How Successful People Stay Calm

LinkedIn Influencer, Dr. Travis Bradberry, published this post originally on LinkedIn.

The ability to manage your emotions and remain calm under pressure has a direct link to your performance. TalentSmart has conducted research with more than a million people, and we’ve found that 90 percent of top performers are skilled at managing their emotions in times of stress in order to remain calm and in control.

If you follow our newsletter, you’ve read some startling research summaries that explore the havoc stress can wreak on one’s physical and mental health (such as the Yale study, which found that prolonged stress causes degeneration in the area of the brain responsible for self-control). The tricky thing about stress (and the anxiety that comes with it) is that it’s an absolutely necessary emotion. Our brains are wired such that it’s difficult to take action until we feel at least some level of this emotional state. In fact, performance peaks under the heightened activation that comes with moderate levels of stress. As long as the stress isn’t prolonged, it’s harmless.

Research from the University of California, Berkeley, reveals an upside to experiencing moderate levels of stress. But it also reinforces how important it is to keep stress under control. The study, led by post-doctoral fellow Elizabeth Kirby, found that the onset of stress entices the brain into growing new cells responsible for improved memory. However, this effect is only seen when stress is intermittent. As soon as the stress continues beyond a few moments into a prolonged state, it suppresses the brain’s ability to develop new cells.

“I think intermittent stressful events are probably what keeps the brain more alert, and you perform better when you are alert,” Kirby says. For animals, intermittent stress is the bulk of what they experience, in the form of physical threats in their immediate environment. Long ago, this was also the case for humans. As the human brain evolved and increased in complexity, we’ve developed the ability to worry and perseverate on events, which creates frequent experiences of prolonged stress.

Besides increasing your risk of heart disease, depression, and obesity, stress decreases your cognitive performance. Fortunately, though, unless a lion is chasing you, the bulk of your stress is subjective and under your control. Top performers have well-honed coping strategies that they employ under stressful circumstances. This lowers their stress levels regardless of what’s happening in their environment, ensuring that the stress they experience is intermittent and not prolonged.

While I’ve run across numerous effective strategies that successful people employ when faced with stress, what follows are ten of the best. Some of these strategies may seem obvious, but the real challenge lies in recognizing when you need to use them and having the wherewithal to actually do so in spite of your stress.

They Appreciate What They Have

Taking time to contemplate what you’re grateful for isn’t merely the “right” thing to do. It also improves your mood, because it reduces the stress hormone cortisol by 23%. Research conducted at the University of California, Davis found that people who worked daily to cultivate an attitude of gratitude experienced improved mood, energy, and physical well-being. It’s likely that lower levels of cortisol played a major role in this.

They Avoid Asking “What If?”

“What if?” statements throw fuel on the fire of stress and worry. Things can go in a million different directions, and the more time you spend worrying about the possibilities, the less time you’ll spend focusing on taking action that will calm you down and keep your stress under control. Calm people know that asking “what if? will only take them to a place they don’t want—or need—to go.

They Stay Positive

Positive thoughts help make stress intermittent by focusing your brain’s attention onto something that is completely stress-free. You have to give your wandering brain a little help by consciously selecting something positive to think about. Any positive thought will do to refocus your attention. When things are going well, and your mood is good, this is relatively easy. When things are going poorly, and your mind is flooded with negative thoughts, this can be a challenge. In these moments, think about your day and identify one positive thing that happened, no matter how small. If you can't think of something from the current day, reflect on the previous day or even the previous week. Or perhaps you’re looking forward to an exciting event that you can focus your attention on. The point here is that you must have something positive that you're ready to shift your attention to when your thoughts turn negative.

They Disconnect

Given the importance of keeping stress intermittent, it’s easy to see how taking regular time off the grid can help keep your stress under control. When you make yourself available to your work 24/7, you expose yourself to a constant barrage of stressors. Forcing yourself offline and even—gulp!—turning off your phone gives your body a break from a constant source of stress. Studies have shown that something as simple as an email break can lower stress levels.

