Hello friend -
As you have figured it out from the title – this set of emails is going to be about stress. I know that this topic is overused, but please, stay with me here – the goal of these emails is to share some very actionable tips and insights about stress mitigation. I am sure you will find most of it helpful.
Let's dive in.
1. The first thing I absolutely have to mention is that stress in itself is neither good nor bad. It has been demonised so much that many of us are getting stressed only hearing the word.
2. Psychological stress is a neutral response of our mind and body to an external event. This response leads to a number of intelligent processes in several systems of our body. These processes lead to our action or inaction.
The external event can be perceived as positive or negative. When it is perceived as positive – we would be talking about a surprise. Who does not like a pleasant surprise?
3. In moderation – stress is good. Think about it as 'stimulation.' Many of us, in fact, perform much better when there is an upcoming deadline. For example, I prefer to pack my suitcase two hours before leaving for the airport. The idea of missing the flight makes me highly focused and alert.
"To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan and not quite enough time." – Leonard Bernstein
Too little stimulation – and we are bored. Too much – and we run a risk of "redlining" – or being stressed. The idea is to be in the middle, crossing the stress threshold only for short-term periods.
4. Remember when you were about to give a speech in front of twenty strangers or stand up for yourself for the first time? This is short-term stress. An unpleasant feeling of anxiety, worry, faster heartbeat, sweating. How can we mitigate it?
The best way to mitigate short-term stress is by leveraging breath. No surprise here. Breath is the best key into our autonomic nervous system.
"Psychological sigh' has been scientifically proven to be a potent tool in the moment of immediate stress.
What is a psychological sigh? Two subsequent inhales (through the nose) followed by a long exhale through the mouth. Watch a two-minute video to learn more.
5. Finally, in today's email, I wanted to touch on the topic of mindset. It has been scientifically proven that depending on how we view stress – we enable a different physiological and psychological response to stressors.
If you are someone who truly (!) believes that stress is an opportunity and/or challenge – there will be less damage to your well-being. If you think that stress is inherently bad for you, you project it to be bad for you. Your body will follow your mind. I will talk more about it in my next emails.
I highly recommend this interview on the topic of mindset.
In the following email, I will share with you actionable tools to prepare yourself for midterm stress – think of a period of several weeks before your product launch, when you have to ‘sprint.’
“There is no such thing as a stress-free life. No evidence has ever been presented which suggests that a stress-free life can ever be achieved. Stress can be managed, relieved and lessened, but never eliminated.”
—Gudjon Bergmann
Enjoy your day. Enjoy being.
Katia