Stress: what are your personal stress triggers?
We all stress for different reasons. Something that might make you riddled with anxiety may actually make your best friend laugh. More than anything else, stress sabotages our abilities to communicate effectively.It inhibits your ability to think, speak and function.
The first step in conquering and managing your personal stressors is to identify them.
Stressors usually fall into some of the following trigger groups:
Emotional stressors, include anxieties and fears (such as anxiety about whether you’ll be fired or whether your presentation will go well) as well as certain personality traits (such as perfectionism, pessimism, or a sense of helplessness or lack of control over your life). Emotional stressors vary from person to person.
Work stressors are caused by the perceived pressures of performing in the workplace. They may include meeting deadlines, a difficult boss or endless client demands.
Change stressors are feelings of stress and anxiety derived from any significant changes in our lives. These may include moving home, starting a new job, moving in with a significant other, getting a divorce or even having a baby.
Phobic stressors are those fears caused by situations you are extremely afraid of, like as flying in airplanes or being in small tight spaces.
LEARN WHAT YOUR UNIQUE STRESS TRIGGERS ARE: Using the above list as a starting point, think about and write down all the things that stress you on a daily basis. Go back and see which stress trigger category each stressor falls under. Some of your stressors may fall into more than one of these categories.
Now, go back through your list of stressors and mark an E for each item you can eliminate, an R for each stressor you can reduce the strength of, and a C for each item you can learn to cope with. For the items marked with an E or an R, write down any ideas you have on how to achieve these goals (for example, asking for help and support or limiting your intake of caffeine).
STRESS TRIGGER SOLUTIONS:Stress Management is core to all our communication skills training programmes. Once you have learned to manage your stress and nerves you can handle yourself effectively in any communication situation. Contact John for more information: john@johnfrench.co.za
