Stress Reducing Habits for Leaders
A Low Stress Career Equates to a Rewarding Career!
Leadership is stressful, no doubt about it. A supervisor has a broad scope of responsibility and expectations are high. Accepting the accountability for company performance and bottom-line results just comes with the territory. However, being accountable for results carriers a certain amount of stress. Additionally, all leaders need to embrace change. Optimally, changes are related to continuous improvement activities and these can be fun but that's not always the case. Either way, leading a change initiative can be a stressful experience, even if its positive change. Accountability and change represent a constant source of stress for a leaders.
If you can accept accountability, embrace and lead change, keep expanding your leadership toolbox and professionally manage stress, then you will have a long and successful career in leadership. Start by falling in love with metrics, then lead some continuous improvement projects, establish a career development strategy and adopt some stress reducing habits. Then you are on your way to green pastures (aka career opportunities). Stress management is a key aspect of success. Employers look to promote people who can manage responsibility and manage the increased stress that comes with expanded responsibility.
Below are habits that helped me reduce stress over my years in my various leadership roles. These habits can help you as well.
Exercise
Exercise increases your bodies production of endorphins. Endorphins help you feel good. Sometimes this is called a “runners high,” but these endorphins increase during any aerobic type of exercise. When we exercise, we focus on the physical activities, instead of all the irritations that we dealt with all day long. Bottom-line is, exercise reduces stress. Talk to your doctor about a daily exercise plan that’s right for you.
Sleep
A good night’s sleep reduces cortisol production and a poor night’s sleep increases cortisol. Cortisol is the hormone that supports our fight-or-flight response to stress. If you’re in a dangerous situation, you want your system to produce cortisol. But a lack of sleep puts your body into a constant state of stress (aka chronic stress). A good night sleep of seven to nine hours will reduce cortisol production and lower your stress. Try to get a full and restful sleep every night.
Meditate
Meditation is proven to reduce stress. Mediation reverses the affects of chronic stress by turning off the production of stress hormones. Mediating just 10-15 minutes per day will make a big difference in your stress levels and your life. It does take practice to train your mind to intentionally relax and fall into a meditative state. Find a guided-meditation App that you like and practice it daily.
Financial Freedom
Being is constant debt can cause high levels of stress. My wife and I read the Dave Ramsey book, “Total Money Makeover.” We applied the seven baby steps to financial peace to our financial plan and it really lowered our stress and totally changed our lives. I recommend this book and really consider it a must read for anyone looking to eliminate debt. Otherwise, if you don’t like Dave’s approach, try to find another financial advisor who can help you get out of debt. Moneywise, being debt free can mean being stress free.
Eat Healthy
Eating healthy proved to provide consistent energy levels for me. When I started eating more fruits, veggies and salads and less carbs and sugars, I stopped having my typical afternoon energy crashes. Having a high level of consistent energy, helps me to pursue good habits such as those listed here. I also have the energy to read more and reading helps me grow my knowledge. I recommend evaluating your diet and talking to your doctor about making improvements.
Take Vacation Time
Taking vacation time to relax and unwind helps us to refocus. If we work all the time, we start to feel like we’re just living to work, but we really want to work to live. Living means enjoying our life and living it in a way that makes us feel fulfilled. Vacations are an opportunity to live life. If you can’t afford an epic vacation to an exotic destination, try camping and/or hiking or some good day trips to enjoy life. Taking vacation time, will help you refocus and enjoy life.
Be Social
People are ultimately social creatures. We’re just designed to be part of a community. Sometimes we need to stretch out of our comfort zone, and this can be uncomfortable, but usually after we socialize a little, we feel good about those interactions with family, friends, and new acquaintances. Being social helps lower stress. Be social and lower stress.
Tools for the Trenches provides extensive training for manufacturing leaders including training sessions on how to better manage stress.
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