Stress Management – What is Stress Mapping?
Workplace stressors and triggers
Stress is all too common in the workplace and this issue needs to be addressed in order to create a positive work environment for all. People have been reevaluating what is most important to them and leaving stressful work environments in search of a better work/life balance and less overall stress.
Stress may be a common feeling but is caused by different stressors and triggers, all unique to the individual who is feeling stressed. What are some common workplace stressors?
- Extremely quick turnaround expectations and deadlines
- Unnecessary micro-management
- Financial burdens related to pay rates
- Personality differences between employees
- General frustration with workload, work environment, etc.
- Minimal time to reboot and refresh
Are stressors different from triggers?
The terms are often used interchangeably, but a stressor is something that can be quantified and changed from the outside of an individual. Triggers are personal to an individual where it’s an event that triggers the onset of the stress feeling. Some examples of triggers include:
- Rejection of an idea or bad feedback
- Technology issues
- A fully booked calendar
- Confrontation in the workplace
- Unplanned events (i.e. fire alarms, outside factors)
Everyone has a threshold of how much stress they can manage, alongside those stressors and triggers, so it’s important to teach them how to manage stress.
Stress mapping
Stress mapping is a form of stress management and was introduced to the E3 Consulting team during a TV news segment and quickly rolled out our own version of it. Rather than simply manage stress when it happens, we created a way to measure and track stress in order to get to the root of the issue and come up with best practices to manage the feeling before it takes over and interrupts work flow.
E3’s Executive Monitoring Service can track, combine, analyze and synchronize bio data streams using body sensors that gather information about a user’s stress level, heart rate, respiration rate, and activity level. In addition, this technology can send the data to the cloud and be reviewed on your Android and iPhone.
Other forms of stress management
There are ways to manage stress that work for everyone. Stress mapping is great, but not readily available in the moment someone is feeling stressed out. Here are some ways to help subside the feeling of stress and help manage it:
- Controlled breathing
- Going for a walk outside during the day
- Schedule meetings with noteable breaks between
- Manage expectations
- Create streamlined communication
Stress is hard to avoid, but it can be easily managed with the right programs that fit the type of work that’s being done. It is totally natural to feel stressed at times, but managing and coping with stress is a very important life skill. Let us help you teach your team about stress mapping and other ways to manage work-related stress.
Interested in bringing stress mapping into your workplace? Hire E3 Consulting for the job
Stress levels are at an all time high and learning how to cope can be difficult. While there is no cure for stress, per say, the stress mapping technique is a great method to help alleviate stress within the individual and the workplace.
