The stress of transformative change - and four (possible) antidotes

Stress. Overwhelm. Confusion. Excitement. Stress. Pace. Busy. Frustration. Stress.

These are the descriptions people shared last week, of how they feel in the midst of their transformative change process.

They ring in my ears (and challenge my heart) this week.

The stress weighs heavy. It pulls people down, shapes conversations and constrains ambitions.

And then...

Glimmers of energy emerge.

Others share another experience of stress.

They feel it too. And find it stokes fires, and conjures possibility.

I’m intrigued and hopeful. What’s different, in these experiences?

Neuroscience of stress

I'm reminded of what I learned about the neuroscience of stress.?

A certain amount of arousal (stress) gives us the energy we need to get to action. Too much freezes us fast.

Eustress is energising and exciting. It brings focus and flow, increasing performance and drive. After this burst of adrenaline/ eustress is over - after its purpose is served - it clears.

When the stress sticks around (as it does too often), or the arousal goes on too long, it can become distress.

Distress is when the stress is more than we can cope with. We feel overwhelmed and anxious. Flooded, our performance, focus and ability to be creative shut down.?

The opposite of what's needed in reimagining (and shaping) a transformative organisation.

What can we do, when a change process is causing distress?

So, what can we do during change, to change the perception of stress (and keep within the 'eustress' part of the chart)?

Here's what I'm trying:

• Connect to purpose: Re-connect to WHY we're doing this e.g. it's a short term stress that will be beneficial (Someone this week shared - 'it's because wellbeing is a challenge that it's so important for us to do this')
• Show what's changing: Move from conversation to action. Small changes show that things ARE changing, which builds motivation?
• Keep time horizons short: If we know this is a sprint (and that the stress won’t be going on forever), it’s easier to cope
• Create space to talk: This acts as a pressure valve, builds empathy and creates the possibility of doing things differently

In conversation, we can explore stress explicitly

(and start to change the system, through different conversations)

What do you do, to create emotional space (and the capacity for change) in the midst of transforming systems?

Go deeper:

• Positive Psychology: What is Eustress?
• TED talk by Kelly McGonigal about 'How To Make Stress Your Friend'. McGonigal describes how our perception of stress shapes how we experience stress. When we believe stress is harmful, stress does more harm. Rebranding stress as eustress helps us!