AN ANTIDOTE TO STRESS
January 1, 1983
A Danish museum curator tells the story of how he and his staff released the tension of mounting an exhibit whose 900 pre-Columbian pieces were particularly fragile. "We drove to Tivoli and proceeded to a little booth where for a couple of kroner you can throw three hard balls at several piles of ceramic plates. We reduced the place to a shambles. There wasn't a saucer left whole." Stress needs an outlet, and some tasks require an antidote if you are to get to peak performance. Though, most times, a manager may not find a plate-shattering way to reverse emotional gears, looking for any kind of diametric change of pace can be well worth the effort. By deliberately going in the opposite direction after immersion in one type of work, you avoid feelings of burn-out, exhaustion, frustration. You may also avoid errors in judgment, short-temperedness and lowered personal productivity. So, consider the activity pairs below. Next time you find yourself flagging at one activity, think of it as a signal to swing the other way. It could reenergize you, and get you back to a better level of functioning: ¥ Sedentary/Active. The antidote to a wearisome meeting can be as simple as a brisk walk. If you can get in some tennis or running at lunchtime, this can undo the weariness you may have felt after a morning of poring over reports. ¥ Caution/Risktaking. You have to be cautious when, for instance, making promises to your boss, or handling interpersonal problems among your staff, or dealing with a new supplier. On such occasions, there are ways of going in another direction: delegating one of your jobs to a subordinate, authorizing a new system, funding an exciting idea. ¥ Careful/Spontaneous. Exercising tact and diplomacy can be stressful-when, ...
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