🔴 Red Stress — on the verge of boiling point
Triggers:
- Being excluded from decision-making
- Having no challenges
- Not achieving any results
- Wasting time or feeling generally inefficient
- Routine, repetitive tasks
- Lack of control
- Being constantly told to “tone it down”
Antidote:
Go to the gym. Sign up for a marathon.
Physical activity works wonders for red personalities — it releases pressure and brings back focus. Once the energy finds its outlet, the stress fades.
🟡 Yellow Stress — somewhere high up in the stratosphere
Triggers:
- Being completely unnoticed
- Lack of trust from the manager
- Boring or repetitive work
- Isolation from the team
- Being told that laughter at work is “unprofessional”
- Petty remarks and nitpicking
- Open criticism
Antidote:
Start something — organize an activity at work or plan something fun after hours.
Meet people, laugh, play, joke. The more you surround yourself with others, the faster you’ll recharge. After that — you’ll shine at work again.
🟢 Green Stress — deep down at the bottom of the valley
Triggers:
- A general sense of insecurity
- Unfinished tasks at work
- Too many people too close
- Constant, unreasonable changes
- Obvious conflicts
- Being forced into the spotlight
- Any form of criticism — especially public
Antidote:
Ask your manager to lower expectations — at least temporarily.
Take a real rest: gardening, sleeping, or doing something quiet that helps you relax.
Plan a calm weekend or grab a good book and allow yourself two days of peace.
🔵 Blue Stress — close to absolute zero (-273.15°C)
Triggers:
- Having your expertise questioned, especially in your area of mastery
- Spontaneous, impulsive decisions by management
- Risk-taking or gambling behavior
- Constant, unplanned team changes
- Silly mistakes made by others
- Being called “bureaucratic” when you’re simply following proper processes
- Overly emotional people talking about personal matters
Antidote:
Total solitude. Give yourself time and space to think.
Ask for some breathing room — you’ll naturally return to your calm, structured rhythm.
If doubts linger, ask for help: schedule a conversation with your manager and agree on a clear, logical plan of action to resolve the issue.