NEW RESOURCE: How can I shift my mindset from harmful to helpful?

Recently I was on a train to a training course. I had organised my time to ensure that I arrived 30 minutes early to ensure that I had ample time to set up. However, my train was stopped between stations for 45 minutes due to a fatality on the train line. There was no way that I was going to be on time.

Of course, there was nothing that I could do other than call my office and the client contact. Nonetheless, I found myself stressed. My jaw was clenched and the muscles in my back were tense. Was there anything I could do to better cope with this situation? Kelly McGonigal has written a very useful book on this topic called “the Upside of Stress – Why stress is good for you (and how to get good at it)”. She relates that there are three simple steps that can be used to shift your mindset about aging, intelligence or stress.

FIRST STEP

Acknowledge stress as you experience it, so allow yourself to notice it and how it affects your physically. This might be tightened shoulder muscles, a clenched jaw. I could readily notice these signs while I sat on a stationary train.

SECOND STEP

Embrace the stress by acknowledging that it is in response to something that you care about. So ask yourself: “What is at stake here for me and why does it matter?” In this instance what I considered to be at stake was how others thought about me. Maybe my being late would result in them thinking that I was not very professional or not committed to their training program. What was on the line was my reputation and how I was regarded by others.

THIRD STEP

Is there another way that you could you can use the energy that stress gives you? Having made all the calls that I could to mitigate this situation, there was not much left I could do other than review the training and look to see how I could give the attendees the best program possible in the likely timeframe. I set to work redrafting my training program on the train. I thought more broadly that this is not just happening to me – others who are due to be attending the training will also be impacted by this and will be late.

To read more about shifting mindsets, please visit the CMHAA website to read the full resource: https://cmhaa.org.au/our-resources/resource-how-can-i-shift-my-mindset-from-harmful-to-helpful/

?

We would like to thank Centre for Corporate Health and Commonwealth Bank for their assistance in the compilation of this factsheet.

?

This resource is not and should not be considered as advice or support. Anyone who may have a need for such support should seek professional advice. This information is provided for CMHAA and is provided for general information purposes only.