The New Science of Stress Redirection

Being part of a business team has always caused stress. In fact everything in life causes stress, and nothing is actually even possible without it. Yet historically, Learning and Development and Human Resources have focused on “stress reduction or stress management.” Why are both of these terms at best inaccurate and at worst an outright lie?

Stress reduction seems harmless enough right? “Reduce stress or die,” is a common phrase. After all, stress is the number one killer on planet Earth! However, if we take this in the most literal sense, what happens when all your team members “reduce their stress” completely? Nothing. That’s right, nothing happens outside the environment of stress. No joy, no happiness, no production and yes no pain.

Then what about “stress management?” Isn’t this the new flavor of true enlightenment in the human resource arsenal? Yes, and yet understanding that stress is necessary and actually creates all possibilities of life including happiness and joy, this viewpoint of stress management becomes the opioid in a long term relationship of addiction where stress is demonized and must be controlled at all costs.

The new terminology of “stress redirection” actually comes from an understanding that stress is a load or energy, starting with a healthy viewpoint, and ending utilizing the energy of that load or energy in performance and actually living a more productive life.