How would you rate your stress tolerance today?

Posted January 9, 2013

I was in a grocery store parking lot the other day behind a guy who was laying on his horn, yelling profanities and pounding his hands on the steering wheel while the car in front of him was stopped in the main drive long enough to let out an elderly disabled lady. The yelling, honking man was not having a good day in the stress tolerance department.

Hey, no judgment here-we have all been “that guy,” even if onlyin our minds. Sometimes the stress builds and the ability to cope goes out the window. Stress tolerance is actually anEmotional Intelligence (EQ) competency and is defined asbeing able to cope with stressful or difficult situations and the belief that you can manage or have a positive influence in stressful situations. Having a high stress tolerance is a hot commodity in today’s business world because change and uncertainty is here to stay. Hiring managers know that the ability to manage stress and change can mean the difference between someone who is a productive member of the team and someone who is a hot-head or an emotional wreck.

Building Your Stress Tolerance

EQI LOGO-Interested in building your emotional intelligence? The Coaching Minute will cover one EQ-related topic every month this year, so stay tuned.

The best time to build your stress tolerance is NOT when you are in the heat of a stressful situation. It’s actually what you do before stress strikes that can be the most beneficial in helping you build the skill. Take a moment now to think about situations that are typically stressful for you (like meetings or waiting in line) and pinpoint what the worst aspect of that situation is for you, and then do the coaching assignment below. Congratulate yourself even if you are only a little bit successful in coping, because the success has a double benefit-both in the moment and in building the stress tolerance muscle for future “surprise” stressful situations.

Coaching Assignment:

Come up with several things you have never tried to do to help yourself cope with a particular kind of stress (bring an agenda to the meeting, keep your pockets stocked something to occupy you while waiting in line, etc.). Make a conscious effort to try the new ideas and focus on the skill of managing your stress level. Then think of things that could positively impact your ability to deal with stress in general and add those to the list.

B’s Best Resources

The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts by Gary Chapman

I had heard of this book and had even used the language in conversation but I was surprised to find out what my scores were after taking the test in the book, and I found the reading to be really beneficial. Excellent read for anyone in a marriage or attempting to understand one from the past.

Brenda Abdilla P.C.C.

Brenda Abdilla is a distinguished authority in leadership development and organizational excellence. With her vast experience and unwavering passion, she has become the foremost coach and facilitator, dedicated to enhancing the performance of teams and the effectiveness of leadership. As a highly sought-after executive leadership coach, Brenda specializes in working with leaders aiming to enhance their team engagement. Remarkably, over 90% of Brenda’s clients successfully tackle their core leadership challenges within just one year of partnering with her. Brenda’s approach is decidedly different. She brings a solid business-centric background to her work with leaders, entrepreneurs, and high-level career coaching clients. Brenda understands the pressure and uncertainty (VUCA) present in today’s business environment and empowers her clients to significantly improve their team communication, time management and efficiency, stress management, decision-making, critical thinking, and all of the elements of corporate visibility and success in their role.