Stress? What’s stress?

By Libby Dishner

Acute stress, perhaps the kind you’re feeling right now or during tax season, comes from the demands and pressures you feel until that blessed deadline day. We all know what this type of stress feels like and it is easily detected if we pay attention to the signs.

I’m sure there’s a spot in your office where myriad pain relievers can be found for those tension head or muscle aches and perhaps some antacids for upset stomachs. If you’re frequenting this space, chances are you’re sick or experiencing stress. Another telltale sign that you’re suffering the effects of stress is lack of emotional control, like kicking the dog or turning two red pencils on the work delivered by a first-year who, under normal circumstances, turn in exemplary work.

I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. However, from time to time, we all need a reminder of what happens to us and others when we’re under acute stress and turn into someone we’d rather not be.

Evolution made us this way

Think back in school to a psychology or physiology class. Remember fight, flight or freeze? The chemicals in our brains that cause these reactions saved our lives at one point in our existence. Cortisol, one such chemical, is immensely helpful when there’s a saber-toothed tiger is stalking around. Since there are not many of them roaming into offices these days, the way our anatomy works is not quite as helpful as it once was. But we still have those same chemicals coursing through us, whether there’s a real or perceived threat to our lives. Because we’re not typically exerting that physical energy in response to our stressors, those chemicals have a different effect on our bodies, whether physical, emotional or both.

Five things to do

While you know three of the most important things to do (eat a healthy diet, exercise and get plenty of sleep), those things seem almost impossible at different times of the year for accounting professionals. However, there are things you can do that won’t take much time and are proven stress reducers. Here are my top five.

1. Pay attention

Surprisingly, the simple act of noticing that you’re feeling stress is a way to combat it. Simply saying to yourself something like, “I feel a tension headache coming on; it must be because of this work piling up,” can help. Once you’re aware, you can figure out your next step. You can wallow in it (not helpful), or you can consider doing one or several of the following actions.

2. Breathe deeply

I had a client challenge me once about breathing as a solution. Her comment was something like, “It reminds me of giving birth. I don’t want anyone else ever tell me to breathe! I’ll do it, but you have to convince me it helps.” So, I shared that The American Institute of Stress states, “Deep breathing increases the supply of oxygen to your brain and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes a state of calmness.” Then I urged her just to try it. If she didn’t find that it worked, she certainly didn’t have to continue the practice. I did suggest, in jest, she might want to continue at least with the shallow breathing.

3. Reframe

Reframing is a way of changing the way you look at something, and, thus changing your experience of it. And yes, it really can changed your physical responses to stress, because, as mentioned earlier, your body’s stress response is triggered by perceived stress too. So, if you’ve though something like, “It’s such a burden to have an appointment with every single one of my licenses during tax season,” you can reframe it as, “I’m happy to get to touch base with each of my clients during this time of the year, even though it’s a bit hectic; I always enjoy hearing what’s going on in their lives and businesses – it allows me to serve them better.”

4. Meditate

Meditation can be done anywhere. You don’t need to have a yoga mat and a eucalyptus candle in your office to benefit from clearing your mind. During meditation, you simply focus your attention on something. It could be your breathing or a simple sound or mantra. The trick is to eliminate the stream of jumbled thoughts that are crowding your mind. If something does creep in, you just acknowledge it and let it go.

5. Socialize

Yes, having friends does help to reduce stress! “Researchers have found that having even one close friend that you confide in can extend your life by as much as 10 years,” says sociologist Jan Yager, Ph.D. So, grab him or her and go get a salad for lunch – it doesn’t have to be a full hour!

These suggestions may sound simple, but you may find they have lasting effects that can get you through that next strategic plan or tax season.

Libby Dishner is a leadership coach and consultant. She works with individuals and professional services firms to redefine people focused success, take bold action and achieve results.