Leadership can be stressful at times, but this creates a tricky situation. When stress seeps into your leadership, you’re not going to be your best leader, and when you’re not your best leader – the stress begins to pile up. A cycle begins – you feel stress, that stress impairs how you lead, and mistakes in your leadership only make things worse. So is it possible to take stress out of your leadership? At Technalink we encourage our teams to practice a few techniques to catch stresses before they make their impact on leadership, well-being, or emotional health.
First and foremost, stress begins in the body. Before you even realize that the stress is building up, your body has already decided to react. You might feel tension in your neck, you could clench your jaw, you may feel your heartbeat quicken, or a headache creeping in. This is the best time to act. Your body is telling you something important, and there are a few things you can do about it:
• Use your mala prayer beads – Mala prayer beads are a highly effective stress combatant. You can hold the beads in your hand, move bead by bead, and practice your affirmations to bring you back to a mindful center. Even if you’re not in a complete meditation session, it’s a quick reminder that mindfulness is more powerful than stress.
• Take a few moments of quiet time – When you feel the physical stress symptoms begin, there’s no better time to take a few moments of quiet time This can help to slow down the stress before the cycle begins and gives you time to reflect on your leadership and how you can bring yourself back to center.
• Listen to something soothing – Sometimes you need that inspiration or motivation, and you need to be reassured that you’ve got whatever challenges come your way. The OM Factor, now on audiobook, focuses on providing you with the tools you need to keep centered and keep moving forward.
Stress is inevitable in leadership and in life. While we can’t completely avoid stress, we can control how we treat it. Observe the physical effects of stress, turn the tide, and you can bring yourself back to the center you need to be the best leader you can be. With these tools, stress is no match for quality spiritual leadership.
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