How To Stay Strong Under Pressure
Remember why you’re doing this in the first place.
Like the proverbial frog in boiling water, some may say that we become accustomed to pressure as we progress through our lives and careers.
The most unflappable people develop many coping mechanisms. But their true strength comes from their love — love for what they do; love for others; and love for life.
“Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you truly love. It will not lead you astray.” ― Jalaluddin Rumi, The Essential Rumi
Allow me to share what I have learned from my own journey:
ORGANIZE YOURSELF
Inspirational author Zig Ziglar suggested that you should be able to manage yourself before you can manage others, and, in a similar vein, you should be able to manage yourself before you can manage your business. If your head is not clear, there is no way that your decisions will be consistent, and this will lead to unpredictable outcomes.
RECOGNIZE YOUR TRIGGERS
It is worth talking to a trusted advisor, like a spouse, friend, or a coach, about what seems to cause you the most stress. There may be certain events or feelings that regularly cause you to worry. When you realize what is causing problems, you can take action to address it.
REMEMBER YOUR “WHY”
Stress tends to take us to an uncomfortable place. It dominates the mind, and it is all too easy to forget our “why.” You might be in business to make a difference in the world, to help others to develop, or simply to provide a future for your family. When you lose sight of those simple things, stress can overcome you pretty quickly.
STRESS PREVENTION
Just stay at home in bed — that is a stress-free environment. Tempting as it may seem, this isn’t an option for any of us, but it is possible to make decisions which will allow you to avoid certain pressure points. You can delegate work to others before things get to be too much. You can set aside time in the day to switch off, go for a walk or listen to some music.
PRACTICE MINDFULNESS
I write about mindfulness a fair amount. Stress happens when your head is occupied with worries that are rarely related to the present moment. If your head is elsewhere when you need to be “present” for a decision, you won’t make the best decision and add to your future stresses.
LEARN TO LOSE
Any moderately ambitious person understands that you won’t always win. Learning from your failures will make you a stronger person, and there is a reason why many of the leading figures in world business have considerable blemishes in their careers. If losing comes naturally to you, like water off a duck’s back, coping with it is that much easier.
Here’s a bit more on dealing with stress and pressure from one of my recent interviews:
Ultimately, the best way to alleviate stress is to share your troubles with someone else. Talking about your worries is like releasing a pressure valve, and it will always give you that extra sense of perspective. When things are starting to get the best of you, an external perspective is sometimes all you need. Often, things are not as bad as you think.
Copyright (c) 2016 by Faisal Hoque. All rights reserved.
I am an entrepreneur and author. Founder of SHADOKA and other companies. Shadoka enables aspirations to lead, innovate, and transform. Shadoka’s accelerators and solutions bring together the management frameworks, digital platforms, and thought leadership to enable innovation, transformation, entrepreneurship, growth and social impact.
Author of “Everything Connects — How to Transform and Lead in the Age of Creativity, Innovation and Sustainability” (McGraw Hill) and “Survive to Thrive: 27 Practices of Resilient Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Leaders” (Motivational Press). Follow me on Twitter Faisal Hoque. Use the Everything Connects leadership app and Suvvive to Thrive resiliancy app for free.