Technology enables constant communication and the expectation that you should be available 24/7. It is extremely difficult to enjoy a stress-free moment outside of work when an email that will change your train of thought and get you thinking (read: stressing) about work can drop onto your phone at any moment. If detaching yourself from work-related communication on weekday evenings is too big a challenge, then how about the weekend? Choose blocks of time where you cut the cord and go offline. You’ll be amazed at how refreshing these breaks are and how they reduce stress by putting a mental recharge into your weekly schedule. If you’re worried about the negative repercussions of taking this step, first try doing it at times when you’re unlikely to be contacted—maybe Sunday morning. As you grow more comfortable with it, and as your coworkers begin to accept the time you spend offline, gradually expand the amount of time you spend away from technology.

They Limit Their Caffeine Intake

Drinking caffeine triggers the release of adrenaline. Adrenaline is the source of the “fight-or-flight” response, a survival mechanism that forces you to stand up and fight or run for the hills when faced with a threat. The fight-or-flight mechanism sidesteps rational thinking in favor of a faster response. This is great when a bear is chasing you, but not so great when you’re responding to a curt email. When caffeine puts your brain and body into this hyperaroused state of stress, your emotions overrun your behavior. The stress that caffeine creates is far from intermittent, as its long half-life ensures that it takes its sweet time working its way out of your body.

They Sleep

I’ve beaten this one to death over the years and can’t say enough about the importance of sleep to increasing your emotional intelligence and managing your stress levels. When you sleep, your brain literally recharges, shuffling through the day’s memories and storing or discarding them (which causes dreams), so that you wake up alert and clear-headed. Your self-control, attention, and memory are all reduced when you don’t get enough—or the right kind—of sleep. Sleep deprivation raises stress hormone levels on its own, even without a stressor present. Stressful projects often make you feel as if you have no time to sleep, but taking the time to get a decent night’s sleep is often the one thing keeping you from getting things under control.

They Squash Negative Self-Talk

A big step in managing stress involves stopping negative self-talk in its tracks. The more you ruminate on negative thoughts, the more power you give them. Most of our negative thoughts are just that—thoughts, not facts. When you find yourself believing the negative and pessimistic things your inner voice says, it's time to stop and write them down. Literally stop what you're doing and write down what you're thinking. Once you've taken a moment to slow down the negative momentum of your thoughts, you will be more rational and clear-headed in evaluating their veracity.

You can bet that your statements aren’t true any time you use words like “never,” “worst,” “ever,” etc. If your statements still look like facts once they’re on paper, take them to a friend or colleague you trust and see if he or she agrees with you. Then the truth will surely come out. When it feels like something always or never happens, this is just your brain’s natural threat tendency inflating the perceived frequency or severity of an event. Identifying and labeling your thoughts as thoughts by separating them from the facts will help you escape the cycle of negativity and move toward a positive new outlook.

They Reframe Their Perspective

Stress and worry are fueled by our own skewed perception of events. It’s easy to think that unrealistic deadlines, unforgiving bosses, and out-of-control traffic are the reasons we’re so stressed all the time. You can’t control your circumstances, but you can control how you respond to them. So before you spend too much time dwelling on something, take a minute to put the situation in perspective. If you aren’t sure when you need to do this, try looking for clues that your anxiety may not be proportional to the stressor. If you’re thinking in broad, sweeping statements such as “Everything is going wrong” or “Nothing will work out,” then you need to reframe the situation. A great way to correct this unproductive thought pattern is to list the specific things that actually are going wrong or not working out. Most likely you will come up with just some things—not everything—and the scope of these stressors will look much more limited than it initially appeared.

They Breathe

The easiest way to make stress intermittent lies in something that you have to do everyday anyway: breathing. The practice of being in the moment with your breathing will begin to train your brain to focus solely on the task at hand and get the stress monkey off your back. When you’re feeling stressed, take a couple of minutes to focus on your breathing. Close the door, put away all other distractions, and just sit in a chair and breathe. The goal is to spend the entire time focused only on your breathing, which will prevent your mind from wandering. Think about how it feels to breathe in and out. This sounds simple, but it’s hard to do for more than a minute or two. It’s all right if you get sidetracked by another thought; this is sure to happen at the beginning, and you just need to bring your focus back to your breathing. If staying focused on your breathing proves to be a real struggle, try counting each breath in and out until you get to 20, and then start again from 1. Don’t worry if you lose count; you can always just start over.

