Lost savings. Lost jobs. Threatened flu pandemic. Who wouldn’t be under some stress these days?
The editors at Harvard Business Publishing recently published two articles that help you diagnose stress in yourself as well as the people who work for you, and offer tips on what to do about it. Think of this as your personal stress test.
Are You Too Stressed?
Harvard Business Review checks in with How to Manage Your Stress Level, presenting the views of two experts. A little stress is good for you, they note. Sharpens focus, gets your energy level up, improves memory. But how do you know when good stress slops over to the bad kind? Watch for these four telltale signs:
- Losing focus.
- Mood shift.
- Feeling tired.
- Sudden body aches.
If one or more of these stress symptoms occur, author Judith Ross suggests the first step is to get away from work. “Engage in an activity that calmly engages you, such as yoga, knitting, or going for a walk. Visiting an art museum counts; visiting a Web site does not. Similarly, watching TV is out. But looking intently and meditatively at a painting in your home or office may be an effective way for you to dial down the stress.”
Read the piece for more insights on coping with personal stress.
Stress in Co-Workers
Once you’ve taken steps to manage stress in yourself, take a look around. Do your colleagues look a little frazzled? According to John Baldoni’s Watch Out for Stress in Your People, they may be overstressed if they are:
- Working harder but accomplishing less.
- Losing perspective and sense of self.
- Display a feeling of indispensability — my company can’t survive without me.
Says Baldoni:
“Managers need to be proactive, and in times of severe stress, know when to pull people off the line — at least until the stressed individual can seek professional help and find healthy ways to cope with the pressure.”
What’s your stress level these days? How do you stay sane?
