Much of what we believe about stress may not be true.

In June of last year, Stanford University psychologist Kelly McGonigal spoke at the TED Global conference. Her topic was “How to make stress your friend,” and in it she cited numerous studies showing that how our bodies respond to stress – and quite literally whether stress will kill us or not – has more to do with how we think and act in stressful situations than with the amount of stress we encounter.

When we view stress as harmful to our health, it is: over an eight-year period, 43% of people who viewed stress as bad for them and reported having high stress in their lives died. On the other hand, those people who had high stress in their lives but did not view it as harmful had the lowest death rates of any group in the study, including those who had relatively low levels of stress.

It turns out that what’s actually bad for us is how we view stress, not how much stress we have.

Here are three ways to shift your perspective on stress. (more…)

Yes, you read that title right (although work deadlines and lack of time don’t seem like much of a gift). When we think of stress, we think of sleepless nights, anxious days, and all-around negativity. The video Stress is a Gift explains that not all stress is harmful, and some can actually be beneficial to our mental and physical health.

Short but highly impactful, Stress is a Gift completely changes the way people think about “stress”. Viewers are taken inside the Biosphere project, a glass-walled dome in the Arizona desert where scientists monitored dozens of varieties of plants and animals. They discovered that without the stress of occasional winds, sturdy Acacia trees failed to develop the specialized bark necessary to grow strong.

From this example, it becomes clear that stress can strengthen our tolerance for potentially negative situations and actually serve to balance us. Viewers are reminded that too much stress over a prolonged period of time can be harmful, but are left with an understanding of how stress can serve a useful purpose in their everyday lives.

This video is an excellent meeting opener and will spark lively discussion. Help your organization feel more balanced in the face of pressure with this thought-provoking training video.

Highly successful organizations typically don’t settle for “good enough.” Good enough is barely a step above mediocrity, and that just doesn’t cut it in today’s hyper-competitive world.

To stay on top, organizations must always be asking themselves:

• Is our product as good as it could be?  And, if the answer is no…they make it better.
• Is our organization as effective as it could be?  And, if it’s not, they work to address ineffectiveness wherever it is found.
• Are there new opportunities available to us? And, if there are, they figure out how to take seize those opportunities.

Employees in successful organizations aren’t just in a race with the competition…they are in a race with themselves.  A race to achieve the best that is within them. (more…)

Are you essential to your organization? Would the place fall apart without you, or would it keep running smoothly if you were to leave? These are important questions for employees to ask themselves from time to time.  Why?  Because it often means the difference between short-term employment and long-term success in a job.

Everyone’s work, in some way or another, can positively impact the organization. People who see the part they play in helping the organization meet its goals, and who then consistently deliver their part at a high level, can’t help but become significant.

Communication coach and consultant John A. Jenson explains that there are three things a person can do to set themselves apart. These are:

• Design  (taking who you are–not who you wish you were–“stepping it up” and then commiting to making that your standard; strong personal designs can be described with words like credible, engaging or professional).
• Package (making sure that the way you look and act is in line with the design you’ve established for yourself).
• Deliver (delivering on your claims and doing what you say you are going to do).

(more…)