Michelle Bakjac* says recognising that certain situations produce stress in you is the first step to getting on top of them.
When uncertainty is the only certainty, we have to acknowledge that we will respond to this additional stress in one of two ways, either positively or negatively.
The first step in managing our response is to recognise what our response actually is.
Stress is the physical, psychological and behavioural response to situations, people or events.
It occurs when the perceived demands of a situation outweigh our perceived coping ability.
That word — perceived — is very, very important in this definition.
No two people will view a stressor in exactly the same way. What causes me stress may be a walk in the park to you and vice versa.
It is also important to recognise that stress can involve an element of self-fulfilling prophecy.
If I believe I don’t have the skills or the resilience to manage a stressor then I probably won’t.
If I do believe I have the skills to manage a stressor or challenge I am facing, then I probably will cope and even thrive.
The first step is to recognise our stress signature.
What starts to happen to me physically and psychologically and what am I doing differently (behaviour) that demonstrates that my stress is getting on top of me.
It is probably likely that your partner, kids or work colleagues know your stress signature even better than you do.
They might recognise that you are withdrawn, or get in a bad mood, or have a short fuse, or you may be tearful.
What we know is that stress has a physical, psychological and behavioural impact.
Some physical symptoms are heart rate, breathing, muscle tension, grinding jaw and fatigue.
Psychological symptoms can be poor concentration, memory lapses, anxiety, depression and low confidence.
Finally, behavioural symptoms range from aggression and change in eating habits through to arriving late at the office, or asking for leave without notice.
Can you see your typical responses here?
Remember, no two individuals are alike, and your stress signature may be very different to those around you.
The question is, are you holding up a mirror to self, looking carefully at your stress signature and then taking proactive steps to manage the stress you are experiencing?
*Michelle Bakjac is an experienced Adelaide-based psychologist, organisational consultant, coach, speaker and facilitator and a Director of Bakjac Consulting. She can be contacted at [email protected].
This article first appeared on the Bakjac Consulting website.
