SET THE RIGHT LEVEL OF STRESS
We think of stress as one of the plagues of modern life and dream of living in stress free environments where there is no pressure to perform or deadlines to manage and we can live our life lounging on a sunbed under an umbrella all day with a cold drink on our left and a vista of swaying palm trees on our right. Reality is somewhat different, as some stress, manageable stress, should be viewed as stimulating and beneficial as well as health promoting. We know of the benefits of physical stress, achieved through physical exertion, which needs to stretch us and make us sweat a little for it to be truly beneficial. The same analogy applies to mental stress where we need a little pressure to keep us truly engaged and involved. Thus the emphasis should be on managing unnecessary and excessive adverse stress not removing stress completely.
Thus stress is not always to be viewed as something negative. Below is a graph measuring stress and performance and it is clear that optimal performance needs to be accompanied by manageable levels of stress. Once levels of stress increase and become adverse it is clear to see how performance suffers and exhaustion and ill health follow
HOW COULD YOU USE THIS KNOWLEDGE TO ACHIEVE YOUR OWN OBJECTIVES ?
HOW COULD YOU USE THIS KNOWLEDGE IF YOU ARE SUPPORTING SOMEONE ELSE?
We think of stress as one of the plagues of modern life and dream of living in stress free environments where there is no pressure to perform or deadlines to manage and we can live our life lounging on a sunbed under an umbrella all day with a cold drink on our left and a vista of swaying palm trees on our right. Reality is somewhat different, as some stress, manageable stress, should be viewed as stimulating and beneficial as well as health promoting. We know of the benefits of physical stress, achieved through physical exertion, which needs to stretch us and make us sweat a little for it to be truly beneficial. The same analogy applies to mental stress where we need a little pressure to keep us truly engaged and involved. Thus the emphasis should be on managing unnecessary and excessive adverse stress not removing stress completely.
Thus stress is not always to be viewed as something negative. Below is a graph measuring stress and performance and it is clear that optimal performance needs to be accompanied by manageable levels of stress. Once levels of stress increase and become adverse it is clear to see how performance suffers and exhaustion and ill health follow
HOW COULD YOU USE THIS KNOWLEDGE TO ACHIEVE YOUR OWN OBJECTIVES ?
- Look at the NHS Choices Moodzone to learn more about stress
- Using the checklists decide whether you have a level of stress that needs to be tackled and follow up the suggestions there
- Increase your physical activity, particularly an activity that requires full mental activity, pilates for example or boxing or yoga
- Look at the Mindfulness Programme and try some of the techniques there
HOW COULD YOU USE THIS KNOWLEDGE IF YOU ARE SUPPORTING SOMEONE ELSE?
- Look at the NHS Choices Moodzone to learn more about stress
- Find out which music the person finds most soothing and make sure it is playing often and regularly
- Encourage participation in yoga or pilates or tai chi or the alexander technique