70% of people are stressed, how to deal with stress, using your instincts

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Good afternoon, 66.1ers.

Lots of talk about stress lately. So we’re going to revisit this hot topic this week.

Food for thought:

Thoughts on stress: 

I’ve published 2 LinkedIn polls this week.
The first asked which health issue I should focus my efforts on.
The resounding response was “stress”.

So I published another one.
Asking what everyone’s biggest stressor is.
We’re headed toward another landslide winner.

I’m going to share some thoughts on why people are stressed out (and then what they do to manage the stress). Maybe something here will be helpful?

Why:

Work, sure.
But I’ve heard a few people say it’s their coworkers/teams.
They want people to behave how they want them to behave.
Of course that’s stressful.
Have you ever tried to tell someone who wasn’t ready to change that they need to change? 

Here’s an example from a CSO:

That sort of stuff will drive you batty if you’re not careful.

What to do about it: 

1. Accept it
   Not “settle”. But realize that confronting the problem head-on is only going to drive you further apart from your teammates. You’re going to see things differently for a while. That’s ok. Don’t drive yourself batty trying to change people.
   

2. Lead by example
   If you’re super effective at your job, people will notice. If you think how you operate is how everyone should operate, you’ll have to show them it works. When they ask how you did what you did, now you’ve got an opportunity. Slowly, you can start to influence people. 

   This leader nailed it: 

3. Leave
   Last resort. But it’s one that more people should opt for. If your current job is giving you stomach issues because you’re so stressed, or you can’t sleep at night because you hate your boss, etc., that’s not a path you should continue to walk. Get busy talking to people. Create your next opportunity.
   

A few habits to help manage stress: 

1. Exercise
   If you haven’t read about this one, check it out here.
   

2. Get outside

   It’s one of those “relaxation techniques”. The thing about all those “techniques”, though, is they’re really just living as we’re meant to live. Nothing fancy. Just following your animal instinct.

   Funny how that works. And there’s nothing more aligned with your instinct than spending time outside. Helps that most people don’t just go outside and sit there. They’re usually exercising at the same time. Bonus points if you leave the AirPods at home. Don’t like it? Think about this: would you rather be so at peace with yourself and the world that you’re able to tolerate a hike/walk/run with nothing in your ears? My favorite is a 40-minute trail run with no phone, wallet, ear pods, or even car keys (I stash them and come back for them). Try it and let me know what you think?
   

3. Time with friends
   Back in caveman times, being alone meant you were likely to die soon. From a saber-toothed tiger, a neighboring tribe, or an injury you couldn’t treat on your own. To keep you out of such situations, your body has a series of responses designed to get you to hang out with your people. If you’re feeling stressed, anxious, lonely? Perhaps you just need to hang out with your friends? PS I’m not against happy hour, despite so many LinkedIn folks saying they don’t drink. Response bias? Or are we so health-conscious that we’re headed toward a self-imposed prohibition?

Now—closing the computer to go hunt.
See you on Wednesday.
Have fun out there.

Marcus