Stress Management for Stressful Times

Members from experiential business learning group Academy Group 32 enjoyed a very timely and useful session on Stress Management with Sue Firth in November. In these times of great business uncertainty and insecurity (not say “fear”) our organisations and the people within them are under elevated levels of stress: this was certainly true of the 11 Chief Executives in the room with Sue!

We learned 3 major signs to watch out for in ourselves and the people who work for us:

1. Sleeplessness, or an inability to switch-off (symptom of excess adrenaline in the body);
2. Digestion problems or loss of appetite (also a sign of excess adrenaline);
3. Stiff or painful neck/shoulders (indicating that our adrenaline reserves are used up and we are flooded with cortisol, which has a similar but even more aggressive effect upon our bodies/systems and causes the muscular pain).

These are the top 5 tips that I took away from Sue to deal with stress:

1. Build exercise into your routine (even light exercise helps use up the excess adrenaline). Works even better if taken outdoors during the daytime – see 4 below;
2. Build “me time” into the day (watching the news in the evening does not count!!);
3. Physical human contact is good: a massage is great for dealing with the cortisol;
4. Get plenty of sunlight (this builds up your serotonin which promotes feelings of happiness and positivity). If you spend much of time indoors, get a daylight lamp to give yourself a 15 minute blast each day;
5. Seek professional help if you are struggling to easily deal with the stress on your own.

To find out more about Sue Firth, visit her website at www.insight-psychology.co.uk

Peter Pritchett,
Chairman Academy Group 32

The Academy for Chief Executives, a leading provider of experiential business learning® facilitates peer groups of CEOs and Managing Directors who meet together every month to network and take full advantage of experiential learning. To hear great speakers like this every month and engage in The Board You Could Never Afford®, or to find a local group near you, visit www.chiefexecutive.com.

 

Senior Executives get made redundant too

The Academy for Chief Executives, a leading provider of experiential business learning® facilitates groups of CEOs and Managing Directors who meet together every month to network and take full advantage of experiential learning. Part of membership is ‘The Board You Could Never Afford®‘ where members take their issues to the table and discuss with their peers.

An issue recently discussed was that of a Managing Director who had been made redundant after spending over 20 years with the employer.

I’d like to share with you some snippets of the advice offered by fellow members:

• Consider trying Interim work after losing your job
• When you’re made redundant it’s important not to rush into things – take time to get your “head straight” before trying to get interviews
• Make sure that your CV really addresses all your strengths and experience before applying for new jobs. It is often best to get someone with recruitment/agency experience to help you with this as they can see things that you might take for granted

Membership of The Academy for Chief Executives isn’t just about sharing the good times – many members find the support of their fellow members invaluable during difficult times, whether that be the chance of utilising a wider network of business leaders, or simply to talk through a problem or challenge with a sympathetic, but unbiased ear.

The above is just a snippet of the advice given by our members. For confidentiality reasons we cannot divulge all of the advice provided – however, we do hold open meetings where guests are able to attend and experience for themselves the real power of ‘The Board You Could Never Afford®’. To find out how you can take advantage of advice, networking and support like this every month, visit www.chiefexecutive.com.

 

Reducing Executive Stress Levels

Academy Group 26, chief executive mentoring and experiential learning group (with members from Bristol and the South West) recently had stress management expert Sue Firth talk to them about ‘Stress Management for Executives and CEOs’.  From a thorough knowledge of the theory, Sue delivers very practical tools to understand, identify and reduce stress levels in executives and business owners.

The key points about managing executive stress levels were …

• Give yourself permission to say ‘no’ – a hugely effective way of reducing executive stress

• Recognise the significance of your own personality and lifestyle so that you can  achieve a better work-life balance by modifying your approach to situations or people – reduce your executive stress levels by accepting that the only thing/person that can stress you is “you”

• Understand the difference between sources and causes of stress and implement simple strategies to minimise executive stress levels.

Sue gave Academy members a very clear insight into the subject of Executive Stress – an issue that must affect all businesses.  She delivers her materials with a great sense of fun and passion.   Many of the take-aways were applicable in business as well as personal life, the session was very highly rated by the group of MDs and CEOs.

The Academy for Chief Executives, a leading provider of experiential business learning® facilitates peer groups of CEOs and Managing Directors who meet together every month to network and take full advantage of experiential learning.  To hear great speakers like this every month and engage in the Board You Could Never Afford® you can find out more about Bristol and South West group, or to find a local group near you, visit www.chiefexecutive.com