We all know stress is a bad thing and most of us know that too much of it will end our lives earlier.

Few of us seem to do much about it though and perhaps it’s because we also know there are good kinds of stress too. With a change in our working practices, the potential for killer stress has increased dramatically.

So in this short piece, I’m going to break down the psychology of stress and provide some simple dos and don’ts for better workplace culture and performance:

1. Don’t — Allow uncertainty to grow

A lack of planning, no vision, and keeping secrets will result in involuntary uncertainty.

Because of the uncertainty, people will feel a lack of control which creates a stress response (cortisol) in our bodies

This is quite literally painful.

✅ Instead — Be clear and open

Demonstrate and live by your values.

Make sure everyone is pointing in the same direction and engage openly with your teams to calibrate expectations.

2. Don’t — Let the pressure build too high

Endless sprints, last-minute requirements, and name-dropping executives are clear signs of bad leadership and only create fear

The potential consequences of failure will feel like there’s a big predator lurking around the corner, resulting in a fight, flight, or freeze response.

These will do nothing but kill productivity along with morale.

Instead — Provide balance

As a leader, it’s your job to keep an eye on the pressure gauge.

Protect your team, give them periods of downtime, take them out of the firing line, and don’t forget about recognition

3. Don’t — Force responsibilities

Not everyone wants additional responsibilities so don’t hand them out carelessly. This is called involuntary play.

Next time you try to play with a kid or a pet and they’re clearly not happy about it, think of the poor people you’re forcing to chair your team meeting.

Lazy leaders delegating blindly with no consideration for an employee’s motivation will only add stress and degrade performance.

Instead — know your people

Find out about their goals, plans, and ambitions in life.

Make sure any additional responsibilities suit the individual’s temperament, and provide real value to them and not just you.

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LinkedIn: AdrianGWard

Twitter: @LeaderTherapy

Medium: @AdrianGW