With great power comes great responsibility … and the accompanying stress. Many business leaders contend with elevated stress levels while managing their daily responsibilities. However, the prolonged uncertainty stemming from the spread of Covid-19 is especially detrimental. Learning about the neuroscience behind stress can help us to handle it and maintain our sanity – not to mention boost productivity, self-care, and resilience without completely burning out. In order to conquer stress, we need to first understand our own physiology.

Advances in neuroscience – the study of the brain and its responses – have given us an understanding of the effects of stimuli on the brain. They also offer us a measure of control over our subsequent responses. At the heart of our stress response is the amygdala, two small clusters of neurons in our brains. It is sometimes called the brain’s fear center. The amygdala controls how we react to negative emotions like fear and anger by shutting down routine thinking in favor of a “fight or flight” response. While occasionally useful in everyday life, this reaction short-circuits rational behavior. It can, however, be tempered with a coherent, deliberate response.

  • Recognize the source. You may be successful at suppressing your reaction to stressful event temporarily, but the subconscious does not forget. Unresolved concerns will continue to intermittently rear their nasty heads and only lead to more stress and distractions in the long term. Instead of simply attempting to ignore the underlying issue, acknowledge it and its effects on you, however unpleasant.
  • Recognize yourself. Fear and anger inspire extreme, uncharacteristic responses. Don’t give in to the demon on your shoulder. Refrain from an immediate response and focus on the things that you can control in the moment and beyond. Only when the intensity of the initial emotions abates should you focus on formulating a plan.
  • Don’t isolate yourself. A collaborative approach to problem-solving garners richer solutions than a solo effort. The overlap between your thinking and your team’s will generate the layered creativity necessary to overcome the challenges you face. Always invite a range of perspectives before you formulate a battle plan.
  • Isolate the issue. Fight-or-flight states can entice you into tackling multiple issues at once … and botching them all. Train your mind to focus when you are stressed: prioritize your agenda and get to work tackling your problems in hierarchical order without overlap. Delegate when necessary.
  • The long haul. Perhaps, after all these months, you have managed to reign in much of the initial stress you had experienced when Covid-19 first emerged. Not everyone is as successful. Pay attention to your own mental health as we navigate this changed world and give your team the care, resources and support they need to walk the road with you.

Contact me today if you have any questions about how to deal with stress during challenging times.