Good Stress, Bad Stress
La version française de cet article est disponible ici.
As winter was drawing to a close, I started to consider the parallels between skiing and coaching. I realised that analysing my favourite sport could offer an effective way of helping others — even non-skiers — to better understand certain aspects of coaching, a profession that remains misunderstood by many. This article is part of that series (you can read the introduction here).
We all know it’s true: a certain level of stress is a good thing. Without any pressing need, it can be tough to find the motivation necessary to work efficiently. Of course, once stress gets above a certain level, it becomes counterproductive and makes us underperform.
Once again (continuing the theme I started a few weeks ago), a skiing analogy helps to illustrate this concept. For me, the ski excursions that are the most difficult — and by extension the most likely to drive up stress levels — are also those that present the greatest opportunities for growth.
It is also on these occasions that the presence of a professional mountain guide is indispensable. Knowing the guide is there is reassuring, both because I am not alone during moments that can feel daunting, and because I know that the guide is trained to help me get out of a tough situation if I find myself stuck. This reassurance means that I am better able to take on challenges with a clear head — and, ultimately, to progress.
In other words, thanks to the presence of the guide, my stress stays at an appropriate level: my awareness is heightened so that I stay focused and ski with care (an indicator of a good level of stress) and yet I am not distracted by thoughts of everything that could possibly go wrong (an indicator of an excess level of stress).
Helping clients to keep stress at a manageable level is one important role of a coach. A coaching session creates a framework in which the client can reflect clearly and calmly on their work, free from the interruptions that would otherwise dial up stress levels (phone calls, emails, colleagues coming into the office to ask “just one quick question”…). Within this framework, the coach can help the client to distinguish rationally and calmly between the sources of stress that are worth their attention from those that they can leave aside (at least for the time being).
In this way, the client regains control over their schedule, instead of letting the constant stream of emergencies dictate their days.
How might a coach help you to avoid getting swept away by the non-stop flow of emergencies in your day-to-day work? Click here to contact a coach who lived through the same kinds of pressures as you (you can read more about my background and qualifications here), and who dedicates his practice to working with individuals in high-pressure jobs.