More Answers... (5/25/25 Newsletter): Stress Management

The "More Answers..." Newsletter

Hi Everyone,

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Happy Memorial Day to those in the USA or ex-pats or those stationed around the world celebrating elsewhere

I want to take a moment to honor those who died while serving in the military. My late Dad ("Papa") was an Army veteran from the Vietnam Conflict era. He passed away at 80, but had friends who died while in service and friends whose daughters and sons died while in service decades later. It's an important reminder of what could be the ultimate sacrifice every time anyone of our soldiers and military personnel is in service to our nation.

To learn more about United States Memorial Day as a federal holiday, I encourage you to visit the National Cemetery Administration's Memorial Day History page. I've placed the citation in the References section below also.

Memorial Day Weekend can be a stressful time for military families; let's also recognize how much stress is going around these days

If you have a "long weekend" this weekend, it will be a "short workweek,"which for many professionals means squeezing a full 40+ hour workweek into four days instead of five (perhaps "compressed work week" would be more accurate).

Watch out for burn out.

Two weeks ago, my More Answers... newsletter focused on stress at work,and part of that is because I am consistently receiving multiple questions a week about how to manage workplace stress better.

Unlike my "Strategy Series" (Episodes 8 - 10), which answered multiple questions about strategy-- all different questions but related to strategy,there are two primary questions I'm receiving about stress:

1. How do I manage workplace stress better?

2. How do I manage a stressed out boss better?

Tomorrow evening, I'll release Episode 11 "Ugh-- I yelled at work, and I feel ashamed-- what do I do?," and I'll address other questions about workplace stress throughout Season 2, which will start in another week or so (I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!).

Episode 11 Gets a Bit More Personal... and Resourceful...

I'm proud of Episode 11 because workplace stress and unprofessional behavior in the workplace are not easy topics to tackle, and yet it's so incredibly important for the times we are living in. I even share what it was like when I was working with seasoned leaders who were all stressed out, and typically I do not share my own stories.

I decided to offer some additional resources ahead of Epi 11's release herein hopes I can double-up my support to you if you are experiencing a high level of stress.

And remember, if you have a business challenge or workplace issue-- Ask Christa!

BOOSTER FOR YOUR WEEK!!!

Just One --> Take Stress More Seriously (even when you think you've got a good handle on it). Adaptation isn't just physical, like how Tibetans have adapted to oxygen levels 40% lower at their elevation (Adaptation, n.d.).

As humans, we are capable of behavioral adaptation also-- or at least, we should be if we're to survive and thrive in different cultures, or get through situations that challenge us emotionally and/or mentally, or move a society through difficult times by changing our behaviors and shifting our mindsets.

In the animal world, we see emperor penguins gather together to stay warm in the cold (Nature on PBS, 2014), and wild Mustangs huddling together during hurricanes to survive (11Alive, 2019).

From a human perspective, a great example of "huddling together as a society" is how the United States used Ration Books during World War 2 asa way to level-out and more fairly distribute foods that were in short supply as a result of the war effort (Ration Books | the National WWII Museum | New Orleans, n.d.).

This sharing of society-- going along with rationing food supplies for the greater good-- might seem a strange concept these days, but it was an adaptive behavior during the 1940s that enabled everyone to do better by changing their behaviors and shifting their mindsets.

(keep in mind it was also just a decade after the Great Depression also, so society was conditioned to some level of scarcity)

What do penguins and mustangs and WW2 Ration Books have to do with STRESS???

Throughout history, we have adapted our behavior to survive and-- hopefully at some point-- thrive. Adapting our behavior means we shift and change in order to work within a current state.

It might be EASY to become accustomed to feeling a higher level of stress, but that doesn't mean we are managing it well or that we should have to manage it alone.

Stress is one of those "sneaks up on you" lifestyles, so pay attention and seek resources to assist.

The National Institute of Mental Health has an infographic designed to help identify stress (they include anxiety, too) and offers a variety of resources as well (I’m so Stressed Out! Infographic, n.d.).

Episode 11 dives into more of this when stress in the workplace leads to yelling-- but it doesn't have to be that severe to be REAL STRESS.

And just because you're good at handling stress, doesn't mean you don't deserve ways to reduce it.

See you next week!!!

With kindness,
Christa

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References

11Alive. (2019, September 17). Why are wild horses good at surviving hurricanes? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR96gDtkIDw 

Adaptation. (n.d.). https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/adaptation/

I’m so stressed out! infographic. (n.d.). National Institute of Mental Health(NIMH). https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/so-stressed-out

National Cemetery Administration. (n.d.). VA.gov | Veterans Affairs. https://www.cem.va.gov/history/Memorial-Day-history.asp 

Nature on PBS. (2014, May 16). Emperor Penguins Huddle for Warmth |Nature on PBS [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL7O5O7U4Gs 

Ration Books | The National WWII Museum | New Orleans. (n.d.). The National WWII Museum | New Orleans. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/students-teachers/student-resources/research-starters/take-closer-look-ration-books