Wherever you live or work, stress is on the rise. According to the International Labour Organization, workers in developed and developing countries are facing increasing strain at work. The onslaught of mounting stressors include global challenges, such as climate change, terrorism, and political turmoil – as well as personal and professional challenges, such as illnesses, job changes, and organizational restructuring.
To Handle Increased Stress, Build Your Resilience
For many of us, the initial response to stress is to look for external fixes. We turn to productivity tools or apps that promise to help us manage mounting pressures or we look for ways to alleviate our discomfort: find a different job, hire a new employee, or switch careers. But these solutions are often temporary and ineffective. Managing stress over the long-term requires cultivating skills that help you turn changes, stresses, and challenges into opportunities. Start by reframing how you think about stress. Shift your focus from eliminating day-to-day pressures to changing your perception of them. Recognize what you can and can’t control. For example, you may not be able to change other people’s behavior, but you can still take positive action. Better understand the root causes of your stress and identify possible ways to alleviate them. Finally, ask “What can I learn from this?” instead of “Why me?” to shape the challenge to your advantage. You can even jot down three possible ways in which you might be able to learn something from the stress you’re experiencing.