"It is a mistake to run away from your stress completely. It is there to keep us activated and engaged." says Redford Williams, a professor of behavioral medicine at Duke University, North Carolina. If You are never stressed You can not rise to the occasion and you would not be so effective and motivated. The trick is to locate the sweet spot between indifference and outright meltdown. Brace yourself, because it is time to set your stress dial for the optimal performance.
Find Your Motivation:
If You are too relaxed, you are missing out the benefits of your body's survive and thrive response.
"It must have been stressful for Apple employees to compete against each other and presents to Steve Jobs but competition stress is vital to success." says Todd Bucholz, the author of Rush: Why We Thrive In The Rat Race.
Apply that pressure yourself.
"Present your boss with the list of the things you want to achieve on the top of existing goals. Then appoint "Stress Coaches" from the pool of your colleagues and friends. This board of respected advisers can objectively asses your progress", says Todd Bucholz. "They will give you advice and the stress of meeting their expectations will force you to push yourself."
Create challenge in the office. You will develop a culture of targets, which will provide the performance-boosting motivation.
Stay In The Zone:
If You have mastered the art of a balanced nine to five. Here is how to keep it working for you.
The sweet spot is point somewhere between "coasting along and being paralyzed by panic", says Dr. Robert Rosen, psychologist and the author of Just Enough Anxiety. You may be able to galvanize yourself against some heavy workload, but repeat the test every sixth month to ensure that scales are still tipped in your favor.
Get Back In Control:
If there is too much stress in your life and it could be damaging your performance. Keep a lid on its negative effects.
First, cut the emails you send to nearby colleagues, says Professor Carry Cooper, psychologist at Lancaster University.
A study in the Journal Of Personality found that banter moderates stress-related rise in your heart rate.
Next, analyse. "Ask four questions", says Redford Williams.
Is the source of stress important?.
Is the stress justified?
Can I change the situation?
Is it worth doing something?
This "mindful" approach make the source objective. The psychological distance you create flips your brain into problem-solving mode.
Now, rearrange your to-do list. Put reading tasks immediately before the stressful meetings. A study at the University Of Sussex found that reading silently for 6 minutes reduce stress levels by 68%.
