing self-care, you can survive and thrive amidst the crucible's heat. Let Re:Set be your partner in this thriving journey.

Our tailored programs can complement your team's professional journey, help them embrace challenges, harness the power of pressure, and let your and your team’s resilience shine bright in the face of adversity.?Book a demo?and learn how we can help set your organization up for success.?