When My Head Hurts
Today, at the 10 A.M. coffee break, I commented that my head hurts. One of my guys responded with, "that's what most people call a headache." I just about never have headaches. But my head does ache – probably at the rate of several times per week.
I find that certain conditions need to be met for my head to be in a stressed state. Some contributing factors are:
Multiple tasks piling up at the same time
Time pressure on at least one of the tasks
Trying to figure out a complex set of problems (such as learning to manage a new set of books as part of managing a company for an external owner)
An external stressor (such as personal finances or health, etc.)
An emergency situation (a semi truck getting stuck on the road side 4 hours away from headquarters)
Usually it will take a combination of at least two or three of these to trigger that feeling in my head. I can still function effectively. But it does signal to me that I am burning more calories than normal, and I will likely feel more tired than usual at the end of the day. Also, I realize that this sort of stress affects the quantity of grey hair on my head and may also effect my overall health.
Here are several tips to help manage stress in a stressful and busy business environment:
Create a weekly to-do list.
Break down the weekly to-do list into daily tasks.
If tasks emerge that were not anticipated, jot them down immediately into your master to-do list, instead of trying to hold that to-do in your memory. Your stressed mind is bound to forget and feel even more taxed trying to remember what you're supposed to remember...
Taking a break does wonders for clearing my mind. After today's stressful morning, I spent more than half the day arranging 9 miniSheds in preparation for a photoshoot. A creative outlet like that puts me in my "happy zone", helping me destress.
Stepping outside for fresh air. Kick that up a notch, and do a little jog under God's open sky.
Take natural supplements that support your adrenals and/or your cognitive function.
Go home. This holds true when it's quitting time and my head hurts, but I want to get my project done. Sometimes pushing through is the way to go. Often, the better choice is to go home to my dear family for supper and wrap up that project the following day when I'm well rested.
If you work for an employer and don't carry a big load of responsibility, be blessed. Sometimes, I dream of a work arrangement like this.
If you are in a management position with two tons of responsibility, manage your stress, and realize that the degree of fulfillment you experience at work tends to be tied to the responsibility that is the cause of the mental load you carry. This responsibility turns into a stressed blessing.
If you own and operate a business, be very stressed and very blessed. Somehow, this has been my experience. The interactions with my team, customers, and other business owners in the community are wonderful. Knowing that I get to directly contribute to putting food on the table and building a local, Christian community – this is the mileage I get from the many gallons of stress.
At the moment, this seems like a good trade.
