Every leader has experienced a sizable amount of stress and anxiety. It comes with the territory or position.

You cannot avoid stress or worry, but you can keep it from destroying your physical and mental health. Read on to discover 5 ways leaders can overcome stress and anxiety!

Discovering why you are experiencing stress requires you to gain clarity. Sometimes, stress or anxiety occurs just because you are unclear about what you are facing. Unless you have clarity about the problem, it is impossible to solve it. You might be surprised to discover that stress or worry regularly occurs because of uncertainty. You find yourself worrying about something but not really sure what it is.

For example, you might be anxious about year-end financials. There is this growing anxiety rising in your heart and mind because you fear that your available cash will not meet your company’s needs. 

Before you begin to worry, it would be a good idea to dig deeply into your finances before you begin to worry about something that hasn’t occurred. Even if the numbers are trending the wrong way, you at least know where you are. Discovering that important data can help you make adjustments to avoid or limit this trend.

When you find yourself anxious or stressed, play the “what if” game. Ask yourself “what if” the absolute worst thing happens?  How will it affect your organization or life? Can you survive?

By asking this question, you will often find that things are not as bad as you fear. Although the results will not be pleasant, your world will not come to an end. Recognizing this fact allows you to breathe and to begin working on a solution to your concerns.

Anxiety or stress can cause you to “freeze.” You stop looking for solutions. Once you gain clarity and take a brief look at the worst-case scenario, you can start to look for solutions. Once you free your brain to look for solutions, they are frequently not as hard to find as you expected. You were just “locked-up” and couldn’t think creatively.

If you have a team, ask team members to join you in looking for solutions. Brainstorming with others creates a synergistic energy that goes beyond what one person can do alone. 

In addition, everyone has strengths. Sometimes someone’s strength will provide immediate help that you would have never considered. Asking your team to join you also builds unity, value, and appreciation for others.

Once you strategize to discover a solution, build out a plan. A plan breaks down your strategy into “bitesize” achievable steps.

Strategy alone is a great idea. But without a plan, your strategy is not going anywhere. It’s like a very powerful train without tracks on which to run.

Often the hardest step is just to implement your plan. Your inaction may occur because you do not have clarity. If you get clarity, take time to evaluate the worst-case scenario, strategize to discover a solution, and develop a plan that allows you to accomplish your strategy, then taking action becomes possible.

Otherwise, you find yourself worrying and not taking action to overcome the problem. Putting your plan into action brings hope. You see that there is a solution that will relieve your anxiety and stress.

Leadership challenges or problems are not unusual. Every leader or manager faces them. How you face them is very important. You can worry or “stress-out,” but doing so will only compound your concerns. Instead, why not follow the 5 steps above to overcome anxiety and stress? It’s a much better way to lead!