31 Jul Summer Stress

We’re having a busy summer. And with all that work comes stress. Stress has become America’s #1 health problem. And it’s no surprise that work is the number one cause of stress. But stress is completely counterproductive. . . AND. . . it’s contagious.

If a client is short with you because s/he is stressed, you are quite likely to be short with someone else. And so on and so on. If you freak out about a tight deadline at work, your tension can quickly spread throughout the office. This is not good. . . or fair.

The reason most of us experience stress at work is because we fear failure. This causes worry and angst. My dad once said, “Ninety percent of the things we worry about never happen. So why bother worrying?” He’s got a good point. Worry and stress do not serve us.
Nobody wants to miss deadlines or let people down. But aren’t you letting people down when you let work stress raise your voice or shorten your temper? I think you are.

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that the boss’s attitude usually sets the tone for the employees’. If I’m even-keeled and happy, they will be too. And if I whine and complain, they will too. So if you’re in management, it’s your JOB to maintain a level head and an even temper. But anyone can turn a happy work environment into a toxic time bomb. So don’t think you can have a negative attitude just because you’re not a manager.

In the end, we’re all judged not only on the quality of the work we produce, but how we go about producing it. And that includes how we handle stress.

In this industry, we all face tight deadlines and unreasonable expectations. What matters in life is how we face them. We can worry and fret and stress each other out. Or we can work together, get the job done, and go grab a beer afterwards!
Which approach do you prefer?