Embrace Stress, Find Success
Though stress is often seen as a drain on our health, happiness, and productivity, it can also yield positivity. Like drawing diamonds out of pressurized carbon, stress can reshape us into stronger, more resilient individuals. It can be especially valuable for coaches and athletes pursuing the pinnacle of performance.
As argued in this piece by psychologist Kelly McGonigal, stress can be like passing a relay baton, driving trust and connection with those closest to us. Rather than focus on the uneasy feelings that come from it, we can instead direct our attention to using stress as a catalyst for team chemistry. McGonigal further highlights in this video that by consciously seeing stress as more challenge than danger, it becomes a valuable resource for improving performance.
Through a shift of mindset, coaches and players alike can better navigate the strenuous demands of our sports and our lives. Stress isn’t an opponent to fear, but a helpful teammate pushing us further, inviting us to prove our mettle. It motivates us as individuals to work harder, and as teams to work together.
The SurePeople Prism® uniquely illuminates subtle shifts of personality that occur when we’re under pressure. Such insights, emphasized by tools like Relationship Advisor, highlight differences in individual needs for feedback and support, allowing coaches and fellow teammates to be active allies in our pursuit of being our best selves. Like huddling before a big play, strong relationships with our teams amplify our chemistry and our combined performance.
As discussed in this podcast with sports psychologist Andrew Jacobs, resilience and confidence are forged through diligent navigation of stress. Though stress is an inevitable part of life, negativity born of it is not. Through supportive team relationships, pressure can be channeled into something great.
By embracing challenges and forging reliable relationships, we boost our performance on the field and off.
“Everyone has the fire, but the champions know when to ignite the spark.”
– Amit Ray
Author
by Faraz Gafoor
Faraz Gafoor is a content strategist, writer, and human-data aficionado. His passion for scientific analysis of everything—from the presentation of data to the way we communicate—is driven by a deep love of understanding how we process and make sense of our surroundings. His curiosity and a never-ending search for prolific and poetic perfection poignantly fit his Prism Personality of a double Scientist.
Do you have an idea you want to share with an empowered community of self-aware professionals? If you’d like to contribute an idea or article to ‘In The Flow of Work’ on the Evolve blog, just send us a message or submit a post to our Head of Content, Adam Schneider
