Hidden Causes of Daily Stress

Why do I always take on to much Responsibility.

Why do I always take on to much Responsibility.

 

Strengthsfinder reveals hidden causes of daily stress!

 

No matter what you do there are needs and demands for each Strengthsfinder theme. Strengthsfinder reveals your normal way of thinking and how you respond to specific interactions throughout the day. These are called talent themes or strengths themes by Strengthsfinder. The interesting thing is that these Strengthsfinder themes have needs and can give you energy or lose energy depending on how you use them.

Let’s consider for a moment the Strengthsfinder theme Responsibility. A person with Responsibility has a tendency to psychologically assume ownership of any project or task they take on. Do you see a potential for emotional overload there? Too many projects, not enough time!

How does taking on responsibility effect the person with the Strengthsfinder talent theme Responsibility?

The first thing that happens is that they gain energy by accepting the responsibility to do what was asked of them. By agreeing to do a certain task they have actually fulfilled their emotional need to be responsible for something. Perhaps you know of a person that when you ask them to do something they will get it done. Once you know a person is reliable, what is an obvious next step? It is very easy to ask them to do more things for you, because you know they will get it done. Therein lies the potential for emotional overload.

Now consider that each of us only has 24 hours in the day. That means that physically each one of us has only so many hours to accomplish what needs to get done. But, the person with the Strengthsfinder Responsibility theme gains energy by accepting more responsibility. If this person only has eight hours to get everything done but has assumed the responsibility for 10 hours worth of work there can begin a slow downward spiral toward feeling psychologically depressed. The reason for this is they realize they can no longer get everything done in the manner that feels best for them. In essence, they begin to feel they are letting people down and are not worthy any longer.

This is one example of a Strengthsfinder theme that is being used incorrectly and it can cause lots of daily stress. So how do you manage a Strengthsfinder theme like Responsibility correctly? The first thing is the person with Responsibility needs to let their friends and coworkers know that they need help from others to say no. This may sound simple but it will be a lifelong struggle for the person with Responsibility unless they take proactive measures to prevent accepting too many responsibilities.

The Hidden Causes of Stress…

Another way to look at this would be if a person was already stressed by the normal actions of work and how they sometimes spiral out of control. Now this person might be looking for some emotional energy and since they have Responsibility they are tempted to get this energy by accepting more responsibility. Now, if those additional responsibilities help correct the immediate stresses in the workplace it might be possible that it will be a good thing. However, if by taking on more responsibility does not lessen what is causing the stress in the workplace it will almost be guaranteed that the person with responsibility will soon start a new slow spiral downward emotionally.

That is only looking at one of the emotional needs of your top five Strengthsfinder themes. What might be the needs of those other four themes be?

As you consider how you think and react to the world around you, try to discover when you gain energy and when you begin to lose it. You might gain energy when you engage your Strengthsfinder themes correctly and at the right moment. You’ll notice that the energy gained by engaging your Strengthsfinder themes at the wrong time or incorrectly will lead to a short spike in energy, but then quickly be followed by a downward spiral of emotional energy. Keep this up for an extended period of time and it is easy to understand why certain people struggle daily.

I’m not suggesting that Strengthsfinder alone is the total answer, but I really believe it can be a hidden cause of daily stress for people. The more you use your Strengthsfinder themes correctly and in harmony with the way they all fit together you will see a noticeable difference in the way you view the world. Plus you might have more energy and a Positive outlook to boot!

What are the Strengthsfinder themes that you have that might be leading you astray and need work on to be built into a strength?

The causes of hidden daily stress are plentiful. Let’s not make Strengthsfinder one of them. Study and learn to apply your Strengthsfinder themes well, you will be glad you did.