For Communications, Sales,
Training, Managing and Leading
 

Accelerated Learning

Coaching

Word Power

Work:Life Balance

NLP Courses

 

Home 

 
Work:Life Balance   

Productivity & Motivation   Stress Quiz   

Stress At Work & NLP   

 Breakthrough Coaching   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interested in taking an NLP
training or business workshop?
Check here for information:
NLP Certification Programs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Work Life Balance
NLP And Stress At Work

Stress is a hot topic!  Over the last three years we have faced several global issues—up close and personal. Perhaps for the first time, many of us have lost the feeling of personal security that comes from having the good fortune to live on this continent.
 
We head off to work each morning knowing that the world is changing hour by hour and wondering how this will play out in our daily lives.
 
We face a workplace that must keep pace with the shifts and curves, fluctuating demands and sudden change of a global market. So now may be the right time to look at stress and NLP.

NLP provides many effective ways for dealing with stress at home and at work. First, let's look more closely at stress at work and then we'll check out some of the solutions offered with NLP.

Stress At Work includes:

  • A few surprising facts and figures on direct
    and indirect costs associated with stress.
  • The positive side of stress.
  • Stress as a process and how we 'do' stress.
  • An effective option for dealing with stress.
  • Why the option works.
  • The four top sources of workplace stress.
Facts And Figures On Stress At Work
 
A few of the direct costs from recent studies:
  • 44% to 55% of Canadians say they experience workplace stress.
  • stress costs Canadian business $3.5 billion1
    a year in lost hours!
  • 31% of absenteeism, 40% to 50% of short-term disability claims are stress related.
1Canadian Policy Research Networks. All other numbers Statistics Canada

The indirect costs of stress may be even higher and they affect all of us! Negative stress:

  • Impairs judgment and decision-making.
  • Affects our ability to plan for the long term.
  • Affects our ability to focus and stay engaged in tasks for an extended period.
  • Is a major factor in high staff turnover and low commitment at work.

Yet there is a positive side to stress too!

  • Stress is a stimulus for growth and a natural part of life.
  • People often experience the most growth in the very areas where they've been pushed the hardest.
So the real question becomes "why do some people experience more negative stress than others working in the same environment?"

So How Do We ‛Do’ Stress?
Unpacking the sequence leading to stress can give us a useful answer. There are four steps involved.

1.    Stress Activating Event

2. + Thoughts/Perceptions/Beliefs

3. + Interpretation of Event

4. = Stress Response (positive challenge stress or
       distress)

How we create (dis) stress for ourselves:

1.    We are exposed to a 'stress activating' event.

2. + We evaluate the experience using our thoughts,
       perceptions and beliefs.

3. +  We interpret the event, applying meaning to it and
       assessing our ability to respond effectively.

4. = How we interpret the event triggers our stress
       response.

Creating Positive Challenge Stress
When we believe we have the resources to respond effectively:

  • Our interpretation of the event and stress response are positive.
  • We are open to change and responsive to the needs of others.
  • We have the ability to learn from the experience and may even call it exciting, challenging and stimulating and fun!
What Happens Too Often
When the event is interpreted as unfair, unreasonable or beyond our ability to respond effectively, we have a negative stress response.  
  • We resist change and become less responsive the needs of others.
  • Over time anxiety can cripple our productivity and ability to learn new job skills ...
  • and this is over and above the health issues  associated with negative stress!
You're In Control — Stress Is An Inside Job!
  • The critical difference is in how we interpret the event.
  • 'It isn't life's events but our interpretation of those events based on our perceptions and beliefs ...
  • that determines whether we experience positive challenge stress or distress.
This may seem an over simplification, yet even after traumatic events our long-term recovery will depend on the beliefs and perceptions we have about our ability to respond effectively.

More good news — stress without distress!
While we can't always control our exposure to 'stress activating' events:

  • We can control our response.
  • We can change the way we interpret events by changing our perceptions and beliefs and by acquiring new skills.
  • With the resources to respond more effectively distress becomes positive challenge stress.

This is far easier to do than you may think. To learn more read the next article on Breakthrough Coaching or follow this link to learn about NLP

Triggers For (dis)Stress
Rank of the most common sources of stress at work.2

1.   Lack of time or excessive workload demands

2.   Poor interpersonal relationships with co-workers or
      supervisors

3.   Risk of injury or illness

4.   Threat of job loss/layoff

2Canadian Social Trends Statistics Canada

Taken one at a time, the most common 'stress activating' events may seem like minor issues, and simply a reality of the work place.

Because the effects of these events accumulate and escalate over time, they can eat away at relationships, overall performance and health.

1Canadian Policy Research Networks. All other numbers Statistics Canada 

Managing Stress — Help Is An Option
Many people turn to NLP, a time tested model for self awareness, self regulation and personal excellence.

NLP offers some of the most effective techniques for removing common barriers to performance, clearing the emotional effects of stress and assisting people to change their beliefs about what is possible.

NLP can also be used to improve communications and cooperation between team members. (If you'd like more information, follow the links at the bottom of this page.)

Some organizations are using on-the-job or WorkPlace Coaching©. A combination of standard business coaching, Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Systems Thinking Tools, WorkPlace Coaching© offers an effective and economical solution for stress and other performance issues.
 
For more information on WorkPlace Coaching© go to: Coaching

 Why NLP Works
Stress is created by our perceptions and beliefs about events rather than the events themselves. NLP is one of the few technologies available today that can reliably assist people to change their perceptions, replace limiting beliefs with new and supportive beliefs, expand choice and activate new resources.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interested in taking an NLP training or business workshop?
For more on NLP visit: NLP Training And Coaching