My 2nd son was born recently and due to lack of sleep and the excitement of his birth I was a bit short with my firstborn boy.
I did not yell or scream but there was a moment when the dynamite wick was lit and I had to extinguish it.
I started my thinking: what should a leader do when the stress is elevated and the serenity is diminishing? I do not have all the answers but here are a few that work for me:
- Walk. Take a walk away from the situation even if the walk is only five minutes. Taking a mental break in this way has really calmed me
- Listen to soft music. Rock music might be legendary but it does not calm the savage beast. Listen to some calming music and calm the mental stress
- Exercise often. Exercising has been shown to reduce stress and increasing an overall feeling of "things are good".
- Read/write. Taking a break to read a book or pen one's thoughts can be a great reliever of stress and wanting to lash out against someone
- Sleep/nap. We are most likely to react poorly when we are not rested properly. The answer: make resting a priority.
