How To Release Stress and Stand Out In Your Next Meeting

Effective participation in meetings often hinges on the ability to think creatively and communicate clearly. However, stress and anxiety can significantly hinder both of these skills. This article explores how stress impacts creative thinking and effective communication, offering practical strategies to counteract its negative effects.

Stress and anxiety can significantly impact your ability to stand out in your next meeting due to their physiological and psychological effects. Here are some examples of how your performance is impacted:

Cognitive Impairment: Stress triggers the release of cortisol, a hormone associated with the body's "fight or flight" response. Elevated cortisol levels can impair cognitive functions, including memory, attention, and problem-solving abilities. This makes it difficult to engage in creative thinking processes that require flexibility and the generation of novel ideas.

Narrowed Focus: When stressed or anxious, individuals often experience a narrowed focus on immediate threats or concerns. This narrowed attention can limit the ability to explore a wide range of perspectives and possibilities, which is essential for creative thinking.

Fear of Failure: Anxiety can lead to a heightened fear of failure or criticism. This fear can inhibit risk-taking and experimentation, both of which are crucial components of the creative process. Creativity often involves trying new things, and anxiety may discourage individuals from stepping out of their comfort zones.

Negative Thought Patterns: Anxiety tends to be associated with negative thought patterns and self-doubt. These negative thoughts can create mental roadblocks that hinder the free flow of creative ideas. Constant self-criticism can stifle creative expression and exploration.

Emotional Distress: Stress and anxiety can result in emotional distress, making it challenging to maintain a positive and open mindset. Creativity is often fueled by positive emotions and a relaxed state of mind, which are difficult to achieve in the presence of high stress levels.

Impaired Communication: Creativity often involves collaboration and effective communication. Stress and anxiety can lead to communication difficulties, as individuals may struggle to express their ideas clearly or may be more hesitant to share thoughts and suggestions with others.

How to release stress, tap into your creative ideas, and stand out in your next meeting.

There are six Influencers of your energy that are either pulling you into catabolic energy (stress, fear and anxiety) or raising you up into anabolic energy (intuition, creativity, joy). These influencers can be managed, and once you start doing so, you will become the MVP of your meetings.

The six Influencers are the Spiritual, Mental, Emotional, Physical, Social, and Environmental factors that can work for you or against you in your meeting performance. The factors that influence performance vary from person to person, and sometimes, from situation to situation. Any time you’re not performing to the best of your ability, something is blocking your energy and most likely it’s one or a combination of these six factors that is holding you back.

Spiritual Influencers involve your purpose, beliefs, values, gifts, desires, goals, etc., in relation to what you specifically want to do and how you want to do it. Spiritual Influencers detract from energy when whatever you are doing causes you to question, or comes into conflict with, your values, purpose, goals, connection, and beliefs.

Mental Influencers involve your clarity as to what you’re doing, your ability to remain focused on performing without being distracted, and whether the task is interesting and has the right degree of challenge for you. Mental Influencers detract from energy when you multi-task, stretch yourself too thin or have conflicting demands, are distracted, or when a task either bores you or is too challenging for you.

Emotional Influencers involve how well your needs and desires are being met by what you’re doing, how excited and enthusiastic you are about doing it, and whether you have the emotional control to be able to choose how to respond, instead of reacting, to any given situation. Emotional Influencers detract from energy when you feel as if your needs, desires, or expectations are not being met, or when you encounter a situation that you don’t understand or don’t know how to navigate, or when you do not know how to effectively deal with emotions.

Physical Influencers involve your awareness of what your body is telling you and how proactive you are in taking care of your physical self (for example, eating in a healthy way, exercising regularly, and practicing preventive care) so that you’re able to create the physical power that will best serve you to accomplish any given activity. Physical Influencers detract from energy when your body is not able to function in an optimal manner, or in the manner to which you are accustomed. Lack of sleep, poor eating habits, being over- or underweight, illness, and injury can detract from your energy.

Social Influencers involve having the “right” amount and type of interaction with others you play or compete with, and feeling supported before, during, and after the game. This may involve being surrounded by like-minded people who are excited about the same things you are. Or, you may thrive in a culture that emphasizes individual, versus team, work. Social Influencers detract from energy when social conditions aren’t optimal for you or when other people’s catabolic energy affects your own energy. If you truly enjoy a casual game of golf with friends, but find yourself in a competitive tournament with strangers, your energy will likely be depleted. Even if you’re excited about doing something, when others around you are “naysayers,” their reactions can affect your own energy and enthusiasm.

Environmental Influencers involve your belief that your environment will allow you to complete or enjoy the task you’re about to do in the way that you’d like to. Environmental Influencers detract from energy when you encounter an environment that you believe prevents you from functioning in an optimal manner, or in the manner to which you are accustomed. If the skies suddenly open up and it begins to pour during your tennis match, your energy may become depleted.

There are several ways to create awareness of how these Influencers are impacting you. Journaling, working with a coach, or talking with a trusted colleague or friend can all help. As your awareness builds you can consciously choose what actions you would like to take to optimize these Influencers. Being proactive and intentional with these influencers will help you perform at your peak not only at work but in all areas of your life.

This post contains my interpretation of the copyrighted work of Bruce D Schneider and the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC).