Hear me out…
Stress comes from the inability to do what you KNOW needs to be done.
(According to the The National Institutes of Health – Hans Selye defined the term in 1936 as ““the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change”.)
Working hard generally means you’re being productive, and being productive generally makes people feel relief and happiness. Ask anyone who has a Sunday routine how they feel after the house is clean, laundry put away, meals are prepped for the week, dinner made, wine poured and candle burning. Was it a lot of work – absolutely – but they feel amazing and relaxed – no doubt.
So why are so many people in the workplace so stressed?
Let me break down how it happens:
First, the inability to work on things they know are more important than what they’ve been tasked to do.
Second, navigating corporate hierarchy and corporate culture just to get the permission to do what they KNOW needs to get done to get better results, and often being told no.
There is a consistent gap between what workers want to do or feel needs to get done (better), and what leadership is directing its workforce to do…and thus….stress.
Look, this is the corporate dynamic – and I’m not saying it’s unfair by any means, but it’s real. Most of the time this is not intentional or malicious – it’s a lack of communication, and a misalignment of priorities and misunderstanding overall. Not every worker is going to understand the bigger picture of an organization and its competing priorities, which might prohibit lots of other “nice to have” projects or improvements. It’s unfortunate, but it’s an institution we all exist in.
This is also why so many people find fulfillment and stress relief in entrepreneurship. You get to choose what you do every day – and that feels good because you’re getting to the finish line and checking items off your list that you feel matter.
If you’re a leader with a very “stressed-out” worker – try assessing their daily tasks – and ask them what they think they should be working on – genuinely. Give them some freedom and autonomy to “get Sh!t done” the way they think it should…..you might be surprised how quickly empowerment turns to stress relief.
Corporate Blog 