The Perfect Holiday Gift? Quick Tips for Smarter Stress Management!

‘Tis the season…and for many of us, that means stress.

Stress gets a bad rap, but stress, per se, isn’t necessarily a problem. It’s simply how the human body-mind reacts to change. That change might be an unpleasant one, like a last-minute request that throws your entire project off course. Or it could be a pleasant one, like finding out that you’ve received a promotion. Your physical reactions to either—increased pulse, more rapid breathing and the release of certain hormones into your blood stream—might be the same.

The point is that all the varieties of stress are not created equal. Don't assume that all stress is negative. In fact, you can befriend stress by using it to your advantage.

For one thing, stress gets your attention. When facing a stress-inducing situation, you are totally engaged. You are present in the moment. Your attention is riveted on a person or problem that demands a response from you.

Because stress alerts you to a change in your environment, it can also signal a threat to your safety or survival. That’s useful information to have.

And stress is a cue to possibility. It’s a message that life is sending you an opportunity to learn—to observe your habitual ways of reacting and choose a new response. Seen from this perspective, stress is something that can make you great.

Manage Your Thinking Before Stress Manages You

Of course, you’re not going to recognize, much less be able to benefit from, these positives if you’re stuck in a reactive mode, letting your stress manage you.

But what if you could neutralize the negative effects of stress—or even preempt those situations altogether—while getting more value out of the positives?

When things feel out of control, your best resource for navigating stress is the one you always have control over, your brain. So stop and think about your thinking and how it is helping—or hurting—your ability to manage stress. Are you turning inward when, now more than ever, you need the support of your community? Is all that belt-tightening only going to lead to newer, bigger problems (and stresses) down the road?

Our new Whole Brain® Stress Management Toolkit is the best gift you can give yourself and your employees this holiday season.

In this toolkit you’ll find fun, easy-to-apply models, strategies and tips to help you:

• Understand the basics of how your brain works so you can learn to manage it rather than letting it manage you.
• Use your whole brain so that your entire crew of “thinking selves” is engaged and navigating through stressful situations in the smartest way possible.
• Recognize what stresses out different thinkers, giving you a way to eliminate the kinds of problems that can easily be avoided and stay focused on your goals.
• Build your thinking agility so you can minimize the noise and be able to face stressful situations with a clear head.

Click the button below to access the free toolkit. You’ll see how easy it is to keep calm when you use your Whole Brain®!