Is Stress Causing You to Micromanage?
By Sandy Schroeder
Micromanaging can be a tricky call. Most of us want to avoid mistakes and believe in double-checking work, but sometimes stress can cause us to go further.
Take a moment to think about it, and you may start to notice all those signs of your conscientiousness as indicators of something a little less healthy.
- Do you find yourself compulsively checking and rechecking material?
- Do you annoy others with small nags about things that should be checked?
- Can you be counted on to do all of the follow-up in the group, because everyone knows you will?
When we become worried and stressed out, it is all too easy to tighten our grip on things that we can control, such as schedules and individual work. Usually that’s OK but sometimes it creates other impacts such as these spotted by FastCompany.
Creativity takes a hit - When we become too wound up, we can lose that wonderful spontaneous spark that comes out of nowhere. Instead, we just focus on meeting the deadline and making the schedule work.
Do you push people away – Everybody appreciates a little support, but too many nudges can be annoying. Even your best friends may find it hard to smile when you repeat reminders.
Health suffers – Letting rigid controls run the show can affect our sense of freedom and our health. A recent study found workers in demanding jobs who lost control over their work were 15 percent more likely to suffer health losses, while those who were able to control their work experienced a 34 percent decrease in unhealthy results.
How to Stop Micromanaging
Turn everything around with a new approach.
Ask for input – Turn to friends and co-workers that you trust and ask them for their thoughts on micromanaging. A true friend will tell you what they think and may have some tips on how to change.
Examine the stress – Ask yourself what is causing your stress? What are you afraid will happen? Will deadlines be missed, mistakes be made, or what? Pin down the stress feelings and let irrational thoughts go.
Step back – Do an overview of the work. What’s being accomplished? How well is everything going? You may find yourself reassured and ready to loosen up a little.
As you sort through micromanaging tendencies, you may find you have been bugging your family, too. Leaving little notes to run the dishwasher, take out the trash or feed the dog sometimes work, sometimes not. Every household is different, but the happiest ones nudge each other less and cause more laughter. Leave a few smiles instead of reminders and see what happens.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Pearland, Tex.