Constantly feeling stressed and worn out at the
end of your work day? If so, you’re far from alone.
While each of us is different, the most common
feelings people experience when stressed include
overwhelm, anger, frustration, anxiety and fear.
Most of us can cope with short periods of moderate
stress but excessive or prolonged stress can lead
to illness, as well as physical and emotional
exhaustion – not ideal for a busy assistant.
So, reflect for a moment on the level of stress
you endure on a daily basis in your role – how
well does the executive you support manage their
own stress levels? And does the stress your boss
carries impact upon their ability to deliver, or
indeed your performance?
While an all too common problem, the good
news is there is a lot we can do to reduce stress in
our lives, and to avoid its harmful consequences.
How we experience life, whether at work or
home, is actually largely up to us – we all have the
power to choose how we respond and, ultimately,
decide the impact our experiences in life have on
our health and happiness.
So, take a look at the below situations – likely
to be familiar to any busy EA – and, next time you
encounter them, stop and think about how best to
respond:
STRESS SITUATION 1
It’s especially common for EAs to be so focused
on the people they support that they forget to
check in with how they’re feeling and coping
with a busy work life. Naturally, of course, being
unaware of what we’re thinking and feeling is a
common reason stress builds.
w The solution: Know what typically causes you
to feel stressed and recognise when you’re being
impacted. Pay attention to how you feel and learn
to read the signals that you’re allowing work to
wind you up or wear you down.
And look for the signs of stress reflected in
your mood and behaviour – if you find yourself
unusually short tempered, anxious or lethargic
chances are stress is getting on top of you.
STRESS SITUATION 2
The need to juggle multiple demands, meet tight
deadlines and solve last minute problems are
inherent to most EA roles and, for many of us,
stress is exacerbat