Why can't I spell, anymore?

I have just been through a substantial amount of stress in the past 6 months- break up of a major relationship, house move, Covid and two operations, which caused a lot of pain for a while.  And a few other bits and pieces such as nearly dying from carbon monoxide poisoning and electrocuting myself in my damaged car.  Ok maybe this is a bit melodramatic but actually all true!

And I discovered that my abilities to spell and speak French, had suddenly fallen off a cliff.  I would be writing blogs or emails and the little red wavy lines would appear and I would look at the words and have no idea how to correct it other than it didn’t look right.  So of course, being a little stressed already I started to imagine I had early onset Alzheimer’s, dementia or anything else you can imagine!!

I was then listening to the amazing Diary of a CEO podcast with Daniel Priestley who was talking about how IQ and EQ are reduced by stress and I was intrigued – is that what is happening to my abilities, why does that happen ….and most importantly what can I do about it?

I set about reading a few articles on the subject and this is what I have discovered

When we are in flight or fight mode, the brain uses the amygdala part to make decisions ie the reptilian brain that is there to help us survive.  This uses lots of brain energy and as a result, a lot of the other brain functions are reduced hence our cognitive function gets compromised.  This is also worse at certain times of life such as during pregnancy (baby brain) and menopause when hormones also play a part. So, in theory, if we reduce our stress levels, the amygdala will reduce activity and the rest will kick back in

Once the stress is gone, then you should revert to normal and my spelling function (which was always good) will return…. but this is not necessarily the case.  Research has shown that just like exercising one muscle, continuous reactions to stress will create a weakening of the other parts of the brain which help you to think creatively or spell.  Not to mention have impact on other parts of the body such as weakened immune system, poor heart health and increased cancer risk!

What is to be done, how do we reduce the impact of stress on our IQ, EQ and ultimately enabling you to run your business more effectively and also stay healthy and happy. 

Here are my top 3 tips to reduce stress in your work life

1.     Establish some control

There are a lot of people, me included, who like a busy life with lots going on.  And there is nothing wrong with that - in itself, it is not stressful.  The difficulty comes when you lose control (perceived or otherwise) – you have too much to do, too many deadlines, too many difficult decisions to make.  The life of the entrepreneur can be unpredictable but if you can get control, you will reduce the stress and turn it into motivational pressure.  And the boffins recommend that you have a routine – predictability reduces stress. 

2.     Get organized

And the corollary of getting a routine means you need to get organised – we all have those days where we get nothing done because we are firefighting or answering clients/customers or even dealing with broken down cars!!  But if you can find a way to manage the workload, and structure your day, it gives you a sense of control and the brain won’t feel overloaded.   And make space in that schedule to think – even if it is just 30 minutes a day of down time. 

It might involve only looking at emails once a day, turning off all notifications or getting someone else to manage the kids... which leads to point 3

3.     Get help

What can you delegate so that you have less to worry about and/or who can you bring in to help support you?  I have a client at the moment who is a mum of two kids, busy life and trying to run a business.  She has asked me to take on the commercial side of her business including the things that stress HER out such as doing linked in, contacting buyers etc which is probably therapeutic for me!  Win win!

You might also want to think about investing in yourself on a personal level.  I recognised that my stress levels were causing me both mental and physical health impacts.  So I have started some counselling therapy, taking regular massages and found a nutritionist to change my diet.  Plus am talking to close friends who have experienced similar situations and leaning on their support.  Also, paradoxically helping another friend who is off scale stressed, has helped me to put my own challenges in perspective and been therapeutic.  

And that is the bonus top tip!!  If you can change your attitude toward stress, then it is no longer stress…. just things for the to-do list or park board.  You are back in control!!  I know it sounds simple but slowly I am practising what I preach – being clear on my workload, parking difficult decisions about where to live and focusing on the here and now. Suddenly it all seems a little less tough – and my ability to spell and speak French is returning!

If I can help you in any way to reduce YOUR stress levels whether that is to take on the commercial challenges you are facing or just to help you unravel the pressures that your business is creating, then just drop me a line karen@buyerology.co.uk

It might just help me to reduce mine!!