Strengthen your resilience to stress in 2018

Written by Gaynor Parkin and Jacqui Maguire

Staying on top of workplace stress is a resolution for many of us at the start of a new year.

While experiencing some stress can be useful at work – helping to motivate us, and meet deadlines or performance goals – too much can negatively impact both our wellbeing, and our productivity.

What can we do to strengthen our resilience to stress?

1.   Spot the signs

Spotting when we are stressed helps us to check – is this stress helpful for me right now (and if it is, to carry on), or making my day harder?

While each of us experiences stress differently there are some common signs to watch for:

• Physical: body tension, aches and pains, breathlessness or agitation
• Emotional: feeling overwhelmed or anxious or irritable
• Cognitive: memory and concentration difficulties, having trouble seeing the big picture (tunnel vision)
• Behaviour: finding it hard to settle and focus, increasing caffeine and/or sugar, being less efficient with tasks.

You probably know what your own stress signals are, but if not, it can be helpful to track them. Next time you notice a surge of adrenalin or notice you are feeling stressed see if you can spot your personal signs.

2.   Action recovery

Consistent scientific research has shown that we perform best and maintain stronger well-being when we experience stress or challenge for specific periods of time, then balance this effort with recovery (when we purposefully recharge our mental and physical batteries). Oscillating between periods of challenge and periods of recovery is ideal, with planned and regular recovery as optimum.

Good immediate recovery strategies include:

1. Slow down your breathing – check you are breathing from your diaphragm (belly breathing) not your chest and take slow breaths for a few minutes. This helps to flip your body and mind in a calm state
2. Disconnect – take a “no technology” break – even 5 minutes is useful
3. Deliberately move more slowly – notice the urge to rush and resist it. Give yourself permission to pause
4. Do something pleasurable – try the 5-minute quiz, or chat to a colleague you like, or plan something you enjoy for actioning later

Remember too - if you feel like you are too busy to take a recovery break it’s a sign you need one!

3.   Prioritise wellbeing habits

Psychological science tells us to set up and practice wellbeing habits rather than set goals – established habits require less mental effort and energy. Use your daily routines, and reward your wellbeing efforts to strengthen habits and make them stick. Everyday aim to:

• Sleep well –try relaxation exercises or a meditation app, herbal teas and light reading to wind down ready for a restorative sleep, and have a consistent bedtime routine (this tells your brain it’s sleep time).
• Eat well – choose the most nutritious foods you can as often as you can. Carry plenty of nutrient high, energy-enhancing snacks with you and stay away from the processed energy sapping choices.
• Move more – be as active as you can, as often as you can. Plan to meet friends for a walk, swim, yoga or dance class. Ask colleagues to join you for fresh air breaks, walking meetings or stair challenges.
• Connect with people who are important to you – share experiences, talk together, offer support to others and ask for help yourself when you need it.
• Increase your experiences of positive emotion - think of, or do something that helps you feel grateful, or content, or hopeful or satisfied. These experiences help to buffer you when you are under stress.

About Umbrella

Umbrella is at the forefront of providing corporate wellbeing and resilience services in New Zealand. As a team of clinical psychologists, we are committed to making a positive difference in the workplace by using our specialist skills to enhance wellbeing alongside high performance. Umbrella partners with a diverse range of companies across the private and public sector, with consistently excellent results. For more information please visit our website.