Say NO to stress by choosing how you deal with Drama
Let’s see Drama for what it is. It’s all around, made for us and made up by us. It presents in big doses. Drama invites stress.
The daily news feeds are consumed by the rise in cost of living, job insecurity, an energy crisis, geopolitical uncertainty and the divisions being created. It also plays a part in our personal relationships, in our workplaces, streaming services, reality television - the list runs deep.
These issues present real challenges.
As a leader, I can deal with the challenges by focusing on the relevant facts, or I can distract myself with the associated ‘stories’. Our Drama lies in those stories – not the facts.
Drama is sticky and has a payoff - shielding us from our own feelings, taking us away from reality, and charging our adrenaline which isn’t sustainable. It creates social bonds and offers validation or a sense of self-worth which isn’t real.
It’s hard to say no to and yet introduces negativity and potentially anxiety, sadness and anger. We become disconnected and more occupied by what happened or what might happen.
All Drama has its cast of main characters, the ‘victim’, the ‘villain’ and the ‘hero’ (rescuer), creating resistance to what we do and what we want. As leaders, we are not immune to Drama and experience playing each of the main characters.
Great leaders recognise when Drama is present. They are tuned into what is happening in the moment, continuing to invest in their own level of awareness, they have a capacity to own the Drama, recognise the character being played and know how to shift away.
An article I read recently by a well-respected leadership group called out the challenge of dealing with stressors and disruptions in the workplace, highlighting an urgent need to address burnout. Strategies were offered to deal with burnout – delegate responsibility, diversify your time, identify major stressors and re-evaluate goals and priorities.
At Conscious Uprising, we challenge you to start saying NO to stress, by owning the role you play in Drama.