Stress is Killing You and You Need a Better Support System to Avoid Burnout and Thrive - RAL 84
Jun 10, 2024
Benjamin Lundquist
New Episode: Stress is Killing You and You Need a Better Support System to Avoid Burnout and Thrive - RAL 84
On this episode, Stress is Killing You and You Need a Better Support System to Avoid Burnout and Thrive, I share a short teaching on the correlation between your level of stress and your level of support. Stress feels like a constant battle, if it’s not one thing it’s another. If you were asked what is stressing you out right now and if you were given a pen and piece of paper, you’d start making a list. Often the more stressful life become the more we tell ourselves, "Put your head down and work harder". The majority of us have an inadequate support system for the level of stress we are leading under. This is a dangerous spot for any leader to be in. It’s the root cause of addiction, toxic behavior, and ultimately burnout. This is a really important conversation when it comes to being a life-giving giving leader for life. This episode is direct and practical.
Episode Quote:
"You need habits and relationships that can offer you the support you need right now, not the support you needed 10 or twenty years ago. I love that you still have friends from college, but the areas of your life that matter most right now need mentors, not friends."
This episode, like all Rise and Lead Podcast episodes, is highly practical and motivating. Don't forget to subscribe to the Rise and Lead Podcast to ensure you get notified when new episodes release every month. When you share about the podcast, make sure and tag @benjaminlundquist, and he'll always try and give you a re-post. Remember, the best time to rise and lead is now!
New Episode: Stress is Killing You and You Need a Better Support System to Avoid Burnout and Thrive - RAL 84
On this episode, Stress is Killing You and You Need a Better Support System to Avoid Burnout and Thrive, I share a short teaching on the correlation between your level of stress and your level of support. Stress feels like a constant battle, if it’s not one thing it’s another. If you were asked what is stressing you out right now and if you were given a pen and piece of paper, you’d start making a list. Often the more stressful life become the more we tell ourselves, "Put your head down and work harder". The majority of us have an inadequate support system for the level of stress we are leading under. This is a dangerous spot for any leader to be in. It’s the root cause of addiction, toxic behavior, and ultimately burnout. This is a really important conversation when it comes to being a life-giving giving leader for life. This episode is direct and practical.
Episode Quote:
"You need habits and relationships that can offer you the support you need right now, not the support you needed 10 or twenty years ago. I love that you still have friends from college, but the areas of your life that matter most right now need mentors, not friends."
This episode, like all Rise and Lead Podcast episodes, is highly practical and motivating. Don't forget to subscribe to the Rise and Lead Podcast to ensure you get notified when new episodes release every month. When you share about the podcast, make sure and tag @benjaminlundquist, and he'll always try and give you a re-post. Remember, the best time to rise and lead is now!
Speaker 1:
I asked him who do you call when you are overwhelmed? And he said I got a few friends from college and I often call my dad. In so many words, here was my response your support system. It's inadequate. You aren't in college anymore and your dad isn't enough. You're a professional carrying a lot of stress. You have a lot to lose and you need to either cut out the stress or build a better support system that allows you to be a life-giving leader.
Speaker 1:
Welcome to Rise and Lead. I'm Benjamin Lundquist, and this podcast is all about personal growth and leadership. Thank you for listening and for being a part of our Rise and Lead community. We're a community of leaders who are passionate about growth, leadership and expanding our impact on the world.
Speaker 1:
On this episode, I'm talking about the correlation between your level of stress and your level of support. Stress it feels like a constant battle. I mean, if it's not one thing, it's another. If I asked you what is stressing you out right now and I gave you a pen and a piece of paper and I gave you a pen and a piece of paper you'd start making a list. Often, the more stressful life becomes, the more we tell ourselves to simply put your head down and work harder. The majority of us have an inadequate support system for the level of stress that we are leading under. This is a dangerous spot for any leader to be in. It's the route that leads to addiction, toxic behavior and burnout. So we are going to talk about this correlation and what you can do about it. You know my heart. I want you to be a healthy and life-giving leader. That's why this episode matters so much.
