Get Rid of Secondary Stress From Colleagues With the Help of a “strong Leader”
Stress can be passed on to other people like an infection. If you find that your coworkers are constantly putting their stress on you, you may be able to prevent this next time by starting the conversation with a positive comment.
It’s actually hard to relieve someone of their stress, but there are things you can do to maintain your own stress shields. Michelle Guilan, author of Broadcasting Happiness: The Science of Achieving and Maintaining Positive Change , suggests starting the conversation with a “respected leader.” Gilan and Sean Achor explain in the Harvard Business Review:
… you can create a “power wire” for a short circuit in the event of a negative contact. The first comment in a conversation often predicts the outcome. Try not to start your phone calls with the words “I’m sick” or “I’m so busy.” Instead, start with a breath and calmly say, “Nice talking to you.”
With this strategy, you neutralize the stressful atmosphere for them a little and keep yourself from saying something that is stressful for both of you. You can even use the wire with non-verbal words. If they cross their arms and grimace, shoot back with a smile and an understanding nod. You are not the type to get stressed, so don’t let others fool you. To learn more about how to deal with secondary stress, click on the link below.
Make yourself immune to secondary stress | Harvard Business Review