10 ways top execs manage stress to outperform their peers

A study of 2 million people showed that 90% of top performers are skilled at managing stress to optimise performance. Here are the 10 ways they do it.

(Research shows that intermittent stress actually makes you more alert and boosts performance. Prolonged stress, on the other hand, causes degeneration in the brain and increases your risk of heart disease, depression and obesity.)

1. They Appreciate What They Have Research by the University of California, Berkeley, showed that cultivating an attitude of gratitude reduced the stress hormone cortisol by 23%, and improved mood, energy and physical wellbeing.

2. They Avoid Asking “What If?” Successful people know that asking “what if?” will take them to a dark place. As Ben Horowitz said: “It’s best to spend zero time on what you could have done and all of your time on what you might do.”

3. They Stay Positive You can turn prolonged stress into intermittent stress by concentrating on something completely stress-free. Mix up your day and take time to celebrate small victories.

4. They Disconnect In which activities do you completely lose yourself? Tell your team you’re going offline, turn off your phone, and go and immerse yourself in doing what you love.

5. They Limit Their Caffeine Intake Caffeine triggers the release of adrenaline. This puts you in a hyperactive state, increasing stress until your body processes the chemical.

6. They Sleep Our self-control, attention and memory all suffer when we don’t get enough sleep, but how many of us still stay up late for no good reason? Stress makes you feel you have no time to sleep, but a decent night’s rest may be exactly what’s needed.

7. They Quash Negative Self-Talk If you find yourself believing your pessimistic inner voice, it’s time to stop and write things down. Literally. Seeing things in black and white will help you distinguish thoughts from facts.

8. They Reframe Their Perspective You can’t control your circumstances, but you can control how you react to them. List what’s going wrong and decide how to respond to each item in isolation.

9. They Breathe When you feel stressed, put away distractions, close your eyes and focus on your breathing. It’s ok if you feel silly or get sidetracked, just bring your focus back to your breathing. You’ll be surprised by how calm you feel afterwards.

10. They Use Their Support System Successful people recognise their weaknesses and ask for help. If you feel overwhelmed, identify the people who are always rooting for you, and ask them for a chat. Simply sharing your worries can relieve anxiety and stress, and other people can often see hidden solutions because they are not as emotionally invested.