Leadership Tips: De-Stress and Recharge

May 20, 2021

Don’t let a stressful interaction ruin the rest of your day. Here are some strategies to help you recharge and recover.

Focus on your breathing. Just taking 10 seconds to focus on the rise and fall of your breath can help you feel less tense and more present. Close your eyes and breathe slowly and deeply, making sure to exhale with an audible sigh.

Walk it out. A five-minute walk will let you get away from the situation that caused your stress and give you time to regain your cool.

Lean on positive affirmations. Choose a mantra or phrase that helps you feel grounded and at peace. Consider something like: “I am doing my best, and my best is more than enough,” or “This moment does not define me.”

Reflect on how you best recharge—exercise, meditation, time with friends or family, quiet time with a book or craft, etc.

Source: “4 Tips to Help You Quickly Calm Down After a Stressful Interaction,” Thrive Global, March 30, 2021

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Work-related stress can leave us feeling helpless. While the cause of that stress may be out of our hands, we can still learn to control our response to it.

Don’t be a hero. Let your team know that you’ve reached your limit and can’t handle additional work or interruptions at the moment.

Ease up on the controls. Inability to delegate and the need to micromanage will just lead to increased stress and burnout. Start by looking for small, one-time tasks or projects you can hand off to others. Delegating effectively is about giving others an initial leeway to fail and learn from their failures before getting it right.

Ask for help. Needing assistance sometimes isn’t a sign of weakness, and most people are more than willing to lend a hand when it matters.

Take time out. Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is step away from your work to recharge and regenerate. Go for a walk, meditate, sit outside for half an hour and just do nothing.

Make time for family and friends. Not only can they provide emotional and moral support when things don’t work out, they can also offer some helpful outside perspective.

Source: “7 Steps To Take When Your Work Stress Gets Too Much To Handle,” Fast Company, April 4, 2016

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