Hi Vennpuru,
I am sure most of us experience “stress” in many situations, in many forms. I am no different. I managed to handle stress very effectively. Dealing with “stress” depends on the way we understand the causes behind it and dealing with them. This article does just that.
Selling can be very stressful. In my early years in the FMCG industry I worked a very tight schedule of 4 appointments each day. These were with the owners of medium sized retail companies scattered around my territory. If the appointment was a good one it could last anything up to an hour by the time I waited to be seen and then made my presentation. This meant I would then have to drive as fast as I could to get to the next appointment on time. This led to tension, which would leave me in a poor state in which to make my next presentation. In the beginning of my career, I would get very anxious as I waited to see the next prospect, especially if it was a big company, in case I should forget the lengthy presentation I had prepared, There were two things I did to get rid of these stressors,
ü I rehearsed my presentation until I think I could have said it in my sleep.
ü I went on a weekend course to learn Self Hypnosis. This was where I learned how to relax and use the time to create positive self-images as I waited for the next interview, I also was able to picture a successful outcome to the meeting, which enabled me to be enthusiastic during my presentation.
From then on I was able to approach prospects in a more controlled way , this had the effect of increasing my conversion rate of calls into sales. The self Hypnosis course turned out to be invaluable as it now extends into all areas of my life.
< Facts about Stress
Is stress good or bad?
The only person without stress is a dead person!
Stress is part of our genetic make-up and provides us with the fight or flight syndrome, which works like this, When you see a real (or imaginary ) threat ahead of you, blood rushes to your muscles, away from your skin and sugar is pumped around your system to create energy. All your senses are sharpened and your stomach knots up. This is the period when you seem to go into slow motion. You are now ready to fight or run, If neither of these options is open to you (for example when you are frustrated in your car in a traffic jam) your pumped up energy has nowhere to go, leaving you in a state of pent-up emotion.
If this scenario is played out regularly in your life then sooner or later you have to pay the price. Unreleased stress leads to tension, acid stomach, headaches, backache, irritable bowl syndrome, high blood pressure, hypertension, thickening of arteries, clots and strokes. A hundred years ago most men died by the age of 30 but improved medication and surgical skills have extended the average life of males to 75 and it’s still on the increase. The body organs do not wear out with this increased use; It is the respiratory diseases and cancers, largely caused by inappropriate adjustment to life's stresses that are the killers now.
ü Disease = Dis- ease = UNREQUITED STRESS.
Our personality type determines the cause of some of the stress in our lives
< Personality Types.
ü “A” = A driver type character - Stress can be exaggerated by an over intense desire to succeed
ü “B” = An analytical type - Pipe smoking type, thoughtful character, not unduly prone to stress, unless indecisiveness leads to procrastination and frustration.
ü “C” = A worrying type - Very likely to suffer ongoing stress. It is important if you are a natural worrier to learn how to contain the level of worry in your life so that it does not lead to
severe physical problems in the long term.
< Dealing with your Stress or Stress management.
Stress is a very real but normally hidden cost on society at large, but it falls very heavily on the individual in particular.
The effects of stress include poor motivation, a series of minor illnesses, depression, poor family relationships and a loss of the all-important zest for life. While stress is a serious matter (which left untreated can lead to mental and physical disorder) experience has shown that an understanding of the mechanism of stress, coupled with simple methods of relaxation, can help a person to control its effects. How do we control stress?
Awareness is the key to control… You cannot correct anything until you realise there’s something wrong. Observation or honest self-analysis is needed to start to minimise the consequences of stress. Only then can solutions or strategies be found to remove causes, or if there are none available to you then an acceptance can best be achieved through proper relaxation. Additional methods for reducing stress might include talking it out with a friend or a confidante. Also try writing down the causes and your feelings - it may help you find a solution or allow you to accept reality.
When you feel the stress building, throw yourself into some work that you enjoy doing, even though at the outset you may not feel like starting Laugh it off; see if you can find the funny side of the situation. Learn self Hypnosis for relaxation and as a way to reframe your mind about the way you see your stressors.
< A word about Worry.
What you are and what you have, is created from 10% of your mental ability but a lot of our mental energy is consumed by the effort we put into worry. Don’t waste time worrying. Worrying is debilitating. If you analyse the things that you worry about you will find:
ü 40% are never likely to happen.
ü 30% are about things that have happened in the past - there’s no point worrying about them.
ü 12% are needless concerns about health.
ü 10% are petty-not worthy of our time and concern.
ü 8% are legitimate. Some of these we can solve. Some are beyond our ability to solve.
When you face up to it you realise that 92% of worry is unnecessary. Remember the foremost function of the mind is to solve problems. I repeat, successful people are not people without problems; they are people who have learned how to solve them. Your mind is the only thing that can get you where you want to go. So change your mind!
WISHING YOU A STRESS- FREE WEEKEND!
Cheers,
Rajat