Nashwa Mohammed explains how our bodies react to stress and shares practical tips for stress to keep leaders calm when the lion attacks.
The past couple of years have been unpredictably rough.
From the consequences of the ongoing pandemic to trying to solve our personal life challenges, the “normal” life we once knew has changed tremendously.
And it is still changing. This state of uncertainty places a huge burden on our overall well-being, our careers, and our relationships.
That’s why leaders must understand how to deal with stressful times and the negative emotions that come with them, and adopt positive coping mechanisms to process them properly.
Prepare for the Lion before it Attacks.
Imagine that a hungry lion caught you off guard.
You may become its next delicious meal. In this context, our brains immediately activate the sympathetic nervous system. “Fight, flight or freeze,” your body prepares you to:
- Fight the lion,
- Run for your dear life, or
- Paralyze and wait for your destiny.
Within seconds, your pulse accelerates. Your blood pressure elevates to rush the blood flow into your limbs in preparation to survive. This primitive response has been the same ever since our very first ancestors who faced wild animals during their hunting trips.
Nowadays, the lion still attacks, but largely figuratively.
During intense and stressful occasions, like getting fired from work and having no source of income, our nervous system responds to the “lion.” It presses the 3 Fs button and releases the chemicals to help you through the situation.
Your brain, however, cannot differentiate between an actual lion attack and other nerve-racking experiences.
That’s where the problem comes in.
Rest and Digest mode, the root of practical tips for stress.
The counterpart of our sympathetic system is the parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for the activation of the “Rest and Digest” mode.
This is the state during which our muscles are relaxed. It’s when we breathe easily, feeling calm and settled. That’s why most famous practices to achieve this state include: deep belly breathing, yoga, dancing, journaling, painting, exercise, laughing, and talking to someone you love.
Most of us know these tactics, but it’s not that easy. The risk comes when our sympathetic system becomes our default state. Prolonged activation leads our body to develop an addiction to its chemicals. That’s why we find ourselves unable to unwind.
When restlessness is common, relaxation feels uncomfortable and odd.
Nevertheless, you can help your brain to switch off the sympathetic system and turn on the parasympathetic one.
Here are a few practical tips for stress.
Practical tips for stress: the Calming Jar
Grab your favourite drink and settle down in a quiet place.
Write down on small pieces of paper all the activities and hobbies that make you feel good. Now fold them and place them inside a jar.
The next time you feel down, stressed or anxious, randomly pick one paper and do what it written on it.
Practical tips for stress: Quit the Comparison Game
In an era of globalization and social media, we are exposed to endless information about people’s lives and sparkling achievements that can make us think: “how come my life is so boring? When do I get to do this or be like this?”
If you’ve asked yourself this before, you experienced peer pressure, the pressure to fit in with or to conform to a group’s norms and expectations. The tricky thing about this comparison dilemma is you are playing an unrealistic game with unfair rules and unequal competitors.
In this game, the only loser is you.
Don’t beat yourself up over a snapshot from someone else’s life. This happy post you randomly read while scrolling is a fraction of a life filled with challenges, just like yours. We all deal with downs, failures, and disappointments. We all experience confusion, stress, and sadness.
And yet, our life’s journey, purpose, talents, and aspirations are unique. You are you. No one can ever be you, and that is the most powerful and beautiful thing you need to trust. The only comparison you should make is how far you have come, and how far you want to go.
Practical tips for stress: Shift your focus inward.
Write down a list of three or four goals you want to achieve within the next month. Try to choose from different categories like health and well-being, relationships, career, and academics.
Now choose one easy habit per each category. Fight the temptation to choose too many! For example practice 10-minute yoga per day, enjoy one hour of quality time with your loved ones, and subscribe to a course that will help your career.
Write down your daily progress throughout this process. Commit to this plan and evaluate your performance at the end of the month. See what works, what doesn’t, and adapt.
Using the “few but sustainable” method will help you gradually build up positive habits and move steadily toward achieving your wildest goals.
Don’t Fear the Lion.
When we explore how our bodies operate, we can better regulate our response to stress.
As we experiment with practical tips for stress, we learn how to react to unpleasant situations effectively. These types of activities help your brain and body to connect and assure your nervous system that you are safe and sound.
Remember, though, we cannot avoid lion attacks.
But we can learn the tactics to conquer them and reach the calm of safety.
