#9 The Impact of Stress in business with Steve Mitten

What is stress? How does the stress level impact our businesses? When do you need to get proactive to keep stress levels at bay? What can you practically do to reduce stress?

Steve Mitten is a Master Certified Coach with years of experience in coaching business owners talks on MeetMyPotential.

There is a general feeling that a little bit of stress is good for you and there is strong scientific data to back that up. And according to medical surveys and documentation, the stress level is on the increase. This is mostly experienced and talked everyone at the workplace. Stress impacts work and relationships and one needs to proactively take steps to deal with this.

Here are some key notes that I deduced from the conversation.

If one neglects to recognize increased stress levels and take measures to minimize and manage, it can have an impact on:

• Your relationship with your co-workers/employees/employer
• Your Health
• Your level of Intuition
• Your Creativity
• And finally, you get locked in circular thinking

When does one start to get proactive and stop denying the effects of stress?

If you do not deal proactively with your stress it is going to deal with you.

When you are busy running around, making plans and channeling efforts into your business and leading a family you are so close to the forest and you certainly don't see the trees and you get stuck in the boiling frog syndrome where everyday the water temperature increases and you find yourself getting boiled alive.

People usually do not realize the drastic effect the stress level is having on them until people point it out to them. The normal reaction is to keep on working and working even harder.

When the stress level increases, the stress hormone, Cortisol, increases and turns on the sympathetic nervous system. When you get older the body takes longer to process and it degenerates our productivity.

The problem is when something is not working people saw harder and harder instead what's needed is to STOP and SHARPEN the saw.

Worrying breathes air into stress accumulation

One of the contributing factors of increasing stress levels amongst business owners is to worry about the past and future. Most dwell in thoughts and regrets about the past and worries about the future. This goes further to stress accumulation in the body and the accompanying side effects.

How can one proactively reduce stress?

The good news is it doesn't take too much time to stop and dedicate 10 minute twice a day to any activity off forward thinking, working thoughts and focus on what's happening NOW and this will turn on the relaxation system in the body.

Here are few things you can do:

• Go outside and pay attention to the nature
• Take your dog for the way
• Enjoy music or a cup of coffee
• Meditation / yoga
• Dancing
• Walk around the office block

Most High Achievers have a lot of energy and for them its easier to do activities like running, yoga and Tai Chi, i.e. any activity that focus on the body rather than sitting and meditating.

Put your attention on your body, breadth and redirect your attention to whats here and now. When your mind's attention goes to planning or worrying just keep coming back to the present, its okay if thoughts come.

There are many practices - Try and see what works for you for 10min twice a day. Your energy and interpersonal skill set increases over time with practice.

How do you go from a state of I know this is good for me to doing something?

Unless there is 4/5 level of interest or motivation don't bother. The first step is to do whatever is needed to get interested or fired up. So picture a better life, for instance: what would it look like if you could sleep at night without waking up, what if you could go home earlier from work, what if you are more creative in problem solving.

Get a vision that is meaningful for you that you are prepare to work on and get company to work with you.