In today’s world, people working in different fields of work face the stress of competition because of the growing competition and environmental pressure in the workspace. This pressure and stress can arise from the competition one may feel around them. Competition can also become a source of motivation, but at the same time, it becomes the cause of stress and anxiety.
In this article, we will talk about how to deal with the stress of competition.
Why There Is Stress Of Competition?
Do you feel anxious before going to any exam? The night before your final exam is probably one of the nights when so many of us think about what will happen tomorrow. Many get scared before appearing in the exam.
But why do we feel this stress?
Stress is a natural response our body gives when there is a challenging situation. Whenever a student goes for an exam, various expectations from teachers, parents, and fellow groups put him under pressure to perform well. Competition can trigger various stress responses due to the fear of rejection, fear of failing, social response, and being compared with others. All this leads individuals to face competition stress. In this world of competition, stress becomes the silent killer of people’s mental health.
Is Competition Stress A Boon Or Bane For The Growth?
Stress is not always harmful to us. In some situations, the presence of stress works as a catalyst for our growth.
Stress as a Boon:
Everything has its pros and cons, stress also has positives and negatives. Sometimes, stress can play a positive role, and because of this stress, people tend to perform well in their work. It can help to boost motivation and focus more which in return can help to make decisions more wisely.
Stress as Bane:
On the other hand, stress could also be a negative factor, and as a result, it can hinder one’s performance. Distress(negative stress) makes people anxious about their results. Eventually, this leads to a decrease the performance.
What Are The Ways To Deal With The Stress Of Competition?
Stress can elevate our stress levels, which affects our physical and mental well-being. There are many ways through which we can deal with the stress of competition.
1) Embrace Challenges:
In our day-to-day lives, we all face certain challenging tasks, and it is important to embrace these challenges. By engaging in difficult tasks, one can unleash their inner potential and perform well in not-so-favorable conditions. It will help a person to elevate their motivation towards competition. Not only does it make the person more confident, but it will shift the person’s perspective in many ways. This shifting of perspectives makes the person’s mindset see these challenges as opportunities and utilize them wisely.
2) Understand Your Competition:
People tend to get anxious from the rumors and the over-exaggeration that has been set in the work field. It is important to focus more on the facts about your competitors and find the best way to cope with them. By understanding the competition one can work more efficiently and attain peak achievement. Try to ignore the irrelevant or distracting information, and focus more on the relevant things. This will help to enhance concentration which will, eventually, enrich the quality of work.
3) Stay Calm Under Pressure:
Whenever working under pressure, it is important to remain Calm and clear about your goals. Because of the fear of competition, people are unable to uncover their potential and hence, cannot perform well. Learning relaxation techniques can elevate one’s performance.
4) Be Positive:
It is important to make yourself stay away from negativity. Sometimes, challenging tasks can develop the feelings of hopelessness in people. Whenever people face defeat in any competition people start developing negative thoughts and deviate from their goal.
5) Try Visualization Exercises:
Sometimes when people are unable to achieve success in work they start developing negative thoughts. Therefore, it becomes important to visualise yourself that you are performing well in competition. Try to rehearse the successful events in your mind. These visualizations help to reduce anxiety and boost confidence and motivation.
6) Learn Adaptability:
To deal with the stress of competition, one should be flexible enough to adjust in any situation. As people adapt themselves in any situation, they can find different opportunities present for them.
7) Believe Yourself:
There are many instances around us, especially among students. As competition is quite high among students, they tend to compare themselves with others in terms of the marks they score. Don’t set unrealistic expectations for yourself. Therefore, it becomes important to stop this comparison and believe in themselves.
8) Support Teamwork:
By embracing teamwork, one can touch greater heights. As it brings creative and innovative ideas that can really help to contribute to one’s growth in a competitive environment. By making a reliable team, one can communicate the goals, needs, and challenges with colleagues.
9) Effective Use of Time:
Time really plays an important role in everyone’s lives. It is important to manage your goals and focus more on priorities. Many people feel more stress when working under competition as procrastination becomes their habit. Therefore, try to manage your time and prioritize the things that will help you to grow in the long run.
10) Celebrate Your Small Achievements:
People sometimes become so focused on their goals that they forget to celebrate the small successes that happen during the whole journey. These successes act as fuel for people when they start losing their motivation and help them to remember these wins and start working effectively.
11) Be Positive:
As the competition around us has increased, Therefore, it is important to build a positive mindset to face the stress of competition. By developing a growth-oriented mindset, one can enjoy the process of learning and come up with creative ideas.
12) Practicing Self-Care:
By practicing different exercises one could be able to handle the stress of competition like tension release techniques will help to reduce anxiety and stress. When there is a lot of pressure, try to do breathing exercises. 15 mins of breathing exercises in a quiet place will help a lot to perform well in your tasks. Exercise plays an important role in improving your quality of work and mood which overall affects your physical and mental well-being.
13) Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices:
Sleep also plays a crucial role here, as good sleep will help to recover from stress. Eating a well-balanced diet will help you to become more focused on your work as it fuels the body and mind, which in return maintains mental and physical well-being.
You can also read these books to increase your knowledge about competition:
- Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors
- Blue Ocean Strategy, Expanded Edition
- The competitive advantage of nations
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