The Stress Question

"How do you handle high-stress situations?"

I love this question.

Stress and I have a love-hate relationship. Sometimes it takes hold of me quickly and without warning, sinking its talons into my neck and shoulders, twisting my muscles into an unyielding death-grip that requires hours of yoga to release. Other times it sits quietly in the pit of my stomach, radiating sensations of butterflies and nausea mixed into one. I see stress as a faithful though slightly annoying friend - one I can always count on to show up during the busiest and most difficult times in my life, who won't leave my side until I see it through to the end.

The best way I've learned to handle stress is to use as a motivator. It's the twinge in my back that encourages me to push on, to make progress, to finish what I need to complete. The times I am stressed are the times I am most productive and put out my very best work. It allows me to see clearly where I need to go, and the best way to get there from where I am.

I am a compulsive list-maker. I prioritize, make calendars of deadlines, and create a strategy or game-plan for the day. Nothing is as satisfying as crossing something off the list with a fat red Sharpie.

I time myself. How much can I get done in 45 minutes of straight work? My favorite competitions are ones in which I am playing against myself. Can I be more productive in this hour than I was in the last hour? It's a silly game, but it keeps me going.

High-stress situations are fun for me in that they present an opportunity to challenge myself and see how much I can accomplish. How well can I maintain my composure when everything is moving too fast? Can I see through the stress cloud to my final destination? Can I make it there better, faster, stronger than I have before? I use stress to drive me; I cultivate it like a caffeine-high that keeps me going and going and going until I finish what I set out to do. Then I reward myself with an awesome yoga session that banishes the death-grip from my shoulders and releases the remnants of my melted stress with each exhale.