Traffic Light Technique to Manage Stress

Exposure to prolonged high level of stress can damage our health, lower productivity and affect relationships. One of the fact that we need to accept is that, as long as we are still here on earth, stress is our way of life. The main issue now is how to manage stress more effectively so that we can maintain our productivity at work and home.

One of the simplest method to manage stress is the Traffic Light Technique. It is easy to use, fast and highly effective. It helps us to reorient ourselves and refocus on bigger, more important issues at hand.

Using the traffic light as an analogy, red signals that we need to stop that ever that we are doing at that particular moment that causes us to be under stress. It can be an argument with a colleague, feeling overwhelmed doing that pile of paper work or cursing that driver that suddenly overtakes you in a dangerous manner.

Next, orange means that we need to reorient and refocus ourselves internally. Feel that tense feelings in our body, that fast heartbeat, short breathing or stiff shoulders. Acknowledge that we are now under stress. There is no point in fighting the symptoms. The best way is to feel them inside our body. Once we are aware of them, it signals the brain that we are in control (it takes away the control from our more primitive brain - the amygdala and passes it to our more advanced brain - the neo cortex).

Lastly, green means that we actively do something to let that stress feelings (or symptoms) go. The easiest way is to take several deep breaths, inhaling through our nose and exhaling through our mouth. You will feel you heartbeat slowly going down, your muscles starting to loosen up and a sense of inner peace comes to you. Taking a short walk or doing light stretching are some of the other methods to let go of that stress symptoms.

The next time you feel stressful, remember the traffic light; red - stop, orange - reorient and refocus and  green - letting go of the symptoms by actively doing something.Try it today!

How to Give Morale-Boosting Praise

Experts said that most managers catch their subordinates doing something wrong rather than doing something right. Let us put ourselves in the shoes of that poor subordinate. How would he or she feel? Dejected? Unmotivated? Unappreciated? You bet!

Catching them doing something right and doing it properly on the other hand, will boost their morale, increase productivity and most importantly, reinforce the positive behaviour being praised.

So, how to give that morale-boosting praise? The acronym SIPS can guide us.

Specific - Our praise needs to be specific. What behaviours are we praising? What are the effects of that positive behaviour? Congratulating Donna for handling that difficult phone call from Mr Joe last Friday and because of that he is still our customer is an example of specific praise. Telling Alex he did a good job last week without going into the specifics, on the other hand is vague.

Immediate - We need to praise someone within 24 hours after a particular behaviour is shown. Telling Ahmad that he did a wonderful job assisting a customer 3 months ago will have little effect on him.

Personal - Muthu loves being praised and rewarded in front of a big crowd. Siti however, prefers a personal note or phone call. Not all people wants to be praised in public. Study our team members and choose the best praise method for them.  

Sincere - An example of insincere praise goes like this, "John, you did well last Monday for helping Mandy with the department's proposal. Because of that, the proposal was submitted on time. Great job! By the way, could you sit in for Tony tonight and do over time? His kid is sick and he needs to be home". Do not sugar coat request with praise because it is the fastest way to kill its effect.

So, a great way to boost morale is to catch our team members doing something right. The next time you do that, remember SIPS to give that morale-boosting praise.