Small Stress Sending You Over The Edge?

With the worst of the pandemic behind you, are you puzzled as to why you may not yet be feeling 'back to normal'? You may also be wondering why any little bit of stress sends you over the edge.?

With employee wellbeing now at the top of the agenda in business, I am noticing that?any kind of stress is seen as the big bad wolf, which is not necessarily the truth.?It's also?not a good strategy if you want to flourish?because?you need enough pressure and tension in any system/person for performance and growth to take place.

Removing all stress from work and life in future is not the answer.

Understanding what stresses you and how you, specifically, can manage it better is a more effective antidote to burnout.?Self-leadership and self-awareness are key.

• Deeper reasons why people are burning out: Not taking the time?to deal with the trauma, loss and grief they have suffered or continued stress they have endured during the past two and a half years.
• Can't take the time?to do the above, like teachers and healthcare workers who have never had a break due to the nature of their jobs.
• Won't take the time?to confront and?unpack the emotional baggage they are carrying from their past, connecting the dots to their present.

All of the above reasons eventually result in the same thing:?unresolved emotional baggage?festers, making life more and more difficult, even unbearable.?It also manifests in more destructive behaviour towards self and others over time, impacting relationships and performance at home and work.

Does any of the above apply to you?

The likely answer for many will be a big yes (if you are honest and not in denial).

My advice:?If you want to thrive and flourish, you need to be curious rather than fearful about the journey you have walked to get?here.

Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." One of the meanings behind this statement is?that understanding the experiences gained in life at any particular time enriches your engagement with yourself and the universe.

• So, whatever hand life has dealt you, please?take some time to reflect and introspect to find meaning in your experiences.?One of the quickest ways to do this is to?ask yourself two very simple questions?about any experience:What can / did I learn from this?
• How can / did I grow from this?

These questions can shift your perspective from victim to victor.??If you are battling to do this yourself, get help. There are many different kinds of therapy today, from mainstream to alternative. Support yourself on your journey of personal enquiry and self-leadership. I have, and I continue to do so.

Your burden and your stress will be lifted immeasurably if you can find a parking place and a purpose for your pain.?This applies to any kind of emotional pain. Your burden can become your biggest blessing depending on how you look at it (or whether you look at it at all).

• If you don't clear out layers of hurt, suffering, trauma, anger, depression, etc, and you keep adding more, it's understandable that:You will become bogged down or perhaps feel increasingly stressed and out of control.
• Whatever stresses you today will be?blamed as the culprit when it may just be the last straw that breaks the camel's back. Digging deeper is the key.

Disruption, discomfort, growth and opportunity are inextricably linked. Have you noticed?

Watch this short excerpt from my High Noon Live show last week, which contains some tools to keep perspective, and a powerful clip from Adrian Gore, CEO of Discovery, talking about these turbulent times.

Be bold and courageous. Read?Future-proof Yourself? for more insights on how you can dance with disruption to win at both work and life.

May your curiosity around change and disruption be stronger than your fear.