Speaker 1:
The Rise and Lead podcast is designed specifically to motivate and equip you to live your greatest life with maximum impact. We are going to find out what makes great leaders great and how you can start growing yourself, rise, expanding your impact, lead and living the life you have been created to live. As a community, we are stronger together, and I want to personally invite you to be a Rise and Lead partner in spreading the word about this podcast and all the episodes that will follow, so together we can reach more people. Here are a few ways that you can support what we are building Subscribe to the podcast so you can get all the episodes that release every month. Rate the podcast I'm always going for a five-star rating. If you think Rise and Lead deserves five stars. I would greatly appreciate that. Leave a written review if you haven't done so already. Your reviews, they make a huge difference. And finally, share about Rise and Lead with your family, your friends and your social media network. Screenshot this episode and send it to someone, or text someone the episode link. You are helping people rise to their next level by connecting them to an episode. And when you share about the podcast as a social media post or story, make sure you tag me and I will always try and give you a repost. We want to hear from you. Your input, ratings, reviews and shares help our team to continue creating a better podcast to serve great leaders like you.
Speaker 1:
We are about to jump into this episode. I like to start with prayer, so let's pray together. God, there are people listening who are running on fumes. Literally, they're barely hanging on. The level of stress that they are under seems overwhelming and it's not sustainable. Use this episode to give them some encouragement, some clarity and some tools to bring a better balance to their level of stress and the level of support they have in their life. In your name, we pray amen.
Speaker 1:
I want to talk to you about the relationship between stress and support. As a leader, it's essential that you manage the relationship between your level of stress and your level of support. Simply put, if your stress level increases, your support must increase as well, but for a good majority, that's not happening. Life continues to become more and more stressful, and many leaders have a support system that is not keeping up. This is an important question. What happens when your support system is inadequate? What happens is that leaders burn out. Leaders sacrifice their most important relationships on the altar of achievement and hustle. Leaders become toxic. Leaders begin coping with stress through destructive behaviors. Leaders end up having affairs and leaders, in time, lose their platforms of influence altogether. We can all think of a leader in the last five years who lost it all in an instant. The truth is, he or she didn't lose it all in an instant. The truth is, he or she didn't lose it all in an instant. They operated above and beyond what their support system was designed to handle and started coping with their stress through toxic behaviors and cutting corners in an effort to hold everything together. The result was a compromised character and the destruction of their system. As your stress changes, your support system must adapt and evolve Let me say that again and evolve. Let me say that again as your stress changes, your support system must adapt and evolve.
Speaker 1:
There is so much that I want to unpack here. What is stress? Stress is your response of worry and or mental tension caused by challenges that seem bigger than you can handle, difficulties with no present or clear solution, and threats to what you value most. Here's what happens to most of us. You start experiencing higher than normal levels of stress self-imposed, environmental or circumstantial and you tell yourself to get focused, buckle down and work harder. Professionals, dads, moms, who are under the enormous weight of stress and are carrying that load solo. They tell themselves I got this. And the answer is grit, determination and hustle. Okay, you may get by for a little while, a few seasons, maybe even a few years, but it will come at an emotional cost, and the older you get, the more you have to lose. Let me say that again the older you get, the more you have to lose. Remember your goal should be to lead well for life, not merely survive for a season.
Speaker 1:
What I have observed in working with thousands of leaders is that most leaders experience constant changes in stress, but their support system never changes. Here's an example I was working with a gentleman who was leading a large company, was five years into being married and was a new dad to a one-year-old. I asked him how are you doing? His response one-year-old. I asked him how are you doing? His response life is so stressful right now I'm treading water just trying to stay afloat. I asked him who do you call when you are overwhelmed? And he said I got a few friends from college and I often call my dad. In so many words, here was my response your support system. It's inadequate. You aren't in college anymore and your dad isn't enough. You're a professional carrying a lot of stress. You have a lot to lose and you need to either cut out the stress or build a better support system that allows you to be a life-giving leader. You need habits and relationships that can offer you the support you need right now, not the support you needed 10 or 20 years ago. I love that you still have friends from college, but the areas of your life that matter most right now need mentors, not friends. Let me say that again the areas of your life that matter most right now need mentors, not friends.
