Stress and How We Function

A few important truths we can all benefit from being reminded of during Stress Awareness month this April.

1. Stress is not all bad. A certain amount of stress and pressure helps motivate and focus us. Too little stress tends to leads us towards inertia, boredom, and depression.

2. Too little stress is probably not the problem for most of you reading this. You’re more likely to be hanging out on the OTHER side of this curve. That’s right, the yellow => orange => red side. And did you notice what happens to performance on THAT side of the curve? It starts to tank. When we’re feeling very stressed but still think we’re operating at peak performance and no one can tell how we’re really feeling… we’re probably wrong on both fronts.

3. What can we do when we have a lot of unpredictable, severe, or prolonged stress in our lives? Ask yourself how you can increase your sense of safety, connection, and control. Taking positive action in these three areas will strengthen and deepen your coping resources.