In my work, there is one thing I constantly say.
All Stress Adds.
It doesn't matter where the Stressor is from, it will Add to every other Stressor, threatening us to go Past our Stress Threshold and into Dis-Stress where Burnout Occurs.
As 80% of Employees are already in Burnout, we must be Very Wary of All Stressors that may Impact Us, as well as those we Lead.
Earlier today I was reading an article from a writer I deeply respect (Lana, your piece is extraordinary), and it reminded me of a Stressor we often Forget.
Existential Stressors.
Now, there are a couple of definitions of what this exactly means.
Existential has to do with "Existence" and often involves a sense of Purpose and Joy.
When it comes to being a "Stressor" though, it often has more to do with feelings of Purposelessness, Joylessness, Depression, Anxiety, and Worse.
When it comes to Stressors, many Interconnections occur which can further make things Challenging.
As I discussed yesterday, the Consumption of UPFs in our Diets is Directly Linked to Depression, which can then turn into an Existential Stressor.
I also recently discussed how there is a Direct Link between Psychological Resilience and Neurogastroenterology, which for our purposes today means that with Lower Resilience we, as Humans, become less able to handle Existential Stressors.
We also know that certain Stressors may Exacerbate other Stressors.
For instance, Existential Stressors can Also become Mental Stressors if we allow them to consume our Minds, and Mental Stressors tend to Grow as we Maintain Them.
This then further creates a Stress Chain that can keep us in Constant Dis-Stress that pushes us quickly into Burnout.
Now, Burnout is already a Horrible Problem that is Plaguing our Society and Reduces our Productivity Potential to 5% or Less.
But, if we are going to be Honest, there are Worse Fates than Burnout.
In the Comments of the Article I read earlier, there was something that Struck "Very" close to home for me.
See, the Article is about a Mountain Guide who saved the life of a young girl who was standing on the edge of a Mountain, contemplating her Existential Stressors caused by others, and she was ready to End Everything.
In response to the People who Caused the Existential Stressors that the young girl was struggling with, someone in the comments asked, "How heartless can they be?"
The Reality of Today's World is that there are "Many" people who are Heartless.
At one point in my life, I found myself in a "Very" Similar Position to the Young Girl, Contemplating the End of My Existence due to the Heartlessness of Others.
But this is Not the only Heartlessness that people Experience.
We encounter Heartlessness all around us, every day.
Some people have become so Mentally Desensitized to it, but it still Deeply Impacts us in other ways, such as through Neurocardiology.
This is where it becomes "Extremely" Important for Leaders to become Wary.
The Truth is that You "Never" Know how close someone is to The Ledge.
All it may take is One Bad Day, even One Bad "Moment", and that is all they need to Take The Step Off.
As a Leader, will "You" be the Heartless Individual who will Cause the Fatal Blow?
Will "You" become the Heartless Person in someone else's Story?
Could "You" Live with Yourself if you "Did" Cause Someone to End Everything?
It is Estimated that 1 in 3 Youths are Contemplating at this Moment, not taking into account Adults.
Some of these Individuals have already laid out a Plan.
How you Act in the world may "Feel" like a Momentary Lapse to You, but to others, it may be The "Defining Reason" to End Everything.
Keep this in mind as you Move Forward.
If you or anyone you know is Contemplating, there "Are" Resources to Help, and I Encourage You to Seek Them Out.
There Is Help.
There Is Hope.
Your Value is So Much More Than You Realize.