The Brain’s Balancing Act with Stress
Stress often gets a bad rap, but it isn’t always harmful. The right amount of stress—or the stress hormone, Cortisol—can help us get out of bed in the morning, focus, and achieve goals.
However, the brain thrives on balance.
Prolonged high stress triggers the release of cortisol and adrenaline, which can impair memory, decision-making, and creativity. For teams to perform at their best, leaders should be actively managing their own stress levels and helping to balance stress and workloads to keep brains healthy and energised.
The Impact of Chronic Stress
The brain is designed to handle short bursts of stress, but ongoing high stress takes a toll:
- Cognitive Function: Chronic stress reduces focus and impairs problem-solving.
- Creativity: Threat responses limit the brain’s ability to think outside the box.
- Emotional Regulation: Prolonged stress can lead to emotional exhaustion and burnout.
Boosting Motivation: Activating the Brain’s Reward System
The brain’s reward system thrives on positive emotion and a sense of progress. Here’s how to activate it:
- Celebrate Wins: Acknowledge individual and team successes—big or small.
- Cultivate Gratitude: Create rituals for sharing appreciation, like weekly shoutouts.
- Provide Growth Opportunities: Autonomy and learning are powerful motivators.
Read this Blog on Gratitude at the Team Level:
Cultivating Gratitude to support Thriving at Work
Balancing Stress in the Workplace
Leaders can help their teams find balance by incorporating recovery practices into the workday:
- Encourage Breaks: Movement, mindfulness, or short pauses help reset the brain.
- Normalise Stress Conversations: Support your team in labelling stress positively, as research suggests perception matters. Let’s also normalise expanding our emotional vocabulary so that we are really tapping into how we feel.
- Foster Positive Emotions: Gratitude, humour, and moments of joy buffer against stress.
Stress is part of every workplace, but when managed well, it can drive focus and energy rather than exhaustion. Excessive stress over long periods of time can change your brain and create a strong sense of hypervigilance and even mental health issues. This is not a place anyone should be, because this will become the lens you will bring to everything in your life.
Leaders have a responsibility to ensure everyone in their team has the opportunity to thrive. Let’s start with understanding the brain and building in wellbeing and brain-friendly strategies.
Connect with Julie for a conversion on how she can help you create a high performing, thriving team environment.
