Turning work stress into a performance tool

Lower-intensity types of tasks that don’t require 100% of your mental capacity allow more space for restorative elements.

- SOPHIA MULLINS

Lower-intensity types of tasks that don't require 100% of your mental capacity allow more space for restorative elements.

(Freepik)

DESPITE growing awareness around the concepts of workplace wellness and well-being, today's workforce is more stressed and burnt-out than ever before. The reason behind this is that while wellness works, the way we are working doesn't.

After spending a decade on Wall Street, I can attest that high-stress periods at work are inevitable. But when I learned that stress management is not about removing stress but about managing my energy, everything changed.

Not good or bad

Stress is a natural response to stimuli that's not innately good or bad. It can actually be positive in a work setting because it pushes us to meet a deadline or develop a skill set beyond our comfort zone. That's why so many of us perform well under pressure. The human stress response, also known as the fight-or-flight response, activates adrenaline and cortisol. In moderation, this is helpful for accomplishing defined, urgent tasks.

Stress becomes negative when we engage our fight-or-flight response for prolonged periods of time. This leads to an exhausted nervous system and potential career burnout.

Energetic states

Over the course of my career, I've found that each person moves through three distinctly different but equally important energetic states during the day. By labelling and recognising them, a person can start to move between them more intentionally.