Under Pressure: Let's check in - are you about to blow a valve?

We're not all okay, right now. Managing stress and pressure has never been more crucial than right now. Here's a stress self-check test, and practical strategies to hold your cool in a tough climate.

So it’s Excise Day. COGS are rising around the country, the drinks industry softening and flat in parts. Breweries closing each week and consumers heading back to mid-point purchasing. The direct impacts on financial performance, production volume, marketing budgets and staffing will continue to become more visible as businesses restructure, refocus and in some instances, shut down altogether as many of our friends in the brewing industry have done.

“We work in the hospitality industry, our greatest skillset is smiling when it’s all going to sh** so no-one has any idea what’s really going on.” - a great industry pal, last week.

In an industry that thrives on talking about awards - it can be tough to to put down the brave face and tell the truth. These challenges aren’t meant to be kept in the dark, because it’s there that members of our community are at the highest risk of isolation, a lack of support or missing out on crucial input and care.

Getting real about our shared reality

Everywhere you look, there are signs of stress in many parts of the industry. Missed deadlines, analysis paralysis, sleepless nights and niggly communication lines. Marketing and social engagement falling away, poor turnouts at brand education events, local brands going quiet as we batten down the hatches to ride out this current economic storm.

I’m sharing a little check-before-you-wreck self-assessment designed to help you identify your current stress levels and how they might be impacting your business decisions and overall well-being. You may be so used to feeling stress, you’re not even aware that it’s rising but maybe you’re drinking more or fighting an endless battle to harness your anxiety.

Read each statement carefully and rate yourself on a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always) for each question. Add up your score as you go.

Statements

• I find it difficult to concentrate on tasks at work.

• I feel overwhelmed by the workload and I’m not always sure what to do next.

• I am constantly worried about finances and declining sales.

• I am irritable and short-tempered with colleagues or customers.

• I have difficulty sleeping or staying asleep due to work worries.

• I am neglecting my own health and well-being due to work demands.

• I am using unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with stress (e.g., excessive alcohol consumption).

• I’m avoiding tasks and activities that I usually enjoy.

Scoring

• A score of 15 or below suggests you are managing stress well. Good job. Consider reaching out and lending some of your positive energy to a mate.

• A score between 16-25 indicates moderate stress levels. This is a good time to get some good wellbeing practices in place. Consider implementing some stress management strategies like the ones below and get a great support network in place.

• A score above 25 suggests high stress levels. It's important to take action to address your stress and prioritise your well-being. Do not hesitate. Grab a trusted friend and start to identify your action plan using some of the strategies below.

Strategies to Manage Stress

1. Identify Your Stressors: Make a list of the specific challenges causing you stress, such as declining sales, excise tax increases, or production issues. Get as specific as possible. Categorise them into things in your control and out of your control. Once you identify the root causes of stress that you can control or influence, you can develop targeted solutions.

2. Respond, don’t react: One of the first signs that your stress is impacting your business will come in your communications - tone of voice, rushed replies and sometimes even letting things get a little under hand when things don’t go your way. Stress might make you want to speed up in your business, but it’s usually a good time to slow down your reaction speeds to responsiveness, especially when you’re hot under the collar. A series of poor email or phone interactions can quickly sour a positive working relationship.

3. Practice Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques: Techniques like deep breathing, meditation, or yoga can help calm your mind and body, improving focus and reducing stress. Breathing itself is a useful tool, or take a compulsory 20min walk around the block at the same time each day.

4. Prioritize Self-Care: Schedule time for activities you enjoy outside of work, such as spending time with loved ones, exercising, or pursuing hobbies. As stress and cortisol increases, the likelihood of experiencing anxiety or draining your internal resources increases dramatically. Proactively moving your body, spending time in enriching social environments and getting rest is crucial — especially when you don’t feel like it.

5. Seek Support: Talk to a trusted friend, family member, therapist, or business mentor about the challenges you're facing. Sharing your burdens can be a great way to gain perspective and emotional support. Utilise resources like www.firststeps.nz for business owners. If your business has an EAP provider, talk to someone.

6. Focus on What You Can Control: While external factors like excise tax are outside your control, you can focus on areas you can influence, such as improving production efficiency, exploring new marketing strategies, or developing new product lines.

Time for tough talk

In these situations, I like to remind people you can only really build resilience by using your resilience muscles. Many business owners and leaders carry high amounts of stress — so much so that it can become your new normal. A regular stress check and reset is one of the powerful resilience tools you can use.

• Get a mate, partner or colleague to give you honest feedback on how you are presenting or engaging and whether your stress is visible.

• Catch yourself thinking ‘I’ll just make it here, then I’ll rest’? Stop, pause, rest then re-engage.

• When sleep won’t cure it: stress’s primary symptom is often expressing in being tired or wired. Be mindful that excessive sleepiness is usually a sign of long-term stress but conversely - if you find it harder and harder to wind down without *accessorising* your doom scrolling or substances, it’s time to get talking.

• Therapy and coaching is for everyone.

Please reach out to me for a broader list of resources or contacts in your local area or specialty area.