Everyone of us are under stress with the economy being one of the main reasons for that up-tight feeling. Most of us in sales are working harder than ever to convince our clients that they must continue to advertise their products and services in whatever Crain publication we represent. With all the gloom and doom we read and see in the press and with a lot of our customers cutting back on the dollars they are spending for advertising and marketing, the noose keeps getting tighter all the time. Consequently, many of us are losing sleep, not eating properly and maybe are not giving our loved ones the attention they deserve because of the pressure we feel. So just maybe all of us should start thinking about things that aren't necessarily written about when it comes to motivating and inspiring ourselves.
That something is one's health and be it ever true that without health none of us can perform to our best and consequently we forget to do the basic things that are necessary in any sales person's life. I know you know what I'm talking about! Therefore, I would like to offer something a little bit out of the ordinary for your consideration. The material and content I'm referencing comes from the January 5th issue of Modern Healthcare. The cover of the magazine shows a young executive obviously under stress with his hands over his face. That's because healthcare executives are under increasing pressure, and, consequently, the editors of MHC chose stress management as a theme for that particular issue.
In the article on stress management, there are a sampling of 38 "stress busters" offered by the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. Among those stress busters are things like becoming a less aggressive driver. Another one has to do with not trying to be perfect and feeling like you must do everything. Getting regular exercise is cited as a stress buster along with "Look at unavoidable stress as an avenue for growth and change." Then there's "Resist the urge to judge and criticize" along with,"Start off your day with breakfast" as well as "When stressed, ask yourself,"Is this really important?" and "Will this really matter a year from now?". There are more suggestions for dealing with stress and these are just a few of those cited in the article. For a complete list, click here.
My point is this. Stress can do serious and terrible things to people. Don't let it happen to you! You are too valuable and talented and you must understand how to handle your stress or you might find yourself becoming less and less effective. Simply learn how to deal with stress so that you control it and it doesn't control you.
Be in good health!
Chuck
