Shane,
Good point, if you can approach your stress with idea that is only a challenge. Challenges you can achieve.
Dr. Gary Carlson
Shane,
I have used this methodology with my students. Assignments started on early reduces the stress and improves the grades in most cases.
Dr. Gary Carlson
Motivator... Because stress and motivation is an interesting subject. Stress can actually act as a serious motivator in changing one's behavior. In fact, change cannot occur without first a stressor being applied.
Juvenal,
Stress with positive outcomes can be good motivators. Stress can also be negative with bad outcomes. Financial, personal, physical etc can be negative stresses.
Dr. Gary Carlson
I am someone who tends to procrastinate on things but it does seem like if I spend too much time on something or have too much time to think about it then the overall quality suffers. I have a hard time with over-thinking...
Susan,
Each task should have clear expectations. Build your goals around the expected outcomes.
Dr. Gary Carlson
Well for me stress is both a motivator and distracter. Ofcourse when I need to make a deadline stress becomes a motivator helping me reach that goal. And when I'm overly stressed with work issues and family issues sometimes it makes me lose my focus and I get very irritable. So personally, I feel stress is both with less stress being the motivator and excessive stress as the distracter.
Juliet,
There is both healthy stress and bad stress. Sometimes this depends on your own mental and emotional state of mind. Some stress for one person may be motivating but distracting for another.
Dr. Gary Carlson
I totally agree. I do not work at the same pace nor with the same concentration when I am stressed out.
One thing that I have being doing once I feel stressed out is stop, breathe and look at the positive sides of what will be the final outcome. I trace more or less some goals.
Claudia,
Some times the best solution to reaching a positive outcome is to step away from it for a while. Then come back with a new vengeance.
Dr. Gary Carlson
I have recently realized after the diagnosis of ulcers I was not using the proper stress mgmt techniques, when all alone i was like an adrenaline junky trying to meet the deadlines. You MUST listen to your body when it tries to tell you something.
Linda,
You appreciation for listening to your body is a strong characteristic. It is what you do when your body is speaking to you. Good for you.
Dr. Gary Carlson
I believe it is what the individual makes of it, it can be both and more. I think that there are too many personality types and situations to be just one, the other, or the both.
Robert,
Disversiity is what makes it all work. The diversity can be stressful but with leadership it is the best formula for success.
Dr. Gary Carlson
Since stress can affect the immune system causing us to incure more stress related illnesses, it then becomes a physical and mental distracter.Whatever the root cause of the stressors, the stressed worker tend to be fatigued, prone to mistakes and injuries, and become a victom of absenteeism and non productive.
On the other hand, when the body reacts to a stressor and the adrenaline and cortisol triggers a useful, positive protection, this allows us to act or react at different rates. We then start to realize that fear, worries, and other anxieties can be used to motivate us. Often, we can eliminate stress in our lives by turning that energy into something positive - in this case, motivation. This is a powerful tool, because it actually tackles 2 problems: stress and motivation.
I believe stress can be both a motivator and distractor. It can motivate you to make the necessary changes to de-stress the events making your life stressful. It can be a distractor by not being able to focus clearly. Having a plan to manage your stress is the best course of action.
Edward,
It is important to recognize stress and deal with it rationally. I have had the opportunity to meet with people at high level positions that have now retired. For those that have stayed active and productive in their retirement without the stresses of the daily corporate world have improved their health. People look healthier after retirement with the relief from stress.
Dr. Gary Carlson
Sheri,
When the practice of reducing stress with best practices becomes like a natural habit you can conquer all types of stress.
Dr. Gary Carlson
You are so correct. I have witnessed this expecially in the education field, teachers who are retiring because of age or years worked but are not psychologally ready. We are creatures of habit and sometime it doesn't do us justice.
Edward,
Our bodies adjust to the activity in our lives that is healthy. This is why we need to be sensitive to good practices. When you retire it is not characteristic of us to just shut down.
Dr. Gary Carlson