This task may seem too easy or even a little silly, but you’ll be surprised by how calm you feel afterward and how much easier it is to let go of distracting thoughts that otherwise seem to have lodged permanently inside your brain.

They Use Their Support System

It’s tempting, yet entirely ineffective, to attempt tackling everything by yourself. To be calm and productive, you need to recognize your weaknesses and ask for help when you need it. This means tapping into your support system when a situation is challenging enough for you to feel overwhelmed. Everyone has someone at work and/or outside work who is on their team, rooting for them, and ready to help them get the best from a difficult situation. Identify these individuals in your life and make an effort to seek their insight and assistance when you need it. Something as simple as talking about your worries will provide an outlet for your anxiety and stress and supply you with a new perspective on the situation. Most of the time, other people can see a solution that you can’t because they are not as emotionally invested in the situation. Asking for help will mitigate your stress and strengthen your relationships with those you rely upon. 

Setting Goals..And Reaching Them!

We're almost into February and and statistics tell us that four out of five people will just give up on resolutions by this time in the new year. Thirty-one days and we give up on bettering ourselves. It only takes in the realm of twenty-one days to make something a habit.

Why are we so bad at setting goals? Well...in all honesty the problem isn't setting goals, it's sticking to them and reaching them!

Many self-help and self-betterment publishings also say that writing down our goals we are more likely to attain them. Getting to the point where we are able not only to set the goals, but really stick to them is when we'll start to see more progress in our personal lives and in our professional, business lives.

A very common problem in goal setting is not breaking those goals down into doable, step-by-step portions. Owning a business or a philanthropy is a great goal, so what do you need to get there? You'll need capital and certain skills. If those are grant writing, payroll, hiring, interviewing, financial responsibilities of any kind, training employees, finding a client/customer base, and many, many other things. Plan how and where you'll acquire these skills and take the right steps to attain that goal.

Essentially just setting a goal is not enough: we have to think about them and make them attainable! Lets be more serious about any resolutions we have! Set them and make a plan so you can be that one person who's going to not let go of of your goals within the first thirty-one days of trying to achieve them!

2015! The Year to be a Better Leader

So as we begin 2015 many minds are pondering what do change and improve on. At Altair we are focusing our efforts on becoming better leaders. We see it as a two part process. First, to be more productive which will flow into seizing the opportunity that we have as a part of this business, and in turn these things naturally make us better leaders.

Being more productive with our time and energy alone will enable anyone to be conscious of the multitude of things that be accomplished. What do you need to do to make sure that your job is done and that the business you are a part of is thriving? Putting responsibilities in an efficient order, prioritizing; basically working smarter rather than harder!

When you're paying attention to the things that will benefit the company you are a part of, naturally those things will get you a leg up in any company! In a company like Altair, with so much room for growth getting the job done puts you in line for promotions. And who doesn't like a good promotion?? So seize that opportunity! Set your sights on what you want to accomplish in 2015 and go after them through all of that productivity you're going to have this year.

These things do more set you in line for personal gain, but they are the baby steps to being a better leader. Doing a job is different than being excellent at that job. Someone who knows what they're doing will be asked questions and be put into a leadership role naturally. Wanting an opportunity will drive you to do everything better and stand out in the crowd of employees that could be considered for promotions.

So lets resolve to become a better leader this year!

Giving Back for Christmas

We enjoy giving back here at Altair. We adopted a few families for Thanksgiving, filling boxes with all of the wonderfully traditional Thanksgiving foods and some special goodies requested by the families.

We had so much fun for Thanksgiving that we decided to provide gifts and meals for a family this Christmas. Through a local agency we were provided with a family's information and Christmas list. We spent the day in the office on Tuesday wrapping gifts, packing boxes, and buying groceries for the family. We dropped it all off to them later Tuesday evening. Words can not describe the look on the faces of the family members when we dropped everything off for them.

