Scientists who study stress say that our brains are not built to do complex thinking, planning, and remembering in times of massive upheaval. In fact, the limbic system is hyperactive during negative emotions and stress. Making decisions while taking into account the considerations in this blog might help!
Build Your Relaxation Response
Many of us push our minds and bodies to the limit, often at the expense of our physical and mental wellbeing. The response to our daily activities may include an increased heart rate, high blood pressure, and an accelerated breathing rate. In this week’s blog we discover practices to effectively reduce stress.
Why is Stress Management Important?
Where Does Stress Come From?
What causes you stress and anxiety might create energy and excitement in another. Following this thinking, new research indicates that it is not enough to consider how much or what type of stress we experience (Rudland et al., 2020). It suggests it is more about how we perceive and respond to it. Whether we interpret stress as good or bad is influenced by many factors. Read more in this week’s blog…
Am I Worrying for Nothing?
We know from research that in times of uncertainty, we tend to think the worst. Even when a situation or message could be interpreted as positive, we often interpret it as negative, especially when we lack information. While it is unlikely that we can avoid worry in our lives, we can learn to manage it and improve the quality of our lives. The following a six-step process than can help you gain control over your thoughts…
Are Worry and Fear the Same Thing?
Psychologists describe worrying as a chain of negative thoughts and images which is largely uncontrollable. Fear, on the other hand, is an adaptive mechanism essential to survival that rallies many biological processes to help us prepare for a potentially threatening situation (Ornell et al., 2020). Here’s more…
How Do Worry and Stress Affect the Body?
While it's normal to feel stressed out and worried during a crisis, daily challenges can also push us beyond our ability to cope. During stressful times, we may feel helpless, sad, angry, irritable, hopeless, anxious, or afraid. We may even have trouble concentrating, feel unmotivated to do essential tasks, experience changes in appetite, have body aches or pains, and have difficulty sleeping. Here is what worry does to our brain…
Talent Squeeze
The talent challenge is severe for employers. Data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis showed a steady and significant increase in voluntary “quits” during the pandemic. And this trend isn’t likely to subside any time soon. Here is a list of action items an organization faced with a talent squeeze might consider…
Workplace Realities and Transformation
Need to Lead Differently
Significant changes in economic, social, political, cultural, and ethical conditions require organizations and individuals to reconsider what it means to lead. In a crisis, leaders must be capable of processing a large amount of complex information, contradictory points of view, and intense emotions. Here are a few ways in which leaders can achieve this.