Doing better work by de-stressing may seem impossible to the modern working woman. As women we’re famous for multitasking—between family, kids, work, it’s not easy having it all but we do it! We know the stress of balancing all those things can have negative impacts on us over the long term, but a new study shows that it may be a problem on a short-term basis as well.
Even though stress is a negative emotion, it may encourage you to focus more on the positives, affecting your decision-making ability. For instance, if you’re working on a big presentation and you have to decide whether or not to take on a new client, you may be too excited by the idea of making more money and more work to realize that you don’t really have the time to devote to them. So what can you do when you have to make decisions under stress, as we all have to from time to time?
First, take deep breaths. It calms your body’s nervous response and makes you calmer.
Second, step away from the problem. Unless the decision truly needs to be made right that second, you’ll benefit from putting it off until you can devote your attention only to that.
Third, consult a trusted outsider. There’s evidence that women become more risk-averse when stressed, another
danger in business, so consulting with a trusted colleague or friend who is outside the situation but knows you well can help you get perspective and see if you’re really making the right decision.