Through our opportunity here at Altair, we have been blessed with many opportunities to advance ourselves and become successful. We enjoy doing philanthropy year round but particularly around the holidays it is always amazing to give back to those less fortunate and we certainly do enjoy doing it. As an office, we all come together to decide on gifts, wrap them, and deliver them. Why shouldn't others have a splendid Christmas like we do?

What Makes a Fun Work Environment?

Is it the one with the boss that doesn't notice anything so you can slack off? The “cool” boss that thinks you’re so fantastic that they give you days off for no reason at all? Playing hooky and getting away with it?

When I sat down to think about what having fun at work means it occurred to me that if I asked ten people what they do for fun I would easily get ten different answers! Many of the things above do not make good business sense, even downright lazy. They include “fun” but no “work.” So how do we add them together?

Taking it down to simple grammar “fun” is the adjective describing the noun “work” (back to school house rock here!). It only goes to reason that a “fun work environment” cannot be had without a solid “work environment.”

A solid work environment calls for things that make money, sustain the business, and develop the individuals who are employed there. Any business is based on the sale of a particular product or service; from a dentist’s office to a plumber to a grocery store. Sales equal revenue, and as any one of us knows, revenue for the company equals paychecks and the occasional bonus! Not working means no pay. No one can expect to make money by going to the movies and getting ice cream all the time rather than getting up and heading to work. Slacking off means that at some point the doors will close and then your fulltime job becomes…job hunting, which no one likes having to do. Once we get past being lazy and having bad work ethic we can get to fun!

A FUN work environment will be different for everyone. Some like quiet, others like loud, moving around a lot, or being stationary. But we all know that a job can be perfect for you, but if the people you work with are rude, not fun, selfish, or any combination of unpleasant attributes. It’s the people that we work with that can make or break a job. No receptionist will tell you the highlight of their day was answering twenty phone calls, it was the stand out conversation on that one phone call that made them laugh! Inside the work place, when work is going well stress is low and spirits are high making conversation light and tension low. The same goes for being outside of work; If that’s going for a casual drink, watching the Big Ten game on Saturday afternoon, or karaoke for the brave few, it’s only fun with the right people and attitude.

So next time you think about slacking off…think about what you’re looking for: fun with no money (somehow!), a zero-fun-work-environment (because you’re slacking and no CEO likes a slacker!), or a fun work environment!

Becoming a Morning Person

Mornings are valuable to those of us working a 9 to 5. Most of us don't know how to have the most effective morning. I know I certainly didn't. When my alarm would go off I would most often hit the snooze button for a few extra, glorious minutes of "sleep". When I decided I couldn't stay in bed any longer and risk being late, I would drag myself out of my bed, carrying myself, still half asleep into the bathroom to begin my morning routine. To cash in on a few extra moments of sleep in the morning I would shower at night (clearly, I am all about sleep). Groggily I would brush my teeth, do my hair, and stagger into my bedroom and pick out an outfit, more often than not changing 100 times because my half asleep eyes can't make something work. I was always groggy and fatigued while at work for the first part of the day.

As an entrepreneur, business waits for no one. I was losing valuable time in the mornings because I was still trying to wake up. I began reading articles and scientific studies (I'm a nerd, I know) about how to increase productivity. Most of these pieces of written gold suggested a nailed down routine that called for discipline and action. I fought my attachment to sleep and decided it was worth a go.

1. Set up an effective nighttime routine and stick to it! Nighttime has nothing to do with morning, you say. Trust me, it definitely does. To ensure a smooth morning void of rushing around I always set up the night before. I pack a lunch so it is ready in my refrigerator, in the morning, it becomes a quick grab and go. I pick out my suit, ironing if I need to so everything is crisp. I stop checking my phone and turn off the TV and my computer 90 minutes before bed. The screens on all of our modern amenities actually make it harder to fall asleep. I still shower in the evening to allow myself time to relax. Before bed, I curl up with a cup of tea and read a book, any kind of book, business book, trashy romance novel, American Classic.

