The Essentialism of Stress

How often have you wished away stress? In a perfect world armed with a magic wand, would your company, role, and life be void of pressure-filled situations? With the recent weather events and political rhetoric, combined with the race toward hitting year-end milestones,  it’s more than enough to make any of us want to melt away and push the escape button.

A few weeks ago, I was reminded about why stress is an essential and life-giving component in our lives. We need stress as much as we need oxygen, water, or community.

The flashback moment was 1991-1993. What was known as the landmark “Biodome Experiment” or “Biosphere 2” was designed to test the feasibility of a self-supporting ecosystem consisting of a rainforest, ocean, desert, and farmland. These were combined with thousands of plant and animal species, including eight humans. It was the perfect plan, until it wasn’t. Many unexpected challenges ensued, including dangerous oxygen and carbon dioxide fluctuations, food production failures, and conflicts among the crew.

One aspect in particular of the experiment proves the necessity of stress. At a defined point, the trees attained a certain height, then stopped growing altogether. Based on their weakened root systems, they suddenly began to topple over.

Why?

No wind. Without the wind needed to help the trees become pressure-prone and resilient, the trees didn’t develop the tenacity required for life - even in a seemingly perfect and controlled environment.

Stress is both a taker and a giver. The key is to maintain the needed balance. Why should we want some stress in the mix of all we have to manage?

• We need the discomfort of conflict – without it we don’t learn how to resolve issues in a healthy way. We forfeit arriving at the best answer for the greater good of the organization.   

• We need the satisfaction well-tuned perseverance of sprinting through schedule challenges and deadlines, even though some sprints start to mimic marathons.

• We need the force of volatile market conditions to test our elasticity and prompt us to be more innovative in how we navigate uncertainty and in business overall.

  
  

Reflect on the greatest stressors you’ve had in life. What happened on the other side? What did you learn? How did they make you better and stronger? How did they help shape you into the leader you are today?

While we cognitively know and can rationalize “some stress is good,” we may seem to forget its vital benefits when we’re immersed in the day-to-day grind. The next time you are overwhelmed, overworked, or just over “it,” remember what experience has taught you. The resilience rendered from the times that didn’t break you have only made you stronger for the rapid growth road ahead.