Struggling to manage your stress and stay motivated? You’re not alone.
Tips from Julia Arndt, Founder of Peak Performance Method & Stress Management Trainer
Julia Arndt is the founder of the Peak Performance Method, a holistic curriculum that focuses on productivity, mindfulness, and leadership skills to propel high-performing individuals and organizations. Julia spent 7.5 years working at Google before founding the Peak Performance Method in 2019 to help innovative companies and individuals manage stress to improve focus, productivity, and well-being. In addition to her Business and Sport Psychology degrees, she is a Certified Life and Business Coach, Yoga teacher, and gym instructor.
With the recent COVID-19 outbreak, many of us have become increasingly stressed — even angry and frustrated at times. While this is a completely natural response to having our lives unexpectedly turned around for an indefinite period of time, I wanted to find out how Julia’s stress management techniques might help us cope, and maybe even thrive, during this unpredictable time. I spoke with Julia over Google hangouts earlier this week to learn what we can do to support ourselves and those around us.
“Stress Management Trainer” is an intriguing job title, but I have to admit I don’t exactly know what it means. Could you share how you view your role and how you got into this line of work?
Of course — it’s a good question! Peak Performance Method is a stress management framework I developed to teach people performance habits, stress management tools, and mindset strategies.
I start by helping people understand how stress shows up physically and psychologically. When I began this work, people assumed that stress management equated to yoga, mediation, or more sleep — basically anything that counteracts the stress from work. These are all important aspects of stress management, but I like to focus directly on the work component. If work is causing the majority of our stress, let’s find ways to improve that experience. Crucial skills such as time management, boundary setting, and effective communication are necessary to get work done but often have to be learned through trial and error. Stress management training is about teaching people strategies and mindsets to be at their best, both personally and professionally.
I’ve trained over 1,500 people including top executives with 15+ years of work experience. These people are at the top of their fields, but their well-being is suffering. As people climb the corporate ladder, they often get busier and busier and prioritize work over everything else in life. This is not sustainable and often results in burnout — physical, mental, or both.
In 2018, I experienced my own burnout. I share my full experience on this episode of my podcast, STRESSD, but in short, I fell into the trap of allowing work to take over my life. My productivity and well-being suffered tremendously. People often wait until they experience burnout before they focus on their well-being, but I hope to encourage people to be proactive. Now is a really important time to invest in stress management techniques as people are experiencing additional challenges and uncertainty.
What stress management strategies have you found to be particularly effective during the COVID-19 crisis?
COVID-19 presents more of a wake up call than anything else. The stress management techniques I’ve been teaching all along are still just as relevant.
The following tips are useful for everyone working from home, but parents often need to be even more militant about their schedules and priorities.
- Write down your 2–3 (no more!) priorities for the day. Then ask yourself: How does my calendar reflect my priorities? Do I have meetings all day? If so, do my meetings support my priorities? Are there any changes I can make in my schedule to better support my priorities? What must I absolutely finish today in order to feel accomplished tonight?
- Be really clear about when you are going to get things done. Put everything that you plan to do that day on your calendar and follow your schedule. Meetings can often fill up the day so be sure to add work blocks, break blocks, and even social blocks in your calendar.
- Over-communicate. If there is anything we’re learning from working through COVID-19, it’s that you must communicate. Communicate with your teammates, clients, kids, and/ or partner about when you are working. You could do this through a shared calendar or even by updating your email sign off. People are generally understanding during this time if they know what to expect. One of my favorite quotes on communication is : “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” — George Bernard Shaw
This is also a good time to reflect on what is in your sphere of control and what is far outside of it. While it’s important to be aware of what is outside of your control, focusing on what you can control and influence will serve you well right now.
It can be challenging to stay motivated during this time. What can we do to increase motivation and productivity?
Awareness is the first step. I encourage people to take the time to think about what they like to do to recharge. Yes, maybe a vacation would be nice down the line but think about small things that bring you clarity. It could be opening the window or stepping outside (if feasible) to take a few deep breaths of fresh air. Perhaps just drinking glass of cold water or tea offers you the break you need. After a reset, it’s time to be intentional about what you need to do to feel accomplished that day. We lose motivation when we start things that we can’t finish. That’s why prioritizing is key — so you can focus your energy on your highest priorities and make progress.
How can managers and leaders best support their teams right now?
The main way is by being a good role model! I just led a virtual stress management training for 65 people. The Director organized the training and encouraged people to attend but didn’t end up joining. That signals to the rest of the organization that stress-management is not a priority for their leader right now, and people take note of this when determining their own priorities. It’s important for leaders to show vulnerability and honesty, especially now. Leaders are often put on a pedestal, but they become more human and relatable when they open up about challenges in an authentic way.
A wonderful leader I know has created a safe space to talk about mindfulness with his team. He leads regular mindfulness check-ins and often opens up about his challenges. By doing this, he sends a powerful message that it’s ok to be vulnerable and struggle. We can learn together and support one another.
Now more than ever, managers and leaders should communicate what’s expected, model the behaviors that match their message, and open up about challenges.
To learn more about stress management from Julia, you can check out her upcoming Peak Performance Trainings, COVID-19 Workshops, YouTube Videos, and STRESSD Podcast episodes.
