Risk & Business Magazine Marcotte Magazine Fall 2017 | Page 19

FEATURE STORY “It is extremely difficult to enjoy a stress-free moment outside of work when an email that will change your train of thought and get you thinking (read: stressing) about work can drop onto your phone at any moment.” BY: TRAVIS BRADBERRY AUTHOR OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE you need to reframe the situation. A great way to correct this unproductive thought pattern is to list the specific things that actually are going wrong or not working out. Most likely you will come up with just some things—not everything—and the scope of these stressors will look much more limited than it initially appeared. THEY BREATHE The easiest way to make stress intermittent lies in something that you have to do everyday anyway: breathing. The practice of being in the moment with your breathing will begin to train your brain to focus solely on the task at hand and get the stress monkey off your back. When you’re feeling stressed, take a couple of minutes to focus on your breathing. Close the door, put away all other distractions, and just sit in a chair and breathe. The goal is to spend the entire time focused only on your breathing, which will prevent your mind from wandering. Think about how it feels to breathe in and out. This sounds simple, but it’s hard to do for more than a minute or two. It’s all right if you get sidetracked by another thought; this is sure to happen at the beginning, and you just need to bring your focus back to your breathing. If staying focused on your breathing proves to be a real struggle, try counting each breath in and out until you get to 20, and then start again from 1. Don’t worry if you lose count; you can always just start over. This task may seem too easy or even a little silly, but you’ll be surprised by how calm you feel afterward and how much easier it is to let go of distracting thoughts that otherwise seem to have lodged permanently inside your brain. THEY USE THEIR SUPPORT SYSTEM It’s tempting, yet entirely ineffective, to attempt tackling everything by yourself. To be calm and productive, you need to recognize your weaknesses and ask for help when you need it. This means tapping into your support system when a situation is challenging enough for you to feel overwhelmed. Everyone has someone at work and/or outside work who is on their team, rooting for them and ready to help them get the best from a difficult situation. Identify these individuals in your life and make an effort to seek their insight and assistance when you need it. Something as simple as talking about your worries will provide an outlet for your anxiety and stress and supply you with a new perspective on the situation. Most of the time, other people can see a solution that you can’t because they are not as emotionally invested in the situation. Asking for help will mitigate your stress and strengthen your relationships with those you rely upon. + Dr. Travis Bradberry is the award- winning coauthor of the No.1 best selling book, Emotional Intelligence 2.0, and the cofounder of TalentSmart®--a consultancy that serves more than 75% of Fortune 500 companies and is the world’s leading provider of emotional intelligence tests and training. Dr. Bradberry is a world-renowned expert in emotional intelligence who speaks regularly in corporate and public settings. Example Toronto-based engagements include Stefan Danis Intel, Coca-Cola, is CEO of Mandrake Microsoft, Human Wells Fargo, Capital, Boston which Scientific, operates executive NY Life, search, Fortune recruitment, Brands, Salesforce.com, coaching, and career Fortune transition Magazine businesses. Growth His book Summit, Gobi Runner The Conference is available Board: on Amazon.com. Learning Stefan from can Legends, be reached and at Excellence [email protected]. in Government. 19