Stress Management and Coping Mechanisms

After 20+ years in cardiology, I’ve come to question how we approach lifestyle change. We often treat diet, exercise, sleep, and stress as separate problems, with separate solutions. But in most of the high-performing professionals I’ve worked with, that approach doesn’t hold up. The pattern I’ve observed again and again: Stress management isn’t just another "pillar" of a healthy lifestyle. It’s the foundation that underlies them all. How chronic stress quietly disrupts every domain of health: Sleep: Elevated cortisol interferes with circadian rhythms, fragments rest, and reduces deep sleep, making everything harder. Nutrition: Stress alters hunger hormones like leptin and ghrelin, increasing cravings for calorie-dense foods and lowering appetite for nutrient-rich options. Exercise: Chronic stress impairs recovery, increases injury risk, and can blunt the benefits of training. Connection: Stress narrows our emotional bandwidth, making empathy, patience, and meaningful connection harder to sustain. Coping habits: When we’re stretched thin, we reach for quick relief: caffeine, alcohol, screens, or other short-term fixes. The cascade I see repeatedly: → Sustained pressure without rest and recovery elevates baseline stress → Sleep quality deteriorates → Energy dips drive reactive food choices → Movement feels harder to sustain → Emotional connection weakens and gets put on the back burner → Coping behaviors increase → All of it loops back to amplify stress What I’ve found most helpful in practice: When patients learn to regulate their nervous system, other areas—diet, sleep, movement—often start to improve without being the primary focus. Simple stress interventions that ripple outward: • 3-minute breathing breaks between meetings • A consistent morning routine (even 5 minutes) • Brief walks outdoors • Clearer boundaries (i.e. around after-hours communication and work) • Prioritizing one meaningful connection each week The mindset shift that changed how I practice: We don’t need to perfect every pillar. We need to create the conditions, starting with learning the essential skills of stress mastery, where health can actually take root. When you improve how you manage stress, what other areas of life tend to shift? #JustOneHeart #LifestyleMedicine #StressPhysiology #SystemsThinking #CardiovascularHealth #HolisticHealth #Cardiology

➤ Are You Drowning in Leadership Stress? ➤ Don't Just Lead – Excel! Conquer Stress with These Tips. ➤ From Stressed to Success: The New Leader's Journey! In my experience as a leader, one of the most significant challenges was managing stress, especially when new to leadership. Here are strategies that helped me and can assist other new leaders: - Set Realistic Goals: Define achievable objectives to avoid setting yourself up for unnecessary stress. - Develop Emotional Intelligence: Understanding and managing your emotions can significantly reduce stress levels. - Seek Feedback Regularly: Constructive feedback can help you improve and feel more confident in your decisions. - Embrace Flexibility: Be open to change and adaptable to new situations, which is key in reducing stress. - Prioritize Tasks: Learn to identify which tasks are urgent and important to manage your workload effectively. - Take Breaks: Regular short breaks throughout the day can help clear your mind and reduce stress. - Learn to Say No: Understand your limits and don’t be afraid to turn down requests that are beyond your capacity. - Create a Positive Work Environment: A positive and supportive work environment can significantly reduce stress. - Use Stress-Reduction Tools: Explore tools like stress balls, apps for relaxation or even aromatherapy to help manage stress levels. - Prioritize Self-Care: Taking care of your mental and physical health is crucial. Regular exercise, a balanced diet and adequate sleep form the foundation of stress management. - Effective Time Management: Organize your tasks and delegate when possible. Effective time management reduces the feeling of being overwhelmed. - Build a Support Network: Lean on mentors, peers or a professional coach. Having someone to share challenges with can provide new perspectives and solutions. - Maintain Work-Life Balance: Set boundaries to ensure personal time. This balance is essential for long-term success and well-being. - Practice Mindfulness and Reflection: Techniques like meditation or journaling can help maintain clarity and focus. - Continuous Learning: Embrace every challenge as a learning opportunity. This mindset reduces the pressure of perfection and fosters growth. As leadership expert John C. Maxwell once said, "Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them." The essence of leadership in stress management lies in bridging gaps and inspiring collective action towards a common goal. Also remember, effective leadership isn't about having all the answers… it's about navigating through uncertainty and learning along the way. Embrace leadership with confidence and resilience. #leadership #stressmanagement #leadershipdevelopment #teambuilding Are you a new leader feeling the weight of responsibility? Let’s share strategies, in the comments below, to manage stress effectively, ensuring a healthy and successful leadership journey.

