It's an average Wednesday. You're mid-sentence when you hear the tell-tale ping of a Teams notification. Suddenly your attention is pulled away and your eyes glance down at the at the name on the incoming message. It's your senior leader. They want a "quick chat" with you before the end of day. Your heart begins to race, your face flushes, you feel your body temperature rise and you begin to feel slightly nauseous. All of this happens in an instant.
Suddenly you hear "Are you alright?" from somewhere. You've momentarily drifted off from the video conference call you're leading. Your client can see your flushed face and the look of fear in your eyes. How do you respond? "I'm fine. Everything's fine. Sorry about that." You try to regroup as best you can and continue chatting about delivery timelines and pricing, but in the back of your mind you can't stop thinking about that message: quick chat.
Is there a problem? What is this about? When was the last quick chat? Your mind is racing to find evidence of previous meetings like this with your senior leader. Then you realize the last 'quick chat' was when you were called into their office to discuss a complaint someone on the team made about you. It was a negative experience that left you worried about your job security. Ever since then, you've been watching your back, double checking your work and feeling nervous.
If the sound of a Teams notification, a text message or an email landing in your inbox triggers a 'fight or flight' response, you're operating in survival mode. So many people have experienced a fight or flight response such as this at work. This stress response indicates that basic psychological safety is not present, at least some of the time.
The impact of psychological stress
If you feel triggered by certain stimuli at work, it's not your fault. Your brain is hard wired to look for danger and recognize patterns. You've learned through experience that certain stimuli (i.e. Teams message from your boss) is something to be feared.
Living in survival mode is very mentally, emotionally and physically exhausting. However, you may not recognize that the work environment is causing you psychological stress. You may believe this is just how it is at work. Afterall, there was nothing inappropriate or offensive about the message you received. Right?
The leader who triggered the stress response in you probably has no awareness of your reaction -- especially in a hybrid or remote work environment. Without telling them how it made you feel, they'll likely never know and they'll continue with the undesired behaviour. And if you're already anxious, it's unlikely you'll ever share your true feelings with your leader. This leads to a lack of trust.
That's not the only problem with this scenario. When you're on edge and looking over your shoulder, you're expending all your energy protecting yourself. Your brain is working overtime detecting possible threats and flagging them for you -- burning all your calories on basic survival. There is very little brain power left for creativity, collaboration, problem-solving or innovation.
What's happening inside your body?
Every time you experience this stress response your body releases adrenalin and cortisol (stress hormones) preparing you to run for your life. Your brain cannot tell the difference between real threats and perceived threats. It responds exactly the same way.
After the immediate threat has passed, your body releases more hormones and neurotransmitters to signal an all clear and flush out the adrenalin and cortisol. It usually takes 20-60 minutes to return to normal, but the more often you trigger the fight or flight response, the longer the stress levels stay elevated in your body. Over time this can lead to chronic stress and getting stuck in survival mode.
What are warning signs of prolonged psychological stress?
Chronic exhaustion and low energy
Insomnia and trouble sleeping
Lack of concentration or focus
Increased dependence on substance use
Increased consumption of sugar (glucose) and cravings
Easily irritated, annoyed, angry, impatient or overwhelmed
Increased anxiety, nervousness and fear
Feelings of sadness or depression
Disengaged in social activities or disinterested in life
Physical symptoms including headaches, high blood pressure, stomach aches and weakened immune system
If you're experiencing high levels of work-related stress or anxiety, coaching is a supportive practice that can help you before the problem becomes a crisis. Coaching is upstream mental health for people who are going through a difficult situation, but are still capable of carrying out their normal daily activities. Professional coaches are trained to identify when clients need clinical therapy from a mental health professional and it is common to refer clients for more specialized support.
Under the coaching umbrella, I can support you in understanding your stressors, your emotions and releasing your fear. With somatic coaching and breathwork, I can further support you with regulating your emotions and reducing your overall anxiety level. Breathwork is a new modality I now use to assist my clients with resetting their nervous system after periods of prolonged stress.
_________________________________________________________________________
Sarah Doyle is a Certified Leadership Coach, NLP Coach, Breathwork Coach, trainer and facilitator. She's a passionate advocate for mental health, inclusivity and uplifting women in leadership. She works with leaders at all levels and mid-career professionals.
Comments