By Brian Fraser

Here’s the bad news. You can’t eliminate stress.  It’s a fact of life in the workplace, especially in these days of tumultuous transition into new economic and social realities.  If there was ever a time that Einstein’s famous quote about not being able to solve our problems with the same level or quality of thinking we used to create them was especially true, now is the time.  And there will be stress associated with the necessary changes.

Now here’s the good news.  You can decide how to deal with this stress and help those with whom you work do the same.  It’s also a fact of life that the human brain is capable of adapting to new circumstances in remarkable ways.  New neural pathways that support new behaviours can be created. It takes will, discipline, and practice – in a word, resiliency.  But it can be done.

Resiliency is grounded in the ability to enjoy eustress, or positive stress.  According to Hans Selye, the pioneer in stress research who taught in Montreal from 1936 until his death in 1982, eustress has the following characteristics: 

•          It motivates and focuses energy

•          It is short-term

•          It is perceived as within our coping abilities

•          It feels exciting

•          It improves performance

Feeling drained and overwhelmed involves a lack of ability to resist distress, or negative stress.  Selye found this kind of stress has the following characteristics:

•          It causes anxiety or concern

•          It can be short- or long-term

•          It is perceived as outside of our coping abilities

•          It feels unpleasant

•          It decreases performance

•          It can lead to mental and physical problems

There are three kinds of rituals for resilience – calming, curiosity, and appreciation – that can increase your eustress and reduce your distress.    

Rituals of Calming
Relationships are the building blocks of performance.  It is difficult to maintain a productive relationship with someone who is highly anxious or deeply fearful.  Being able to achieve a state of calm opens you to the possibilities of better relationships.  It starts with your physical health, with being in a state of readiness to meet the challenges of the situation.  Rituals that build your capacity to oxygenate your body, especially your brain, are crucial.  They can be as simple as walking, especially if it’s up and down a few flights of stairs.  A regular routine of physical exercise – balanced between strength, aerobic, and flexibility – is the ideal.  Another beneficial ritual is to breathe deeply, especially if it’s accompanied by some thought that will connect you to your deepest sense of value and purpose.  Eating habits that maintain proper glucose levels in the body are also important.  Eat often and eat light.   

Rituals of Curiosity
The best way to engage people is to ask questions about what matters most.  This really is a discipline worth developing.  Contention, criticism, and complaining drive people away.  Curiosity invites people in.  It shows that you really value their input and seek authentic collaboration.  This is a mental and emotional set of rituals, opening up the possibility of co-creating a better future together.  It calls for an open mind and a spacious heart, both with room for others to contribute to the best design possible for the organization’s future.  Ask often and listen carefully. 

Rituals of Appreciation
Under distress, we easily get overwhelmed by a sense of negativity and lose sight of the positive possibilities we enjoy.  Appreciating the potential the organization and its people can achieve requires discipline.  It involves rituals of focus, developing the ability to visualize the best future possible for the organization that aligns all the talents and resources in the most effective way.  In the end, these are rituals of the spirit that keep the value and purpose of the organization at the center of everything that is being done.  Focus appreciatively and stay positive. 

Just Do It
Each of you who have read this article will have your own ways of developing these kinds of rituals.  I can simply say that those coaching and consulting clients who have found ways of remaining calm, curious, and appreciative in the midst of stressful situations have ended up being more positive, creative, and productive.  These kinds of resiliency rituals make people more constructive and consequential.  The choice to develop such habits is yours.  Just do it.

Brian Fraser, PhD, is lead provocateur of Jazzthink.  He is a speaker, facilitator, and coach who provokes brilliant leadership that creates productive communities.  He often uses the wisdom and workings of jazz to help people and organizations transform their performance.