Understanding Triggers: How They Affect Your Performance at Work and in Personal Life Have you ever had a day where one small thing sets you off, and suddenly everything seems overwhelming? That’s the power of triggers. They can sneak up on us, turning a productive day into a challenging one at work and in our personal lives. Marshall Goldsmith, in his book 'Triggers: Creating Behaviour That Lasts--Becoming the Person You Want to Be,' explains how recognising and managing these triggers is crucial for personal growth. He states, 'If we do not create and control our environment, our environment creates and controls us.' Imagine receiving an email with critical feedback at work; it triggers past criticism, filling you with self-doubt and frustration, leading to decreased productivity and strained relationships. Or consider a personal scenario: a family dinner turns sour when a comment hits a sore spot, leaving you hurt and defensive, affecting your emotional well-being and straining relationships. Triggers are deeply personal and can vary greatly from person to person. They often stem from past experiences and unresolved emotions. Recognising your triggers is the first step to managing them effectively. When you identify what sets you off, you can develop coping strategies, such as taking a few deep breaths, stepping away from the situation, or engaging in positive self-talk. Here are some ways to control or deal with triggers: - Stay present and aware of your emotions to prevent triggers from escalating. - Manage stress by engaging in activities like exercise, meditation, or journaling. - Talk to a trusted friend, family member, or therapist about your feelings and experiences - Protect your emotional space by setting limits with people or situations that trigger you. - Challenge negative thoughts and replace them with more positive, constructive ones. As a coach, I've seen millennials, juggling multiple responsibilities and high expectations, often struggle with triggers from work-life balance, social media pressures, and career progression; building resilience and healthy coping mechanisms is crucial. Remember, being triggered is a natural part of being human. By understanding and managing your triggers, you can maintain your performance at work, nurture your relationships, and lead a more balanced, fulfilling life. Mastering one's mind by managing your mindset helps you stay focused, calm, and resilient in facing challenges. I use Ceekr (https://bit.ly/3XolYz2) to understand my current mindset, and it’s a tool that others can use to gain insights and improve their mental resilience. By regularly checking in on your mindset, you can identify areas for growth and make proactive changes. This continuous self-awareness fosters a healthier, more adaptive approach to life's inevitable ups and downs. Stay aware, stay resilient, and take charge of your emotional well-being. #EmotionalIntelligence #PersonalGrowth #Ceekr #CoachSharath

"I just have to get it done.” This is the line I hear a lot from women consultants. We have to get it done. We have to figure it out. But when we're stressed and overwhelmed, our smart thinking brain goes offline. Stress overwhelms us. We can't focus. Things take longer. We have even less time than before.  It becomes a nasty, negative downward spiral. But what's cool is that it also works in reverse. When we learn how to manage our stress, we can create an upward spiral: → We recognize stress and know how to support ourselves quickly  → Our smart thinking brain comes back online  → We're more focused and do better work This is exactly what's possible when you have the right tools. - Tools like knowing how to calm your nervous system in 30-45 seconds, anywhere you are. - Knowing what gives you an energy boost when you're feeling low, so you can show up as your best self. - Learning to work within your natural rhythms instead of swimming against the tide. - Moving through your days with intention instead of constant firefighting. The goal isn't to eliminate stress. That's not realistic. The goal is to learn how to support yourself when you get to that overwhelmed place, so you can move through it faster. Because when you manage stress better, you think clearer.  When you think clearer, you work more effectively.  When you work more effectively, you have less stress. UPWARD spiral. This is how you look after yourself AND your to-do list at the same time. This fall, Academy members are diving deep into these kinds of tools with burnout expert Brandy Zimmerman If you'd like to learn more about The Academy, check out the link in the comments. #WomenConsultants #StressManagement #ConsultingBusiness #ProductivityHacks #SustainableSuccess

I worked 20-hour shifts during my residency. Forget time for family and friends, I often didn’t even have time to shower or eat. So when most of my patients talk about stress taking a toll on their health, I understand. But what we often ignore is that stress acts as your body's alert system for perceived threats. It leads you straight into survival mode - causing lack of sleep, anxiety, and countless health problems. So here are 4 simple solutions to reclaim control: ▶︎ 1. The physiological sigh: This is one of the fastest ways to calm down. - 1 deep inhale through the nose - 1 short inhale to top up - 1 long exhale to empty lungs Just 2-3 cycles of this technique will release the maximum amount of CO2, slow your heart rate and relax you. ▶︎ 2. Mel Robin’s 5-second rule: To break the cycle of anxiety and change your stress habits, simply count down from 5. 5-4-3-2-1. This exercise will: - Activate your prefrontal cortex - Interrupt your habitual thought loops - Shift your brain from fight-or-flight to action mode ▶︎ 3. The filters test: If you want to reduce stress, you need to curate your thoughts. Whenever you have a negative thought, answer these 3 questions: - Is it true? - Is it kind? - Is it helpful? If any of the answer is no, discard the chain of thought immediately. ▶︎ 4. Conquer your fear of judgment: Caring what people think is costing you your health. Choosing attachment (fitting in) over authenticity (being yourself) sets you up for long-term health issues. So forget about others' opinions. Remember, being healthy > seeking approval. These techniques actually work as our brains tend to: - Ignore the high costs of our inaction - Understate the positive results of taking action - Exaggerate negative consequences of taking action. How do you manage your stress? #healthandwellness #workplacehealth #stress

Managing stress isn't about sticking our heads in the sand or living in La La Land thinking everything's fine when it's actually not.... It is about being aware of the thoughts we allow to fill our headspace, challenging those thoughts to see how they serve and help us, and then replacing them with something more constructive if they don't. Here are just three examples to help you manage those stressful thoughts better: 1. Stressful thought: "I'm so nervous about this presentation, I'm going to mess up." Reframed thought: "My nerves show that I care about doing a good job. I'll prepare and deliver the presentation as best as I can" 2. Stressful thought: "I'll never be able to finish all this work." Reframed Thought: "I have a lot on my plate right now, but I can break it down into smaller tasks and tackle them one by one. I've handled busy periods before and succeeded." 3. Stressful thought: "I'm always messing things up; I can't do anything right" Reframed Thought: "Nobody always does anything! I have had some setbacks, but that doesn't define my abilities or worth. I can learn from my mistakes and use them as stepping stones to future success." Remember, reframing thoughts takes practice, patience, and self-awareness. By consciously challenging negative thoughts and replacing them with more empowering and realistic ones, you can reduce stress and improve your overall wellbeing. As always, if you want to talk about stress, you'll find me here or at linda@lindabonnarcoaching.com #success #wellbeing #thursdaythoughts #stress #stressmanagement #stressmanagementtips #selfawareness #selfmanagement #JustThreeThings #coaching #author #coach #help