Stress will bring out your weaknesses. Do you know what can trigger them?
Everyone has their personality quirks and will react in certain ways in certain situations. But when we’re stressed out we tend to make costly mistakes, damage relationships, and become distracted from our strengths. Our “power” is reduced.
Perhaps no one symbolizes this challenge more than Superman (who we’ve discussed before). The Man of Steel, who is so strong and powerful, becomes becomes nearly powerless when in the presence of Kryptonite, a piece of his birth planet that is poisonous to him.
What’s your Kryptonite? In our case, it’s the thing that undermines your strengths and often manifests itself when you are under pressure. I know that when stress rises, I can become impatient and demanding with others. While this can be a useful trait in certain situations, for the most part, it undermines my strengths of working well with people and making thoughtful decisions.
What can we do to protect ourselves from these negative qualities that are part of our nature? Superman can be in the presence of Kryptonite, if the substance is inside a lead container. We must find a metaphorical container to protect ourselves from our weaker traits.
If people annoy you when you are stressed out, can you create a barrier between you and them? Can you close an office door or put up a do not disturb sign? Perhaps you can do some of your work from home.
I’ve known people who would arrive at work stressed out from the morning commute and it was something that impacted their entire day. In this case, they found that leaving for work a few minutes earlier kept them out of the stressful driving conditions. They were willing to trade a few minutes for peace of mind.
Some people’s jobs are always filled with stress. But they create a lead container where they put their anxiety by creating a short, relaxing routine. It can be as simple as taking a five minute walk or enjoying a musical break on an iPod. The key is to make this time a distraction from your stress filled environment.
While Kryptonite is a rare substance in the world of Superman, the bad guys always seemed to have access to some. It’s much the same when it comes to stress in the workplace, where it is always something you will face. However, you should not feel that you are unprotected.
