When your needs are bigger than your resources or when the demands upon you are bigger than your abilities, your brain will trigger the stress center. In some cases you will feel overwhelm in others you might even feel worry.
When the stress network in your brain is activated your motivational network will shut down.
There are two ways of answering to stress:
Threat response: is when you experience an overwhelming force you feel you can’t handle
Challenge response: is when you experience stress as a source of initiative and energy
In the first case you will most probably suffer. In the second you will have a feeling of surfing over the situation.
While in the first case your intuitive reaction might be of fight, fly or freeze in the second case you will be relaxed, calm and focus.
Let me share 3 easy steps to manage any challenge you are facing so you may answer with a challenge response that helps you be on top of the situation:
Identify the situation. Be aware of what is happening to all the involved, including yourself. Do this in a neutral way. Do not blame, shame, put guilt or try to rationalize
Ask yourself empowering questions: what can I learn from this, what is this telling me, what do I wish to do with my findings
Choose a very small action step and DO IT
Our clients experience positive results of using this process and other processes and tools that we teach them. Be one of the many leaders surfing through your challenges!