Eight Stress Management Tips for Leaders
As a leader, or really, as a HUMAN, we can experience stress in a variety of ways. If left unmanaged, stress has the potential to wreak havoc on our minds, bodies, and spirits, especially if we’re dealing with long-term or chronic stress. After (repeatedly) learning the hard way how much stress impacts me personally, I try to keep a general awareness of my stress level and be proactive about managing it when I feel my stress increasing or when I know a stressful situation is coming. Sometimes we aren’t in a position to be proactive because a stressful event may blindside us, so in those moments it’s important to have tips and tricks in our stress management “toolbox” that we can implement immediately.
Below are eight of my personal stress management tips, gleaned from being a small business owner for eight years and counting… and from being a human for a little longer than that.
Stress Management Tip #1: Be Honest with Yourself
This tip took me a long time to figure out and get comfortable with. When looking at the past, I now realize that sometimes what I thought was a stressor was really a symptom of another issue that was the actual stressor. In some cases, that truth was hard to admit once I realized what was going on. In other cases, just the simple act of admitting I was stressed about something lessened its grip on me, and therefore lowered my stress level. So that’s why being honest with yourself is my top stress management tip. Doing so can help you get to a solution faster!
Stress Management Tip #2: Learn How to Say No
Have you ever heard the saying that “no” is a full sentence? That’s right! No. (There it is in all its full-sentence glory!) Joking aside, this is a really powerful statement to remember: No is a complete sentence. When you decide to say no to something, whether it’s an event, opportunity, new job, guest feature, or whatever, you take back any power that saying yes out of obligation would have stolen from you. For those of you who, like me, may believe in giving back, volunteering, or donating services or money because it’s a way to help build a better community, it may be hard to understand why you might need to say no. A couple of years ago, I started saying no more often. I’ve honestly been surprised by how much I gained back for myself once I stopped giving my time/talent/resources away to others or doing something out of obligation because I felt like I “should.” After creating some more bandwidth for my own endeavors, I now have more insight into whether new opportunities that come my way are right for me or my business.
Stress Management Tip #3: Take Breaks and Rest with Intention
We were not created to constantly work without taking breaks. Think of all the breaks that we have built-in as a Western society: mid-work breaks, lunch breaks, holidays, vacations, etc. The Bible even shares that one day a week should be a day of rest away from work. But current culture seems to value going above and beyond, doing more, working harder and longer, being the first one at work and the last one to leave, all while cultivating and living a successful well-rounded life. That’s the point of breaks and resting with intention; it’s so you have more capacity to do more of the things you love or what you’ve been called to do. You may currently be doing those things but never taking breaks to rest, and if so, consider what you might be able to gain if you stepped away from the things you love for just a bit. You might just feel a burst of creativity, have a renewed sense of purpose, or gain a clear vision of what comes next. With proper rest, you’ll allow your body to calm your nervous system so it doesn’t live extensively in fight or flight mode. You may also add overall enjoyment to your life because your body, mind, and spirit will be ready to embrace the adventures that are yet to come because you are rested.
Stress Management Tip #4: Nourish Your Body, Soul, and Mind
When our bodies are experiencing stress, we need more nourishment and healthy practices, not less. The compounded effects of poor self-care habits along with heightened stress levels make for an unhappy body, mind, and soul, which can ultimately result in physical, mental, or emotional breakdowns. As a personal practice, whenever I’m feeling more stress in my life for one reason or another, I’ve now made it my practice to intentionally lean into healthy habits that will nourish my body, mind, and soul because I know I need to be kinder to my body when it’s having to carry a heavier load. This may include yoga, reading a book, cooking a recipe, drinking more water than normal, spending time with God, reading my Bible, taking a short walk, petting a dog, or taking my vitamins regularly. You can easily find activities to better support your body, soul, and mind during stressful times, but you have to prioritize them.
Stress Management Tip #5: Move Your Body
While this tip could technically be included in tip #4 above, I separated it out because it’s that important. When you’re operating at a high level of stress, your body is essentially in fight or flight mode which triggers your nervous system to go into overdrive as a protective measure. Studies have shown (Google it) that prolonged periods of stress can negatively affect your overall health. One of the best ways to alleviate physical stress is by exercising; it helps put that fight or flight adrenaline to good use and signals to your body that it can stop creating stress hormones because the “danger” is over.
Stress Management Tip #6: Incorporate Play or Creativity Into Your Work
Many of us are doing work that we love, but how often can we say we’re truly enjoying those tasks when there are deadlines, money, and other pressures attached to those tasks in business? Along the way, the fun or creative element can take a backseat to the need to simply get a project done. Or in other instances, we still have fun doing the work we love, but that is all we do for fun because we’ve not diversified our means of being creative outside of our everyday work. When this occurs, we might realize that our work has become monotonous. Though we may be excellent masters of our work, the element of play is really important in allowing our brains to rest, focus on a different kind of task (or a different approach to a familiar task), and ultimately decrease our stress levels.
If we’re playing and having fun, then there’s no need for that fight or flight response to kick in, right?
Stress Management Tip #7: Delegate Tasks
One significant source of stress is the never-ending to-do list. As we juggle the responsibilities between work life and home life, that to–do list can get pretty long and overwhelming. One of the fastest ways to shorten the to-do list and alleviate stress is by delegating tasks to others. If a task isn’t within your zone of genius, let it go. When you delegate to others, even when you decide to hire someone to do the task, you are “buying back” your time to work on what truly matters to you. OR, you might simply be buying back time to rest while others finish the work. There isn’t anything about this approach that’s lazy. On the contrary, it’s a smart approach to maximizing productivity while preserving personal health and managing stress levels.
Stress Management Tip #8: Have a Trusted Confidant
Having a trusted person you can talk to honestly can help you alleviate stress. This person can be a partner, friend, counselor, mentor, church leader, or someone with wisdom who you can trust. When we talk honestly with another person, we’re reminding ourselves that we are safe and that our troubles weigh less because the other person is sharing the load from a particular stressor. This confidant can provide objective feedback about your situation, and in the case of a professional counselor or therapist, he or she can also teach you how to navigate your stress to achieve optimal outcomes. Above all, being able to verbalize what you’re feeling is one way to decrease the physical, mental, and emotional toll stress can have on us.
What do you think about these eight stress management tips for leaders? I sincerely hope that if you’re currently operating in a place of chronic stress, you will implement at least one of these tips right away. But don’t stop there – be intentional about recognizing why and how you’re experiencing chronic stress and find a way to reduce and/or resolve the negative impact of stress on your life.