Victoria Scott here to talk about managing work stress. Today we're going to talk about what you can do when you inevitably experience stress.
A lot of people try to resist their feelings push them down because they are not fun. But they are there for a reason.
Sometimes those stressful feelings seem to be there for a long time or seem to become a repeating pattern. That could be happening because there is a lesson there for ourselves that we haven't learned yet.
It is normal for people who have a level 2 manager (Level 2: Fighter) to experience level 1 (Level 1: Self-Doubter) in response to their manager's criticism and find fault within themselves.
After a stressful experience, withdrawal and avoidance can help us gain distance from the situation. If we don't deny our feelings or make ourselves feel bad for feeling bad, that distance can give us perspective and learning.
When I'm feeling level 1, I lean into avoidance. I take a break from whatever's causing me stress and go and work on something else. I try not to stop and do nothing because I have a hard time relaxing when I'm doing nothing. I like to try something that I don't have to think about too hard that keeps my hands busy, like doing the laundry or doing some art.
Keeping myself busy can help me feel productive and not get too far into level 1, and sort of compartmentalize it to that one area of my life. If I'm doing something that I don't have to think about too hard, I can let my mind wander, and when that's happening my mind has a chance to relax.
After a while, the solution will inevitably come to me that I was blocking through my stress. It's sort of like those finger traps we had when we were younger and the harder you pull the tighter it grabs, but if you just kind of relax it'll let go.
Usually, the way that you can relax into it is just by accepting your feelings.
That might even mean confronting your fears, asking yourself,
Are my fears really true?
What evidence is there that my fear isn't true?
Asking yourself those types of questions might help you move into level 2 (Level 2: Fighter).
Level 2 helps us move past our fears into action.
You can use that fuel to fight for yourself for something better.
While I don't recommend doing anything in the heat of the moment or doing anything you might regret later, go ahead and use that anger to:
Update your LinkedIn profile, get your resume up to speed, draft but don't send your resignation, apply for other jobs, reach out to your network, and...
Start setting up healthy boundaries! Are you tolerating too much? Is there a conflict that's unresolved? Are you trying so hard to take care of everyone else that you're neglecting yourself?
I'm curious, how can you take advantage of the stress in your life?
Comment below or message me privately to share.
Stay tuned for my next message.
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