Stress is Catching: 4 essential strategies to boost resilience and productivity

You’ve probably heard of catching a cold but what you may not know is that stress, and other negative emotions, can also spread from person to person like a virus, significantly reducing our potential.  Researchers have shown that simply observing someone who is stressed, such as a family member or coworker, can increase the levels of stress hormone (cortisol) found in your own nervous system by as much as 26%.   This phenomenon happens even with complete strangers observed on video.  Here’s the thing – we not only catch stress when we see and hear it in others, we can smell stress too.

And at what cost?  

It’s not just about being ‘unhappy’.  Cortisol has been called public enemy #1. It causes all sorts of problems to our ability to function correctly (including making us forgetful and emotional), triggers cycles of fear and anxiety, makes us stupid by causing the brain to seize up at inconvenient times, shrinks the brain (yes, SHRINKS THE BRAIN) and increases our risk of mental illness. Cortisol actually prevents brain cells from regenerating.  Scary stuff.  Not surprisingly, we’re also not effective humans when we’re stressed out. Productivity declines, as does employee morale and engagement.

"Stress-related presenteeism and absenteeism are costing the Australian economy $14.81 billion a year." Medibank 
 
Now, not all stress is bad. Stress can be a really good thing for performance, as long as it is just the right amount. Too little stress and people can get complacent and underperform. Too much stress and people can crumble under pressure. Of course, stress can be beneficial at times, producing a boost that provides the drive and energy to get through situations like exams or work deadlines. The problem is that nowadays, stress is chronic rather than just related to important performance-related tasks or moments in time.

Here are 4 essential strategies to boost resilience and productivity.
 

1. Inspire a clear vision for growth

It’s interesting; the first thing I notice when I work with people who are feeling burnt out, especially highly accomplished people, is that they seem to have lost their sense of direction.  Many have already achieved what they previously set their mind to and now feel, well, lost.  Or sometimes we don’t know what success looks like or how our role fits into the bigger picture vision of the company.  We all need something to shoot for and, if powerful enough, this goal or vision becomes our North Star, guiding the way.

More importantly – the goal that guides us needs to stretch us beyond our comfort zone, which may seem counter-intuitive in the context of stress-reduction.  However, researchers have confirmed that when people set stretch goals that challenge them, they go on to achieve far more than when simply aiming to do their best.  They also experience less burnout as they strive towards their goals.  
 

2. Infuse it with personal meaning

When meaning is present, people can endure great difficulties and achieve things they didn’t think were possible. Meaning also brings more joy and satisfaction to what we do – everything just makes sense and our actions feel important, personally. It’s our “why”. The stronger the “why” behind an action, the more committed and resourceful we become.  

Self-determination theory tells us that there is a much stronger motivation and commitment to engage in any activity when it is grounded in genuine interests and personal values. Put more simply, the most effective action happens when one is intrinsically motivated by the drive that comes from within.  We all need avenues to define what we do through the lens of our values.  
 

3. Create structures that boost and support energy

All the purpose and meaning in the world is absolutely useless if you simply run out of steam. There is a growing body of research that demonstrates every time we exercise willpower or make decisions, we literally burn energy.  And after a day of meetings, competing demands and high-stakes decisions; we’re all pretty tapped out from an energy standpoint. 

Wherever possible, we need to create structures that support our energy, rather than deplete it. Can we reduce the amount of meeting time we have?  The only thing that is certain is that when people are in meetings, they aren’t actually doing any work.  Or concentrate important decisions to specific times of the day (preferably just after breakfast or lunch when our energy is highest).  Other tactics include kicking meetings off with praise or appreciation and framing problems as opportunities that we can rally toward solving as a team.  

Additionally, we need to actively replenish our individual energy stores throughout the day and evening.  Find ways to inject some laughter and social connection into your day.  Good sleep, exercise and eating (nutritious food) regularly are all a must.  
 

4. Build self-efficacy

Knowing the plans and pathways to get from where you are to where you want to be is essential.  However, unexpected obstacles will pop up or our circumstances may change, so more important than knowing the exact path… is knowing you are capable of figuring it out. It’s about having a flexible mindset that can learn and adapt with experience.  It’s the belief of what you’re capable of. 

It seems counter-productive to do more when you’re stressed but recent research shows learning something new can be a better stress-buffer than relaxation because it increases our sense of self-efficacy.  In this case, more is actually more.  Keep it simple by learning about your strengths and finding new ways to leverage them in the workplace.
 

Unfortunately, the stressors that plague our lives and our workplaces aren’t going anywhere soon.  These strategies are things we can all do to improve our resilience against stress. More than ever, we need workplaces to create better structures to diffuse unnecessary stress (rather than magnifying it), leverage productive stress to rally teams to solve important challenges, and enforce a zero-toxic policy.  Culture is everything.

It's my hope that these strategies help you, and others, get on top of chronic stress.