Anticipating Stress - Managing Stress by
Preparing For It
How to use tool:
By anticipating stress you can prepare for it and work out how
to control it when it happens.
You can do this in a number of ways:
Rehearsal:
By practicing for a stressful event such as an interview or a
speech several times in advance you can polish your performance and build
confidence.
Planning:
By analyzing the likely causes of stress, you will be able to plan
your responses to likely forms of stress. These might be actions to alleviate
the situation or may be stress management techniques that you will use. It is
important that you formally plan for this - it is little use just worrying in
an undisciplined way - this will be counterproductive. Formal planning of
responses to stress is a technique used by top-level athletes to ensure that
they respond effectively to the stresses of competition.
Avoidance:
Where a situation is likely to be unpleasant, and will not yield
any benefit to you, it may be one you can just avoid. You should be certain in
your own mind, however, that this is the case, and that you are not running
away from problems.
Reducing the Importance of an Event:
When an event is important to you, this can make it very
stressful. This is particularly true where you are operating at a high level,
where many people are watching, or where there is the prospect of a large
financial reward, of promotion, or of personal advancement. The presence of family,
friends or important people can also add to pressure. If stress is a problem
under these circumstances, then think carefully about the event - take every
opportunity to reduce its importance in your eyes:
Reducing Uncertainty:
Uncertainty can cause high levels of stress. Causes of uncertainty can be:
In these cases lack of information or the actions of other people
are negatively effecting your ability to perform. The most effective way of
countering this is to ask for the information you need. This might be
information on your organization's performance. It may involve asking what your
employer wants from you in the future, so that you can set the appropriate
career development goals. If you are unsure of how you are doing, ask for a
performance review. Where instructions are inconsistent or conflicting, ask for
clarification.
If you ask in a positive way, then people are usually quite
happy to help.
Key
points:
By anticipating stressful situations you can prepare for them.
This may involve rehearsals, plans to counter stressful contingencies, or
avoidance of an unpleasant situation altogether.
Stress may also be caused by the size of an event. If this is
the case, put it in its proper context within your goals. Where stress arises
from uncertainty, ask for information you need.