When you get stressed out, how do you deal with it? - SmartBrief

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When you get stressed out, how do you deal with it?

The most recent SmartBrief on Leadership poll question: When you get stressed out, how do you deal with it?

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Leadership

When you get stressed out, how do you deal with it?

SmartBrief

SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Leadership — tracks feedback from 250,000 business leaders. We run the poll question each week in our newsletter.

 When you get stressed out, how do you deal with it?

  • I go exercise.  24.38%
  • I take time off from work. 5.48%
  • I throw myself into my work and push through it. 28.86%
  • I meditate. 13.31%
  • I do something else.24.12%
  • I never get stressed out. 3.85%

Find a productive outlet. While many of you have productive places to release stress (exercise, meditation, time off or some other activity), an alarming portion of you (29%) simply push through the stress. This can work in the short term, but over time, the cumulative effects of this stress can be tremendous. Whether it’s health issues, relationship challenges, decreased performance, irritability or some other damaging effect, your desire to “push through” can have catastrophic effects. Find an outlet for your stress. Channel it into something productive (outside of doing more work). Your health, your family and your team will appreciate your new habits and you’ll perform better, be happier and be healthier in the process.

Mike Figliuolo is managing director of thoughtLEADERS. Before launching his own company, he worked at McKinsey & Co., Capital One and Scotts Miracle-Gro. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He’s the author of three leadership books: “One Piece of Paper,” “Lead Inside the Box” and “The Elegant Pitch.”