How Workplace Stress Can Be Good for You

Believe it or not, the workplace can be one of the biggest sources of stress in our lives. It’s important to arm yourself with the knowledge of how to survive in a culture of workplace stress. That’s why our resident human resource expert Tony Deblauwe is investigating both sides of the coin for us here at StopStressingNow.com.  It doesn’t all have to be bad stress. You can learn to use that stress to your own advantage. Here’s Tony:

How Workplace Stress Can Be Good for You

By Tony Deblauwe

When you hear about workplace stress on the news, it is typically a reminder of how this condition can be enormously destructive to your health. Consistently high stress levels that are poorly managed are linked to everything from depression to heart disease. However, there is also evidence that some types of stress have an upside. Let’s explore this concept and how you can harness it to further your career.

Recent Research Shows Benefits of Stress

Most healthcare professionals are reluctant to use terms like “good stress”. They are concerned that people will use this as a reason to ignore stress in their lives – with all the bad consequences that can bring. However, there are a number of researchers who are breaking the silence about this controversial topic. Here are a few recent pieces of information you may find enlightening:

A University of Texas study found that people who are in challenging, creative professions are healthier than the average person.

In 2004, Doctors Suzanne Segerstrom and Gregory Miller reported in the Psychological Bulletin that the hormones released during an episode of short-term stress may actually boost immune function.

Developmental psychologist Janet DiPietro from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health states that most people perform best when they are under mild to moderate stress.

Keep in mind that all of these professionals agree that chronic stress is harmful. So, don’t overdo it. They also acknowledge that deciding how much is “too much” is highly individual. Learning to your workplace stress doesn’t mean eliminating it altogether. In fact, there may be times when you need to challenge yourself with a little stress to help you excel.

Here are some ways you could use “good stress” to pull ahead of the pack at work:

Win or Lose Can Be Win-Win

There is nothing like some friendly competition at work to get your adrenaline pumping. See if management is open to a productivity challenge. This could pit one shift or department against another to see which team can improve performance the most in a 30 day period.

Or, you can recruit one or two coworkers to take part in a smaller competition to achieve your “personal bests”. Offer a small prize (say, a $20 gift card) for the winner. That money is a wise investment that can pay off during your next performance evaluation when your productivity soars.

Do Something That Scares You

For most people, the thought of public speaking is terrifying. If you have never presented any type of report in a business meeting, prepare one this time. It should be short and cover a topic you know very well. Use notes to prompt you along (memorization is for the pros). Stand up to talk so you get the full “butterfly in the stomach” feeling of being on stage.

If this seems like too much workplace stress, consider offering to do a presentation during orientation for the next batch of new-hires. They don’t know you (and you have seniority over them), so you may feel less embarrassed and nervous. Either way, you will build a reputation for leadership and good communication.

Get Creative – and Helpful

Volunteer to solve a problem for your boss. Pick something that you know is doable. However, it should require some creative thinking on your part. If possible, figure out 2 or 3 potential solutions. Why? Because your boss may shoot down your first idea and you need a backup plan! It doesn’t really matter if your suggestions are filed away or implemented. You will still earn points for being an original thinker – someone to keep an eye on for future development during succession planning.

Working environments continue to change in response to economic conditions, competitive demands, and talent shortages. Remember that you can find opportunities to challenge yourself in ways that improve your work performance and your contribution in the eyes of your co-workers and your boss.

Tony Deblauwe is a Workplace Expert and Founder of Silicon Valley based services firm, HR4Change.
He is an award-winning author and regular contributor to career social networks sites
such as Brazen Careerist, and TrackAhead.  He has been quoted by CareerBuilder, The Ladders and various HR publications. Check out his blog at www.workbabble.com