Make it a point to talk to someone either daily or weekly or monthly that can help you connect with who you are at your heart. It could be a counselor, a therapist, a spiritual guide, a mentor or even just a good person who makes us laugh and grounds us. As humans we need to talk things out sometimes, so we don’t keep things in.
With all that’s going on in our country, in our economy, in the world, and on social media, it feels like so many of us are under a great deal of stress. We know that chronic stress can be as unhealthy as smoking a quarter of a pack a day. For many of us, our work, our livelihood, is a particular cause of stress. Of course, a bit of stress is just fine, but what are stress management strategies that leaders use to become “Stress-Proof” at work? What are some great tweaks, hacks, and tips that help to reduce or even eliminate stress from work? As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Allison Liss.
A globally renowned expert in meditation and mindset, Allison Liss inspires her audience to see limitless opportunities in everyday life, turning assumptions topsy-turvy. The founder of Hamilton Meditation Group in Hamilton, Canada, she teaches her own unique and effective techniques locally and internationally via one on one work, in keynote speeches and workshops, and in an impactful online course. Her acute business sense, contagious enthusiasm, positive energy and humor make her an unforgettable public speaker, mentor and guide.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to know how you got from “there to here.” Inspire us with your backstory!
I started my career at 18 years old as a store manager in a chain of 30 locations. Over the following 14 years I moved up the ladder until I became the National Sales Director, having expanded our company to over 300 stores, becoming one of Canadas largest retail operations. In 1995, I left the company and opened my own retail company with one flagship location in Toronto, Ontario and several satellite locations throughout department stores in Canada. My store was featured in People Magazine as one of the best places to shop in Toronto. After a series of unfortunate events, including the famous bankruptcy of Eatons, one of the department stores I was in, I closed my company and spent the next 7 years raising my children and came to realize that I was a workaholic who needed to take some time off.
What lessons would you share with yourself if you had the opportunity to meet your younger self?
The number one lesson I would share with myself is that I was far more beautiful and intelligent that I knew myself to be. That the truth of how I saw myself was far less amazing than my reality.
None of us are able to experience success without support along the way. Is there a particular person for whom you are grateful because of the support they gave you to grow you from “there to here?” Can you share that story and why you are grateful for them?
One is my father. I was quite young when I realized how lucky I was to have a man like him. He set the bar quite high when it came to my expectation of how I would need to be treated. Another was my first real boss, Gaston. He was so hard on me and such a difficult personality to deal with, that everyone after him seemed easy. He equipped me to not take anything personally. He was also a genius when it came to retail operations and so I learned everything I would need to know from him.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think it might help people?
I am on a mission to help as many people as I can find peace within themselves. If you can work from the inside of yourself, the outside will take care of itself.
Ok, thank you for sharing your inspired life. Let’s now talk about stress. How would you define stress?
Stress is a reaction to the feeling of being out of control of a situation or event in your life. It is a tangled ball of physical and emotional sensations that perpetuate a feeling of being overwhelmed uncertain of the outcome of things.
In the Western world, humans typically have their shelter, food, and survival needs met. So what has led to this chronic stress? Why are so many of us always stressed out?
We are stressed out due to fear and lack of trust in ourselves and the world around us. The overload of information we take in is taking a toll on our minds and therefore our bodies. The financial stress of the recent and sudden escalation in the cost of living leaves us feeling vulnerable, which in turn stresses us out.
What are some of the physical manifestations of being under a lot of stress? How does the human body react to stress?
Headaches, weight gain or weight loss, addictions, high blood pressure, tension in the body, stress on the heart, insomnia, constipation.
Is stress necessarily a bad thing? Can stress ever be good for us?
Stress can be good because your desire to get out from under it can lead you to wonderful solutions and people who can help you. Some people need to hit a low point until they cant take it anymore in order to improve the way they take care of themselves.
Is there a difference between being in a short term stressful situation versus an ongoing stress? Are there long term ramifications to living in a constant state of stress?
A short-term stressful situation often has an easier, or more obvious solution that can be applied. An ongoing stress could be a situation that there is no solution for, other than to learn how to cope and live with it.
Is it even possible to eliminate stress?
If we are alive there will be obstacles in life that may cause stress. In many cases, going through difficulty is where the sweetness of life resides. The great news is that it is possible to eliminate your reaction to stress. There are some simple techniques that you can practice that allow you to witness stress within becoming tangled up in it. I teach people, through the meditation sequence that I developed how to respond to stress rather than to react to it, which makes all the difference in the world.
In your opinion, is this something that we should be raising more awareness about, or is it a relatively small issue? Please explain what you mean.
It is not a small issue. I developed my meditation course as a response to the outcry from so many around me that are not only dealing with more stress than ever but are having a tough time finding any relief from it. Stress can compound itself. For example, you experience stress at work, then you bring it home, next thing you know your relationships are suffering from it and around it goes.
Let’s talk about stress at work. Numerous studies show that job stress is the major source of stress for American adults and that it has escalated progressively over the past few decades. For you personally, if you are feeling that overall, work is going well, do you feel calm and peaceful, or is there always an underlying feeling of stress? Can you explain what you mean?
If you learn the techniques, you can notice the stress yet always be able to sense the underlying feeling of being calm and at peace. Our true nature, that cannot be disturbed, is that of peace and calmness. I use techniques at work such as meditation and working out midday to tune into my true nature. Your peace is always accessible if you practice tuning into it and connecting with that essence of yourself.
Okay, fantastic. Here is the main question of our interview: Can you share with our readers your “5 stress management strategies that busy leaders can use to become “Stress-Proof” at Work?” Please share a story or example for each.
As you may have noticed throughout the interview, Meditation is number one. The first time I experienced that my true nature was one of peace and calmness it blew my mind. I knew immediately that I needed to help as many people as possible to access this part of themselves. You need the right technique, and you need to practice, but anyone can do it.
Two would be exercise. We are energy. The body is energy that needs to be moved. When you move it you become stronger physically and mentally as well.
Third would be to do the best you can, depending on your circumstance, to make your environment conducive to peace. Bring plants, paintings, photos etc. Do whatever you can to make your office or workspace beautiful for you. Use music as inspiration if possible.
Fourth is to spend some time outside. Even if it is just 10 to 15 minutes in the middle of your day, get outside. We need the sun, the wind, and the trees to help us cope with whatever comes at us.
Lastly make it a point to talk to someone either daily or weekly or monthly that can help you connect with who you are at your heart. It could be a counselor, a therapist, a spiritual guide, a mentor or even just a good person who makes us laugh and grounds us. As humans we need to talk things out sometimes, so we don’t keep things in.
Do you have any favorite books, podcasts, or resources that have inspired you to live with more joy in life?
I love the Mooji podcast. A Great New Earth by Ekart Tolle. If you have a 10 Silent Vipassana Retreat in your area take advantage of it.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I genuinely believe that my contribution to world peace is to teach as many people as I can how to cultivate peace within themselves. If we each learn how to connect to our inner calmness, our true nature of peace, then naturally the world will be at peace.
What is the best way for our readers to continue to follow your work online?
Listen to my Podcast: Allison Liss Meditation
Take my Course: www.HamiltonMeditationGroup.com
Meditate with Me: Contact me at [email protected]
Follow me on Instagram: Allison Liss Meditation
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.