Summary:
How you handle the tension plays a huge role in determining how resilient you are. Start by asking yourself how you respond when you’re under pressure.
How you handle the tension plays a huge role in determining how resilient you are. Start by asking yourself how you respond when you’re under pressure.
No matter how brave, hardworking and intelligent you may be, there comes a time when stress becomes overwhelming and you get triggered. When you’re triggered, the emotional part of your brain takes over.
Over time, these reactions can lead to acute anxiety, depression, irritability, fatigue and other health problems.
How you manage stressful situations plays a huge role in determining how resilient you are.
Here are three suggestions for handling your stress better.
GET TO KNOW YOUR STRESS REACTIONS
Start by asking yourself how you respond when you’re under pressure:
How does stress affect you physically (e.g., tightness in your chest, sweating, knots in your stomach, headaches, etc.)?
How does stress affect you psychologically or emotionally (e.g., feeling out of control)?
How do you de-stress (e.g., laughing, meditating, practicing yoga, reading, etc.)
RELATED: Fightning Physician Burnout at the Organizational Level
IDENTIFY YOUR TRIGGERS
If you pay attention to the times when you experience severe stress, you’ll begin to notice a pattern — there is usually someone or something that triggers these emotions. The good news is, once you are aware of your triggers, you can manage how you react to them. The following questions are helpful in identifying your triggers:
It makes me angry when … .
I become overwhelmed when … .
I feel offended when … .
I wish people would … .
RELATED: More Articles Related to Physician Wellness and Burnout
PRACTICE MANAGING YOUR STRESS
Identify one situation that tends to challenge you emotionally, then ask yourself:
How is the situation impacting me physically, emotionally and psychologically?
What specifically triggers these feelings and emotions?
What action can I take to manage the situation and my emotional response more effectively?
Copyright 2017 Harvard Business School Publishing Corp. Distributed by The New York Times Syndicate.
Topics
Resilience
Differentiation
Quality Improvement
Related
When the Doctor Needs a CheckupA Clinical Care Pathway to Provide Value-Based Care to Patients Hospitalized with CHF, COPD, and PneumoniaCertified Physician Executive (CPE)Recommended Reading
Quality and Risk
When the Doctor Needs a Checkup
Quality and Risk
A Clinical Care Pathway to Provide Value-Based Care to Patients Hospitalized with CHF, COPD, and Pneumonia
Self-Management
Certified Physician Executive (CPE)
Self-Management
Life Is More Than Living
Strategy and Innovation
Transforming Medical Leadership: Formulation of an 11-Competency Physician Leadership Model for Next-Generation Healthcare Leaders
Strategy and Innovation
Leonardo, Dragonflies, and Observation