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If you run a business, there is no doubt you must be
running into pressure from time to time. Your ability to stay calm even while
under pressure counts for much in your productivity index. What that means is
that your ability to manage your emotions and remain calm under pressure has a
direct link to your performance on the job. Therefore, if you want to stay calm
under pressure, learn to do these here 5 things.
01. Staying positive. Staying positive is one great way to avoid being stressed
up. Positive thoughts help make stress intermittent by focusing your brain’s
attention onto something that is completely stress-free. When things are going
well, and your mood is good, it is relatively easy to handle. But when things
are going poorly, and your mind is flooded with negative thoughts, this can be
a challenge. Your way around such challenges is to have something positive that you're ready to shift your attention to when your thoughts turn
negative. That way, you can manage to remain calm even while facing real
challenges.
02. More rest and sleep. Credible research has shown that that the stress hormone cortisol is greatly reduced with better rest and sleep. When you sleep well, your brain literally recharges and your body rejuvenates. That way, you can think better and more clear-headed in your thinking. But when you are deprived of sleep and rest, your stress hormone levels go up and that presents a real challenge to your productivity. Getting enough sleep and rest enables you to remain calm even under stressful conditions.
03. Limiting your caffeine intake. Caffeine is a well known stimulant
present in common beverages like tea and coffee. Ingesting caffeine somehow
helps to trigger the release of adrenaline which is a “fight-or-flight” hormone.
The more caffeine you take, the higher
your “fight-or-flight” response, a survival mechanism which defies rational
thinking. In such hyper-aroused state induced by caffeine, your emotions
somehow manage to overrun your behavior. That is clearly a stressed-up
scenario. Ingesting less caffeine therefore, is one sure way to stay calm even
under pressure.
04. Engaging more support system. Taking on too many tasks at a time
and heaping much more on yourself is stress-inducing. To be calm and
productive, you need to recognize your weaknesses/limitations and ask for help
when you need it. That is a very smart thing to do anytime you have too much on
your plate. One great way out of stress is to tap into your support system when
you find yourself in a situation challenging enough for you to feel
overwhelmed. Getting a helping hand during such challenges is one way to stay calm and be productive. Asking
for help in times of need helps to mitigate your stress level and strengthens
your relationships with the people you regularly rely upon to help out in such
scenarios.
05. Routinely disconnecting. Every human being has
his own limits of endurance and it varies from person to person. Disconnecting
is a way of shifting attention away from the work at hand to focus on other mundane
matters which may or may not be directly related to the work at hand. That way
you can refocus and somehow get rejuvenated when you turn your attention back
to your main work. For example, if you work online, sometimes, forcing yourself offline and taking
a short walk, stretching out and grabbing a cup of tea or coffee can help you
disconnect somewhat. This is one more very smart way to maintain some measure
of calmness even while working under tremendous pressure.
