Sometimes, you
are your own worst enemy when it comes to stress. Susan Fletcher, a practicing
psychologist and stress management expert, teaches these valuable techniques to
help alleviate stress in your life:
Don't read
into things so much. "Sometimes a look is
just a look and a dirty coffee cup is just a dirty coffee cup. It's not a
passive-aggressive way to say you are not appreciated," Fletcher says.
Don't make things bigger than they need to be—with people or work. Some people
make a project bigger than it needs to be in an effort to increase their own
value, but they are increasing their own stress as a result.
Learn how to
transfer trust. "I really like Stephen
M.R. Covey's stuff from his book Speed
of Trust. He says people have to be able to trust before they feel
it. Just like with your kids when you give them a little rope. And with someone
who works for you, you have to let them fail because failure is feedback,"
Fletcher says. "Don't just say, 'It's easier to do myself.'"
Recognize when
you are being inefficient. "People
who are stressed get stuck answering e-mails for two hours at the expense of
higher-value items that need to be taken care of," Fletcher says.
"Don't get lost in inefficient behavior. Ask yourself, 'What's my ultimate
outcome I want here and what do I need to get there?'"
Find an
accountability partner to help you meet goals.
"Choose a friend or a family member—probably not someone who lives with
you because you don't want to muddy the waters. It has to be someone you will
listen to but who will hold you accountable."
Say no
sometimes. "You have to say no to
things you might enjoy, but are not in line with where you are professionally
or personally at the moment," Fletcher says. Then you can spend your time
on what matters to you most.
Read more stress
management tips from Susan Fletcher on SUCCESS.com.
