“That which does not destroy, strengthens.”
Friedrich Nietzsche
Why do some talent in the face of work and life stress experience job burnout, depression and physical illness and others remain physically and psychologically healthy?
Our research has found three distinct coping patterns in the face of work and life stressors: 1) Hot reactors (those who get sick in the battle of stress, challenge and change); 2) Sustainers (those who get sick after the “letdown†with the battle); and 3) The Hardy (those who are resilient and experience stress and challenge free from illness and distress).
Hot Reactors, Sustainers and the Hardy
Hot Reactors: About 1 in 5 executives can be described as “hot reactors†on the basis of how they react to stress and the effects on their long term health. Hot reactors are most likely to experience physical illness, job burnout and psychological distress during stressful and challenging projects, assignments and heavy workloads. Behaviorally they are prone to demonstrating impatience, irritability, frustration with incompetence, mood swings and anger. In our research, these hot reactors are highly correlated with typical measures of Type A behavior characterized by a relentless drive for success as well as cynical mistrust of those around them.
Hot reactors seem to be biologically “wired†to react to stress with exaggerated physiological and behavioral responses. These executives are often resistant to changing their basic coping style as most truly believe their ability to work long hours, suppress fatigue and feel energized by stress is a key to his/her career success. Such executives seem to chronically be exhibiting the classic “fight or flight†response almost to the point of exhaustion and burnout. Most are high risk for long term cardiovascular disorders including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease.
Sustainers: Talent who find themselves feeling the symptoms of a cold coming on right after a big project has been completed or getting away for a much deserved vacation are experiencing the clinical “let down effect.†Such individuals are shifting from a high state of activation to a lower state rapidly making their immune system “let down†from its normal “high stress†protective state and leading to increased vulnerability to get sick in the short term.
Sustainers are used to prolonged periods of high stress states and are able to suppress fatigue and “get up†for the battle in order to succeed. Their vulnerability comes not during the battle but after. By using relaxation strategies to manage the chronic stress response these executives can stay healthy both during stressful times and when things slow down. By recognizing the signs and symptoms of stress, tension and anxiety when they first appear, executives can begin to utilize a wide range of behavioral and cognitive strategies to avoid the chronic “race horse†condition that is characteristic of most “high flyers.†These “sustainers†truly do pay the price of being able to hang in during very stressful situations, challenges and times without breaking down physically or emotionally.
The Hardy: The resilient and hardy talent in our research are the ones who experience high levels of stress, work/life unbalance and critical demands but maintain a high level of physical health and psychological well-being. In our research, these individuals are less likely to report job burnout, absenteeism due to illness, anxiety, sleep problems, and depression.
Resilient talent appear to maintain and practice specific lifestyle behaviors that become part of his/her daily routine and utilize coping habits that help translate stress into positive challenges that energize, rather than, compromise the immune system and well-being ((Nowack, K. (1994). Psychosocial Predictors of Health and Absenteeism: Results of Two Prospective Studies. Paper presented at the American Psychological Association Annual Convention, September 1994, Los Angeles, CA)).
You can’t always avoid some chronic (high level of work demands or child care issues) or acute (injury, child illness) stressors but those who are hardy appear to cope and manage them in a manner that minimize negative health outcomes.
Profile of Hardy Talent
- Experience and report less work and family stress on a daily basis
- Maintain a high level of physical activity/exercise despite travel and work/family demands (e.g., work out at least 3 days a week for 60 minutes).
- Maintain heart healthy eating/nutrition habits (e.g., eat breakfast, avoid convenience food, and manage weight).
- Are non-smokers and drink alcohol in moderation (e.g., no more than 2 alcoholic drinks per day).
- Consistently maintain an adequate level of sleep and practice sound sleep hygiene (e.g., avoid building a sleep debt and get adequate sleep required to avoid being inappropriate sleepy during the day).
- Minimize hostile, impatient and aggressive behaviors towards others that are associated with eliciting the “fight or flight†response.
- Practice some type of daily mental or physical activity that elicits the “relaxation response†(e.g., meditation or yoga) reversing stress activation.
- Cultivate and utilize a strong social and professional support network by spending time with those who are satisfying to be around and avoiding those who are “energy zappers†in our life.
- Possess a hardy outlook on life including viewing change as a challenge, identifying and spending time on his/her passions and develop an external set of attributions for failures ((Greene, R. and Nowack, K. (1996). Stress, hardiness and absenteeism: Results of a 3-year longitudinal study. Work and Stress, 9, 448-462)).
- Identify and emotionally express strong feelings in writing or verbally to others on a daily basis.
- Stop obsessive thoughts that create tension and explore action plans to resolve the stressor.
- Minimize the use of defeating and perfectionist “self-talk†(e.g., constantly using the words “must†or “alwaysâ€).
- Actively ruminate and express gratitude for his/her life situation
- Identify and act on his/her signature strengths to maximize career and life satisfaction.
Being resilient isn’t something that we are necessarily born with although there appears to certainly be a genetic predisposition to possessing biological wiring favoring the release of neuropeptide Y and other hormones that may damper the stress response. We have also seen in our own research and others the capacity to develop hardiness or resilience:
Hardy talent appear to develop an ongoing commitment to maintain a lifestyle that enables them to balance the demands at work and home while remaining energized, productive and healthy.
If you are interested in seeing how resilient you are and would like a free trial of our stress and resilience measure called StressScan ((Nowack, K. (2013). Coaching for Stress: StressScan.  Jonathan Passmore, Psychometrics in Coaching, Association for Coaching, UK, pp. 305-324)) just email me at ken@envisiaonline.com and I will be happy to set you up! Be well…
Ken Nowack
Kenneth Nowack, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist (PSY13758) and President & Chief Research Officer/Co-Founder of Envisia Learning, is a member of the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations. Ken also serves as the Associate Editor of Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research. His recent book Clueless: Coaching People Who Just Don’t Get It is available for free for a limited time by signing up for free blog updates (Learn more at our website)
