Ten Ways …
to stay sane in an increasingly
stressful world By Robert Ashton
If you look back at how those doing our jobs even thirty year ago lived their lives, it all looked very different. There were no mobile phones, no internet and certainly no social media. The pace of life seemed somehow slower than today. When you sat down at your desk to complete a task, you had far fewer distractions. Only the occasional phone call disturbed your concentration. Of course there were pressures. I started my career in sales
roles so I had targets to meet. But my efforts to achieve them felt less pressured than today, when so many people seem to wish to comment on my performance. Peer pressure, often from those tasked with achieving similar goals, can quickly mount. It would be too easy to blame this increasing pressure on smart
phones. As I’ve been writing this on my iPad, whilst travelling on a train, my iPad has kindly interrupted my concentration with bulletins announcing the latest twist in the Brexit saga. Of course I’m interested to know how our Government is (or more often, is not) managing to solve this complex conundrum. But I didn’t really need to be interrupted mid-sentence to be told the latest news from Westminster. Young people today have never known things to be any different.
They are a truly digital generation, often preferring their phone to their friends as a source of intellectual stimulation. Some schools are striving to reduce what to some might appear to be an addiction. Many are experiencing a sharp rise in the incidence of mental health problems amongst their students. It’s easy to become blasé about the increase in mental health
problems experienced by people of all ages today. There’s nothing new to mental illness. The composer Rachmaninov suffered from depression and Jeremiah Clarke, composer of some the most uplifting organ music, shot himself and died in his early 30s. But I think we all accept that it has never been more important to look after both our own mental health and that of those we manage. Here then are my suggested ten ways to stay sane in what, I’m sure you’ll agree, is an increasingly stressful world. 1. Be realistic - It’s all too easy to say yes and often we all want to be helpful. But taking on too much, particularly agreeing unrealistic deadlines, can make you ill. It is of course true that if you want something done, always ask a busy person, but you need to know the difference between busy and overloaded. 2. Seek balance - I’m learning to play the piano. It’s something that takes years and requires me to spend at least an hour on most days sitting at a different kind of keyboard. Making time for things that are not work, but important to you, is a good way to avoid
stress. If you have a young family, then making time for them should be as important as hitting the next work deadline. 3. See the bigger picture - When we’re busy, we can easily lose sight of the bigger picture. Even noticing what’s going on outside your office window can be overlooked. You get busy in spring and before you know it autumn has arrived. What happened to the summer you wonder? Weeks and months can gallop by unless your make time to notice and hopefully enjoy what’s out there in the world outside of work. 4. Have purpose - We start out working to eat, and for some they have to work a number of hours each week to cover the household bills. But if you move into a management role, then usually, you earn more than your survival budget. So why are you giving yourself the headaches and anxiety? You need to have a sense of purpose; goals that are yours and yours alone to justify the hard work you put in. 5. Plan each day - I always start my working day with ten minutes of silent reflection. It’s not meditation per se, but more an opportunity to set some priorities for the hours ahead. What really has to be done today? What will be better done later? When will I make time to visit the gym or do my piano practice? If I don’t plan, I too easily fall victim to doing what’s most interesting, or worse, simply responding to the person who shouts the loudest. 6. Small things can make big differences - I always have fresh flowers on my desk and move them to the other side of my screen sometimes so that I keep noticing them. Yes flowers look nice, but they also remind me of the natural world and my relative insignificance in it. I also have a bird feeder just outside my window. It’s good to remember our place in the world. 7. Mindfulness - There are many consultants who make a good living helping people and teams lead more mindful lives. For some this can be a good way to inject some discipline and order into chaos. Buying in expertise can certainly help you tick an HR box. But for me, and perhaps for you too, it’s just making small changes to your life and being more aware of the dangers of stress that can make all the difference. You can’t buy happiness. 8. Remove the stigma - Surprisingly, some still see mental distress as a sign of weakness. But often, episodes of poor mental health are the price paid for flashes of brilliance and creativity. Be open about your own vulnerabilities and support others who appear to be struggling. Compassion should be the sign of a good manager or responsible colleague. 9. Know where to go - The internet offers a wealth of information and advice about managing mental health. Charities such as Mind can usually run workshops on what is called mental health first aid. This can often prompt important conversations. 10. An anxious boss will almost always lead an anxious team - There’s ample evidence to show that stressed leaders stress their people. Those people may be less resilient and less able to manage their own stress. You owe it to those you work with to manage your own mental health well.
FEED COMPOUNDER MARCH/APRIL 2019 PAGE 9
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