2. Set a bedtime. Have a specific bed time in which you turn off the lights and finally lay down. This is completely determined by the person themselves. Some people need 8 hours of sleep, some people need less and some people need more to feel rested. I personally, need about 8 hours, 7 hours and 40 minutes to be exact (we won't go into detail on how I determined this, it makes me sound crazy).

3. Stop hitting the snooze. When you hit the snooze your body goes back into sleep mode and instead of waking you up, it actually makes you more tired. I was the queen of pressing snooze. Once I stopped, I noticed immediately how quickly the groggy morning feeling went away and how much more prepared for my day I felt. A great tip for those of us that find it difficult to stop hitting snooze, place your alarm clock on the other side of the room so you physically have to get up to shut it off, you kill two birds with one stone.

4. Have a great morning stretch. I find even after this routine above, nothing wakes me up as much as a great stretch. Whether this is deliberate stretching like touching your toes or an awkward stretch that just feels so good (you all know exactly what I'm talking about), make sure you do it. The sooner the better, really.

5. Create a morning playlist. I always start my morning with a great playlist. Find songs that will wake you up and dare I say, songs to get you singing. This is especially effective if you shower at night rather than in the morning. For me, it gets the blood flowing and helps me get more energized for the day.

Don't get me wrong, sleep is a glorious thing. I would kill to go back to my college days when classes didn't start until noon, I could wake up on my own time and take forever to complete a morning routine so I would slowly but surely wake up. But, as I have entered the working girl world I have noticed that an effective morning routine can get you through even the earliest of mornings to help you feel awake and productive for the entire day.

Fish Theory

There are many theories for types of people. The Fish theory is one of my favorites. It encompasses the people I work with in my company. It helps me relate to people by understanding they type of person they are and what motivates them so that I can be a better mentor and coach to those people.

Fish Theory

Shark
A person who is a shark acts like a shark. They are blood thirsty, competitive, hungry. These people are typically money motivated. They will be motivated by any extra things they can take on to gain them an extra few dollars. I have people in my office that will work extra in order to make more money even if they've already made more than everyone else during the week. While coaching these people it is important to focus always on the money. How will what you're suggesting they try make them more money now and in the future?

Urchin
This person gobbles up knowledge, the more they know the better they'll do. They constantly what to know why we do things, how we do things, and every aspect of a situation. They ask a million questions, typically questions no one has asked or probably even thought of before. They also want to know all the fine details and ins and outs of your business. These people can be difficult to coach because they may ask questions that create problems where problems never were. The best way I've found to coach people like this is to be completely transparent with them, if they ask a question I don't know the answer to, I find one or point them in the direction of someone who would know. Involving Urchins in all aspects of a business process will help motivate them to replicate it. The more information and finite details they have, the more motivated they will be to complete a task and master it.

Whale
A person with a whale personality has a big heart and always wants to help. They care more about the betterment of people than of their own. A whale will work very hard for the good of others. They are cause motivated individuals. If your trying to expand your company by half its current size by the end of the month, this person will do whatever it takes to help you achieve that. They will stay late, come in early, or research innovative ideas to help move your company forward. For a whale personality, it is all about helping others. Using this as a coaching technique will help them. Coaching them in how doing something a specific way will better themselves will not be most beneficial. Coaching them on how that specific way will help the cause you're working towards will.

Dolphin
This personality type is the most fun to be around. They are extremely excited about work and about the culture and environment. They are also excited about the opportunity. They rarely have a bad day and even if they do they it's difficult to notice. Coaching these people involves focus on the opportunity. Most companies have an opportunity for advancement, focusing on that keeps Dolphin personalities engaged and motivated. Where are they going, how will they get there, what can they do to get there faster?

Everyone will be a little bit of one or the other. Find what you are most of and focus on this. Alert people around you that could coach you exactly how you need to be coached and what motivates you. All in all, this will make you the most successful and you will get the most out of your coaching as it will be definitively focused on what motivates you.