A New Year…new endeavors and so much more!
On behalf of our entire team, we wish you a Happy New Year and a bright future. Thanks for placing your confidence in us; we look forward to serving you in 2020 and beyond!
How’s the C-Suite treating you today?
So you are the Chief – Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer or Chief Information Officer! What is that “C” contributing to your stress levels, and what are you willing to do to relieve the stress. Do you really think that stress doesn’t have an impact on your body, your memory, your ability to function as a Chief, and your outlook on life?
The numbers tell it all about the body
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 60% to 70% of all disease and illness is stress-related.
- An estimated 75% to 90% of visits to physicians are stress related.
- According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Women’s Association, 60% of women surveyed said work stress was their biggest problem.
- Job pressures cause more health complaints than any other stressor, says the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Your outlook
I can guess what you’re thinking… here’s one more thing I have to worry about. As a senior executive, you need to worry! You can’t – nor do you ever want to – eliminate stress altogether. Some stress is beneficial. I’ll even go out on a limb and say that stress by itself is never actually harmful or bad. It’s your reaction to stress that creates problems. It’s your outlook that counts!
We’re simply trained to ignore the signs of stress in an attempt to keep the problems at bay. No wonder: changing life-long behaviors is in itself stressful. This is a classic mind-body disconnect.
The Three Phases of Stress
As you know, just being in business today creates stress, and at your level, stress is more prevalent. Here’s how most people react to a stressor (such as: earnings announcement, problem at home, manufacturing flaw, countless and mind-numbing meetings):
- First, in what is called the “Alarm Phase,” they react to the stressor. This might result in a burst of anger, shock, or surprise.
- Second, they move into the “Resistance Phase,” when they begin to adapt to the stressor. They learn to cope with the dysfunction, lack of sleep, or 16-hour work days. This phase can last for years, and after a while will feel very “normal.”
- Third, the body finally loses steam. They go into the “Exhaustion Phase,” where their ability to resist is reduced. They’ll feel tired, unable to concentrate, and will often catch colds or become ill – the body’s way of slowing them down.
I know from experience that there are many ways to more effectively handle the everyday stressors, as well as those big once-in-awhile stressors. I’ve taught meditation, mindfulness training, breathing exercises, and disseminated countless bits of information on general nutrition and the benefits of regular exercise. Perhaps, as the C-suite executive, it is time for you to learn how to relax!
Squeeze a few minutes of relaxation into each day
Far too many of us lead lives that are frenzied and hurried from the moment we wake up in the morning to the moment we crawl into bed at night. The more packed every moment of your day is the more you need to make time to relax; for a few minutes of deep breathing to 20 minutes of deep relaxation or yoga. Making this a habit will keep you in better stress shape for the day that chronic stress knocks on your door, which it almost certainly will if it hasn’t already. After all, in your senior position, the problems land at your door.
The human system can tolerate a tremendous amount of stress. Over the years, however, too much stress breaks down your resistance to illness and disease and impacts your memory. Remember, the negative consequences of your stress are strongly influenced by your rest habits. Since stress is unlikely to diminish in our high-pressured American lifestyle, take the time throughout your day for the natural unwinding of your stress response.
There are only 24 hours in each day
You don’t have time to rest, you say? You have more time than you think you do. You could:
- Do deep breathing while driving to work and during other stressful moments throughout your day.
- Get up 15 minutes earlier and spend the time doing deep relaxation, yoga or journaling.
- Take 2 minutes several times a day to tense tight muscle groups for 10 to 15 seconds, and then relax them completely. Repeat this two to three times each round.
So you are the Chief
How is the C-Suite treating you today? There is no better time to consider the actions that you will take to enhance your role and to preserve your ability to function as a Chief.
The Everly Brothers and The Rev. Martin Luther King…dreams
“Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. Your vision is the promise of what shall one day be. Your ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.” – James Allen
The Everly Brothers knew about dreams
In a hit 1958 song, the famed Everly Brothers recorded the following words about dreams:
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The Everly Brothers created a hit, and raised awareness of the significance of dreams. In today’s complex world, we collaborate with dream and sleep experts – those destined to help us understand the significance of our dreams and how dreams are affected by sleep patterns. (http://www.lyricsdepot.com/the-everly-brothers/all-i-have-to-do-is-dream.html)
Dreaming big dreams, and making them real
Perhaps the most significant speech about a dream is that associated with the late Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. In a moving historical moment, Reverend King delivered a speech that transformed lives, including his own: 
“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.” (USConstitutionhttp://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/index.html -)
Are you living your dreams?
Each and every day, people across the country and around the world are living their dreams. Are you one of them? You may think that your dreams are out of reach and that it is impossible. But, people prove every day that someone is going to get rich, famous, healthy, or otherwise improve their lives. The ‘Make a Wish Foundation” makes dreams come true for countless numbers of people annually. http://www.medaloffreedom.com/MartinLutherKingJr.htm) Do you think that the children involved are non-believers? Do you think for a moment that they do not visualize their dreams becoming reality? Do you think that they allow illness or oppression to stand between them and their dreams? Of course…the answer is a decisive no!
Dreaming of a future that could be
As a young girl, growing up in an abusive household, I often dreamed of what could be. I looked at the relationships that my friends had with their parents and families and wished that I could be like them. I knew that I could be better, that I could do better, and I set out on a mission, at age 14 to prove it.
My healthcare career began at age 14 as a volunteer. At the same time, I found as many jobs as possible to generate income. The jobs were varied – from assisting an accountant with the daily receipts of a number of local food establishments to babysitting and more. I worked long hours and I worked hard. I developed a strong work ethic from my affiliation with the accountant…he taught me the importance of completing a task and realizing my goals. He served as a referral for me when I applied to nursing school, and he became a lifelong friend and mentor.
I knew that to realize my dreams I needed a good education, and I saw nursing as the vehicle to help me to reach my goals. Although my initial program was only three years, leading to a diploma, I graduated with honors and went on to complete baccalaureate and master’s degrees on a continuum of learning that has not yet stopped many years later.
I was fortunate to have had a role model…someone who believed in me and my ability and who helped me to understand the value of dreams. Today, somewhere…someone is going to go back to school to improve their life. Someone is going to become a lifelong learner.
Someone is going to look in the mirror and see that they need to lose a little weight and they will make the decision to become healthy. Someone will run their first marathon or improve their health. Someone, somewhere – is going to set out on a pathway to success and reach beyond their dreams to change their lives. That someone might be you…or someone you know. [Read more…]
Educate, enrich, empower
At the core of self-development and professional growth, I strive to educate others, enrich their lives, and empower them to reach their goals. Robert Urich once said, “A healthy body starts from the inside.” What are you doing to educate, enrich, and empower yourself? How will a vision board help you to realize those goals in 2014 and beyond? 
