- Contrary to popular belief, stress doesn't have to be a soul-sucking, health-draining force. But few people know how to transform their stress into the positive kind that helps them reach their goals
- Recent research confirms that gaining control over job demands, doing work that lends meaning and purpose to life and enjoying support and encouragement from co-workers are all linked to beneficial stress. Simply changing attitudes and expectations about stress—through coaching, training or peer-support groups—can also foster the constructive kind of stress
- "Stress is paradoxical," says Alia Crum, a research scholar in the management department at Columbia Business School who studies how people's attitudes shape their response to stress. "On one hand, it can be the thing that hurts us most. On the other, it's fundamental to psychological and physical growth. Our belief system, the lens through which we choose to view and approach stress, will shift the outcome."
Read the full WSJ article here.
One of the best books about stress is Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers by Robert M. Sapolsky. I also recommend the audio book (although it's actually a talk) Don't Bite The Hook by Pema Chodron. For a GREAT 20-minute stress reduction resource, look for the Yoga Step-By-Step DVD (Volume 1) link at the bottom of this page.
