For many of us, we’ve been taught over the years that stress is a bad thing. It’s true that high levels of long-term, chronic, stress can result in various dangerous outcomes, including heart disease, depression and dementia. However, the issue is more complicated. A recent study found that stressful situation is bad only if you think stress is bad. But if you think of it as a challenge or as an opportunity to help others then the effects of the stress are negligible or even positive (because they result in building your resilience). Even though a stress event can still cause increased levels of the stress hormones cortisol and testosterone, it was found that the perception of the event had a marked difference in the result on both performance and physiological response. This trick of perception is a neat way of dealing with challenges, for example, of being told you have to give a presentation to senior management. Rather than using calming measures, subjects performed better and suffered less long-term results if they thought of it either as a positive challenge or as an opportunity to help others, like supporting their family or getting resources for their department that would better their situation.
How can we use this?
So, by reframing a situation which you might find stressful, into a challenge or a chance to help others, you might perform better and will grow your resilience and well-being.
Of course in other situations, where performance is less important or you have the resources to do what needs to be done, relaxation may still be a valid route to improving your well-being.
How can coaching help?
If you are struggling to deal with stressful situations or often get things thrown at you that cause you anxiety, coaching can help. It can help you reframe your worst fears into challenge opportunities, or chances to help others. It can help you find resources in yourself to deal with the situation positively and build your confidence and resilience.
If you’d like to explore how I can help you deal with stressful situations, contact me here.