FLOW with Stress in the Moment
Our journey this month has focused on stress because April is Stress Awareness Month. Stress is the #1 problem in the workplace and in life. From previous posts, you should now have abetter understanding of what stress is, how to recognize it, and how to minimize it in your life.
But, from time to time, things happen and we get triggered. Practicing the F.L.O.W. process for minimizing stress in your life will help mitigate negative reactions, but sometimes sh*t happens and off we go.
I also have a F.L.O.W. process for handling those burst of stress that tend blindside us. Just like you need F.L.O.W. in your life, F.L.O.W. in the moment comes in handy too.
The steps are the same, the actions are different:
F: FOUNDATION – The foundation to life is breathing, so the number one thing to do when you feel triggered is to stop and bring your focus to your breath. This will help slow down your heart rate and give your brain time to get out of flight-flight-freeze mode and into better decision-making mode. Simply exhaling for twice as long as you inhale for about 4 rounds of breath should do the trick. That will be the focus of our breath work after our stretches today.
L: LISTEN – Check in with yourself. What is your mood? Your mood strongly influences your reaction to things. If you are feeling angry, it might be best to let that email sit for an hour or so or take a break before your response so you can cool down. It is fine to express anger if it is expressed appropriately. When we immediately react, we don’t usually present our best selves.
O: OPTIONS – Before you react, consider the options. If you have done the first two steps described above, your brain will be able to come up with possible options for addressing the issue. Try to consider 2-3 potential options other than your first, knee-jerk, response.
W: WRAP IT UP – Now that you have settled down and have come up with a few options, pick the one you think is best and wrap up the situation by having the conversation you need to have or take the action you need to take. Don’t let it fester. If you have done the first three steps, your action is likely to be on purpose and appropriate. This will hopefully resolve the situation and you can move forward without spending any more mental energy on it.
Click here for this week’s video
NOTE: I offer keynotes, half-day, and full-day workshops on the F.L.O.W. processes. Reach out to me at anita@workflowgrow.com or use this calendar link to schedule a meeting to discuss providing a workshop for your team or organization.
Inquiry Question: What things typically trigger you and how can you minimize your reaction?
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