This blog post describes the major stressors a new nonprofit executive director can experience and healthy ways to combat stress.
Each year, the American Psychological Association (APA) surveys people across the United States about stress. Not surprisingly, our society is increasingly suffering from the effects of long-term stress.
Everyone experiences stress at work and at home. People often say they want less stress but what they really want is to have less of a stress reaction. It’s your reaction to stress that’s the enemy, not the stress itself. So, what one person perceives as stressful might not even bother another person.
In this post, we’re talking about stress reactions involving tension and anxiety which tax the body and mind. These reactions make people feel as if they are at the mercy of life’s circumstances instead of in control. It’s counterproductive and drains energy.
There are six influencers that can increase or decrease stress at work. Being able to identify the six influencers is the first step to decreasing stress, increasing energy, and improving performance. By performance, I mean any activity which you attempt while at work.
1. Stress and the Spiritual Influencer:
For some, the words religious and spiritual are synonymous. However, I’m using the word spiritual to describe your purpose in life, your personal mission, or your most important values.
We generally overlook the spiritual dimension at work. How often do we discuss how aligned a leader is with their life purpose or vision in a performance review? However, the spiritual influencer has a great effect on your performance.
Spiritual stress occurs when you are doing something that causes you to question your values, purpose, or beliefs. You just feel out of alignment when experiencing spiritual stress at work. For example, you might not agree with the board’s decision to eliminate a program that helps those in poverty, but you still have to carry out their decision.
Think of a time you experienced spiritual stress at work. What was going on for you and how did it affect your performance?
2. Stress and the Mental Influencer:
Mental factors which can improve or detract from performance include alertness, concentration, clarity, intuition, and memory. You need to be focused and clear-headed at work so you can make decisions, generate ideas, and take action.
Mental stress occurs when you multi-task, stretch yourself too thin, or experience mental clutter. Mental clutter arises when decisions go unmade, things are incomplete in some way, or you are focused on the past or future.
As a nonprofit executive director, you will probably experience a lot of mental stress because there is never enough money or time to get everything done. You might be constantly worrying about the budget or your never-ending to-do list instead of focusing on the task at hand.
Think of a time you experienced mental stress at work. What was going on for you and how did it affect your performance?
3. Stress and the Emotional Influencer
Emotional factors include your moods, your feelings, and the way you express and manage emotions.
Most people misunderstand emotions. They react to and live in the effect of their emotions and forget their purpose. Often, they try to avoid what feels bad instead of listening to the emotion and figuring out what it’s trying to tell them.
Emotions can be used as tools to help you understand what is going on for you in any situation. As a leader, learning to be emotionally aware is critical. You need to understand, express, and control your emotions at work. Learning to experience your feelings without guilt is also crucial.
Emotional stress occurs when your needs are not being met or you don’t feel affirmed and valued. Emotional stress can also occur when you don’t know how to navigate your emotions. For example, an employee might raise their voice to you in a meeting. You might be caught off guard and explode in anger or freeze.
Think of a time you experienced emotional stress at work. What was going on for you and how did it affect your performance?
4. Stress and the Physical Influencer
Physical factors influencing performance include sleep, health, nutrition, exercise, injury and illness, and even body image. When you are feeling physically strong and active, of course, you have the best chance of experiencing the energy you need to complete tasks and goals.
Physical stress occurs when your body is not able to function in an optimal manner or in the manner to which you are accustomed. Lack of sleep and exercise are probably the most common physical stressors for executive directors because of their heavy workload.
Think of a time you experienced physical stress at work. What was going on for you and how did it affect your performance?
5. Stress and the Social Influencer
Social factors are related to the people who are and aren’t around you. How you react to and interact with others can have a profound impact on your stress, energy, and performance.
Social influencers can include how much social interaction you have vs. how much you need, your attitude toward working with others, how strong or weak your support system is, and your ability to communicate effectively with others.
Having the right amount of interaction with others and feeling supported can be social keys to performance. We enjoy being surrounded by like-minded people who are excited about the same things we are.
Social stress occurs when social conditions aren’t optimal for you for a variety of reasons. For example, if you value privacy and independence, working in a team environment is going to stress you out. Also, working with people who don’t share your values can be stressful. Unfortunately, we don’t always get to choose the people we work with but we can control how we react to them.
Think of a time you experienced social stress at work. What was going on for you and how did it affect your performance?
6. Stress and the Environmental Influencer
Environmental factors are related to the setting or conditions in which you work and perform. These are tangible, physical, and external elements that affect your energy and performance.
Some environmental influencers include your surroundings, equipment, clothing, technology support, climate, weather, time of day, noise, and lighting. Your environment affects your stress, your energy, and your enthusiasm to perform.
Environmental stress occurs when you encounter an environment that you believe prevents you from functioning at your best. For me, one of the most profound environmental stressors in the nonprofit world is outdated technology plus a lack of technical support.
Think of a time you experienced environmental stress at work. What was going on for you and how did it affect your performance?
Summary: There are six influencers that can increase stress and decrease performance. Remember to be aware of the six influencers and how they affect your performance and leadership style throughout your day.
And Remember…You’re not alone. You can do this!
Source: Bruce Schneider, iPEC Coaching.