Speaker 1:
I want to coach you forward on this episode with some practical teaching. Think of this like a short mentoring session. First, I want you to name your stressors. Write them on a piece of paper and name them. What is stressing you out right now and where is that stress coming from? Secondly, I want you to do a quick assessment of how you are doing and then we'll talk about how to build you a better support system.
Speaker 1:
Here are four questions I want you to think about. Question number one how is your mind doing? Think mindset. Are you focused on positive, life-giving thoughts? Is your mind focused on seeing the best in others and the best in situations? Is your mind set on the right things that are moving you forward? Are you focused on what is true about you? Question number two how is your body doing? Think physical health. Are you tired? Are you sleeping well? How is your nutrition? Do you have the physical energy for the stress you are currently experiencing? Are you in top shape for your current life season? Question number three how is your heart doing? Think emotions. What is your emotional response to what is currently going on in your life? Are you able to regulate the full emotional spectrum? Have you lost your sense of joy? And question number four how is your soul doing? Think connection with God? Is your identity anchored in God? Do you recognize your worth and value every day? Worth and value every day? Can you rest in the fact that you are enough right now? Quick assessment review how is your mind doing? How is your body doing, how is your heart doing and how is your soul doing?
Speaker 1:
Now that you have named your stressors and done a quick assessment of where you are at, let's build you a better support system. I want to give you three steps. Step number one eliminate unnecessary stressors. If you need to let something go, let it go. Let me say that again If you need to let something go, let it go. If you need to push something back six months or a year, do it. If you need to remove that toxic team member, have that conversation. Better to do it sooner than later. If you have placed unrealistic expectations on yourself, circle back and be realistic and hopeful.
Speaker 1:
Step number two lock in your daily and weekly habits. Do a few things with ruthless consistency, because your health depends. It needs to be simple. Think God, body and mind habits. Think about what you need to do every day and what you need to do every week so you can have the energy for the stress you are under. Energy for the stress you are under. Remember you can't navigate stress well when you're exhausted and you can't navigate stress well when your cup is empty.
Speaker 1:
Step number three build a support circle for this season. Identify people who can keep your mind focused and strong, keep your body healthy, help you stay emotionally balanced and encourage your growing relationship with God. Change your circle as needed according to what you are going through right now. Have your four or five people on speed dial. Remember that we are all stronger together and we need each other. There are some people in your life who will be with you long-term, while there are others who will only be with you for a season. Look at the connections you already have in your network. Think about who you need most in your life right now and who you could also add value to Make a connection. Reach out. Make a connection. Reach out, have a conversation. It may take a little bit of time, but it will be worth it and for so many leaders, their circle is literally life and death for their leadership and their influence. Build a better support system. Eliminate unnecessary stressors, lock in your daily and weekly habits and, finally, build a support circle for this season.
Speaker 1:
Listen to this quote by Terrell Owens, who played in the National Football League for 15 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest wide receivers of all time. Here's what he says there is a lot of emotional stress that people go through. Some people figure out a way to handle it. They have a strong enough support system to keep going and keep moving forward, and some people they feel like they don't have that outlet. This is the whole point of this episode. As your stress changes, your support system must adapt and evolve. Let me say that again as your stress changes, your support system must adapt and evolve evolve. Hear my heart on this. The world needs you in the game, healthy and leading well, you can't always control the stress around you, but you can control the system that stressors Assess how you are really doing and build a better system.
Speaker 1:
I hope this episode impacted and inspired you. Send me a DM and let me know. I read every message that comes in. Make sure you screenshot this episode, share it with someone and post it to your social media accounts. Don't forget to tag me so I can give you a repost. I know there is someone who you know who needs to hear this episode. Thank you for sharing, subscribing and rating the podcast. Seriously, that means the world to me. Look for new episodes to release every month. You won't want to miss those. Thank you for taking the time to invest in yourself. You are worth it. Remember the best time to rise and lead is now. Thank you.
