Tech Leaders Confide: “To relieve stress, I…”

Does managing your business and your life push you into the stress zone? If so, you’re not alone. Many tech leaders say they are more stressed this year than last. Here are some strategies shared by several tech leaders:

“To relieve stress, I do the following:
-maintain a work/life balance. Spend quality time with the family
-work out regularly (weights and cardio a few times a week) for stress reduction/prevention
-diffuse stressful situations by going on a walk and/or talking to friends, family and coworkers
-take a step back from the situation in order to reflect, get additional perspective and create a plan of attack to address the cause” – Kent Lewis, President, Anvil Marketing

"I decrease everyday. I avoid any increase and purge what is unessential. Stress and anxiety prefer a cluttered mind." Hideshi adds “It works with information management as well. People strive to have more & more information, and then must manage it. First, we should think how to "reduce the information." -Hideshi Hamaguchi, CEO Lunarr


“To relieve stress...
1) I run early in the morning to collect my thoughts for the day ahead.
2) I schedule a morning on a business trip to relax and read a good book.
3) I wake an extra hour early in the morning to sit in the back yard and read the newspaper, listen to the water and hear the activity of the birds”. Gary Feather Vice President, Consumer Systems and Technology, Sharp Laboratories of America

“To relieve stress, I get online. I hop on Twitter and chat with my Portland friends. Or I might write a blog post about some cool Portland technology. If all else fails, I spend some time reading blogs, checking out sites, and sharing my finds with others.”
Rick Turoczy, Blogger, Silicon Florist


“I make sure to do one thing each day that brings me happiness. Something that is unique to me and for me. Listening to a certain song, eating a favorite treat, watching an inspirational movie, talking to an old friend, anything that makes the day have a part to it, brief though it may be, a "fix" that is not work and by its nature relieves stress and keeps you grounded”.
RHETT KASPARIAN, President Notus career Managment


”Nothing beats exercise. The beauty of exercise is that it not only relieves stress, but you get the added benefits of dropping pounds, putting on some muscle, and feeling better and better the more you do it. My personal choice is the 70 lb. heavy bag, push-ups, chin-ups, sit-ups, running, and an iPod filled with pounding aggressive music. You don't need a gym membership, just a place to hang the bag, Says Craig Brennan, CEO of Island Data, Early Stage/On-Demand Customer Feedback/Intelligence Enterprise Software
To relieve stress mentally... that is, quieting the mind, coming down from an extended period in go-go-go mode, letting the stress melt away rather than pounding it out... is a much more personal decision and I've found that there are as many solutions for this as there are people. One of the best inventions ever for relieving stress was given to me for Fathers Day: the hammock. Chilling out in that for a half-hour just listening to the silence of my backyard or reading a book that's not work-related works miracles.”


“ I Take a long walk or shoot hoops. Nothing melts stress like swishing a long jumper!” Tom Field, Editorial Director at bankinfosecurity.com


“Well, first of all I try to find out where the problem is try to fix the problem. Main thing is to make yourself stop worrying and just concentrate on tasks one by one. I prefer starting with the most difficult, solving it strengthens me and makes me motivated and i believe, that there is no problem that can not be solved in considerable time period with appropriate resources” Maka, Sr. IT Program Director

“Relieving stress is only as good as your understanding of the stress and its cause, and also as good as your tolerance for stress. Gary stated correctly that work and life equals stress, a certain amount of stress is absolutely normal. However, it is very important to examine your stress source(s) and determine if it/they are/are short term or long term; determine the cause and decide if it is one that will blow itself out or must be dealt with; deal with the cause itself if necessary and if possible. Ours is a shifting-sand profession, and we deal with mission-critical operations often. add to that kids and their activities, spouse and spouse's stress, and it's often no wonder that we relieve stress with unhelpful relievers, such as food or drink.”

I relieve short term stress through diversion and distraction. I play games with my kids, I do some sort of strenuous work like weeding the garden or sweeping the barn, some little mindless thing that lets me daydream, and I have found that a flight of fancy through Harry Potter's eyes will take my mind off my worries and stresses” Nancy Jones Network Coordinator at Integrity Media

“I focus on bottom-line issues, prioritize constantly, and pray every morning.”
Tom Campanaro , CEO Engineering Fitness International Inc.

“Make an intentional attempt, throughout the day to SINGLE-task (vs. multi-task which I used to think made me more productive). It didn't really, and I was seldom really "in the moment" or fully present for anyone: my clients, my family, myself.” Elaine W. Krause Communications Outsourcing: Value-Centered Technical and Business Content
“For me, nothing beats stress like a good workout! I usually mix cardio and strength training, but any activity will do. When I meet my workout goals (at least 3x per week), I find that I feel better, sleep better, and work better too!” Chris Cooney Account Executive with Client Profiles

”I will use my punching bag; power walk; play with the dogs (animals are great stress relievers!); and usually follow this up with some time spent with a good book.” Jan "JD" Toomer Consultant
“No matter how stressful things get, I remind myself that a hundred years from now, no one will know the difference. It puts things in perspective until I an get stressful situations behind me.” Terri L Maurer Planning and Strategies Consultant; speaker, trainer, author.
“The cause of almost all stress for me is conflicting requirements. I feel I have to be available for something at work, but I also have to be home for an activity at home. solution? discuss, decide, and inform. discuss the problem with the people involved (spouse, boss, whoever), decide what you will do, and tell everyone what they can expect of you in advance. Much better to say at the beginning of a meeting, "I have a hard stop at 4pm because of a personal engagement" than to fidget through the meeting, hoping it actually ends on time so you can make it to your daughter's recital.” Tony Rudie Systems Architect at Fidelity Investments
A long walk, or a bike ride. I also meditate each day which helps to center and ground me. Also I make a conscious effort to leave work at work and enjoy my life the rest of the time. Taylor Ellwood Technical editor United Information Technologies

Gary Perman is a certified recruiting professional and owner of PermanTech, which specializes in recruiting technology executives, managers and engineers in Portland and Seattle. He also hosts a technology employment blog. Contact Gary at gary@permantech.com