Stress... Manage and Accept It

I met this amazing woman at a Vistage meeting and found her words on many topics of great interest. Stress affects us all at different times in different ways, and so I am happy to share some insights with you that resonated with me. - Andrea Michaels

-By Deborah Shames

For many years, humans have been fighting stress with exercise, diet and drugs. Still, we live in stressful times, and work exacerbates the pressure. But should we emulate Buddhist monks, clad in saffron robes, rice bowl in hand, counting their breaths? Daniel Kaufer, associate professor of integrative biology at UC Berkeley says, "some amounts of stress are good to push you to the level of optimal alertness, behavioral and cognitive performance."

Most cognitive scientists agree that small amounts of stress prompt stem cells to create new nerve cells, improving memory and performance. The other critical factor is how one perceives stress. If we welcome and manage it, stress becomes fuel. Fear it, and stress is overwhelming, impairing memory and creating depression, weight gain and other unwelcome results.

With the New Year approaching, challenge yourself to accept stress. When it comes to speaking, introduce a colleague at a networking meeting, sit on a panel, give a toast at a wedding, or speak briefly at your firm's lunch-and-learn. These small, low-ante events create stress, preparing you for larger presentations and building successes for the brain to recall. When your perspective about speaking goes from threat to challenge, you will be in your sweet spot. Ommm.

Join the conversation at http://eloqui.biz/buddhist-monkzzz/

Deborah Shames of Eloqui is the author of Out Front: How Women Can Become Engaging, Memorable and Fearless Speakers. Eloqui provides presentation and communication training from new hires to seasoned executives; startups and small businesses to established firms and non-profits. To learn more, go to http://eloqui.biz/.

Andrea Michaels is the founder/president of Extrordinary Events, a multi-award-winning international events agency based in Los Angeles. To learn more about EE, please visit www.extraordinaryevents.com. You may reach Andrea via amichaels@extraordinaryevents.com.