How Do I Handle the Stress?

Recently, I was asked by one of our dispatchers, "how do I handle the stress?"

Good question.

Especially after a summer season...and especially after the summer season of 2011.

We all have stress in our lives, the more responsibility you have, the more stress you will endure.

If you are single, trying to make ends meet and start a career, if you are married with a young family, need to handle the responsibility of raising young children while trying to balance a career and a budget, or if you manage people, you will have stress.

It is how you decide to handle that stress is where you will grow, succeed and enjoy life or not.

FIRST - KEEP PERCEPTIVE

SECOND - ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST, BE HONEST AND PREPARE

It can be hard to do but in the course of the whirlwind, you need to keep your total perspective.  A major part of stress is when something does not go as planned.  (Which in itself can be a problem because we can only plan so much...life will unfold as it will.)

We get aggravated and stressed because someone did not do their part.  Sometimes, because of that, your work load just got harder and other people may suffer because of it.

First - Keep Perceptive

Overall in the grand scheme of things how important is it?  Do you have health? Are your family members healthy? Sounds crazy but start there because everything else is material.

Second - Always Do Your Best, Be Honest and Prepare

Gather the facts and look over all solutions.  You will have time to look back and see who, what and why an error may have occurred and you should so that you can learn from it.  That said, you need to stay focused on solutions when you first hear of a situation.

We get stressed because others may not act or have a work ethic as you would like or did not do their job properly but in the end, the ONLY person that you truly control is yourself so let it go.  You can advise, guide and help but other than that...to allow yourself to get stressed over others...is useless.

Look ahead, prepare, be honest with yourselves and others and do your best.
Try to learn from situations and learn personalities.
You cannot change others so do your best to work with them and change yourselves.

I love the lyrics from a song that says

Work like you don't need the money
Laugh like you're not afraid to cry and
Dance like nobody is watching

We can get caught up so much with worrying about money and your position in your work place that it stifles what you can do and can add stress.  Work like you don't need the money.

Laugh...always remember that life is short, keep perceptive of things.  Smile, laugh and I guarantee it will be returned.

Stop being self conscience and worrying about what others think...dance like nobody is watching because in the end...who really cares?

Have fun, work hard and try to help others and you will not fail...so go ahead...dance.