Fundamental Attribution Error

Many managers struggle with employee performance, motivation and attitude. As a business coach, I find the majority of time, it is not the employee creating the problem, it is a poor process or lack of a process altogether. The following is an article discussing "Fundamental Attribution Error" I believe you will enjoy it!

In social psychology, the fundamental attribution error, also known as the correspondence bias or attribution effect, is the tendency for people to place an undue emphasis on internal characteristics (personality) to explain someone else's behavior in a given situation rather than considering the situation's external factors. It does not explain interpretations of one's own behavior, where situational factors are more easily recognized and can thus be taken into consideration. Conversely, from the other perspective, this error is known as the actor-observer bias, in which people tend to overemphasize the role of a situation in their behaviors and underemphasize the role of their own personalities. The phrase was coined by Lee Ross some years after a classic experiment by Edward E. Jones and Victor Harris (1967). What does "Fundamental Attribution Error" mean in business? Managers and supervisors have a tendency to look at a team member and place blame on their inability to perform on the persons internal characteristics or personality. In other words, we believe a team member cannot do the job because of who they are or how they think. I've had hundreds of employees in my past, and as you probably agree, people are different. We think differently, act differently and respond to stimulus differently. This being the case, leaders should also recognize that different personalities respond differently dependent upon the type of environment, the tools they have, information that is presented to them and how it is presented. So how does this relate to the job? Beware of blaming people for things they really have no control over or are simply doing what they think is right in the environment they are and with the tools they have. For example: Let's say you have an employee who may have a problem completing a series of tasks in a specified order at a specified time. Instead, this person occasionally forgets steps, takes too long or just fails to document what they did. To the manager, this may seem as a simple act of insubordination or lack of concern on the part of the employee. The manager just committed "fundamental attribution error". Instead of looking for a process or method to resolve the challenge, blame was immediately placed on the employee and his or her personality traits or work ethic. The problem could have been corrected with a simple check list or log that allowed the employee to confirm and verify that all taske were completed and when they were completed. What I recommend is to have a system or process that encourages, measures and confirms specific tasks that limit the possibility of error rather than hoping someone follows verbal instructions and remembers everything they were told to do. I speak about this quite a bit in my workshops. Reduce or eliminate problems by focusing on the process rather than the person. Improve the process so that it is dummy proof and you eliminate the error. Don't expect everyone to know exactly what to do everyday, for every situation. Allow them the opportunity to have the information and resources to do the job as intended, at the time when it is most needed. Don't commit fundamental attribution error. I had a boss who told me many years ago; "If you eliminate all possible excuses from an employee, they have no reason to not perform well".

Acquiring and Motivating New Employees

One comment I hear a lot is “I can’t find anyone who wants to work!” or “I can’t get my employees motivated!” I’ve always said, “Manage processes, not people”. If you have the right processes in place, with the right people, include the right motivating factors, they won’t need someone to tell them what they need to do, they will already know and they will want to do it, the right way. One of the best articles I ever read about getting better employees was “Business Buzz” by Tom Grandy in last month’s issue, titled, “The Tech Shortage is Really a Pricing Problem!”. I encourage you to find it and read it. Mr. Grandy points out that increasing employee pay and benefits, plus, transitioning over to a flat rate pricing system, is a very simple way to encourage potential employees to come work for you. Want the best employees showing up at your door? Be the best place to work by offering the best pay and benefits anywhere! Since Mr. Grandy did such an awesome job pointing out how to get people showing up wanting to work for you, I will focus on motivational factors of new employees. Over 44% of the workforce in HVAC will retire in the next ten years*. That will leave a huge hole in an industry whose employment needs are projected to grow 21% through 2022*, faster than any other occupation! So now we have an aging workforce leaving with a new generation of workers coming in with a set of different motivating factors and different goals. We need to be ready to handle this. Below is a report put out by “The Intelligence Group” a business investigations and intelligence firm. Here are the results of a study about millennials in 2015; • Will make up more than 40% of the workforce by 2020 • 64% of them say it’s a priority for them to make the world a better place. • 72% would like to be their own boss. But if they do have to work for a boss, 79% of them would want that boss to serve more as a coach or mentor. • 88% prefer a collaborative work-culture rather than a competitive one. • 74% want flexible work schedules. • 88% want “work-life integration,” which isn’t the same as work-life balance, since work and life now blend together inextricably. • 80% said they use social media and the internet as a primary source of news and information. • 64% would rather make $40,000 per year at a job they love than $100,000 a year at a job they think is boring. How do these statistics apply to an HVAC business? Since I am limited in space for this article, I cannot get into great detail or specifics, but I will say that all of these factors have to be taken into consideration when hiring and managing employees. For example, since 88% prefer a collaborative work culture rather than a competitive one, set up goals and contests that reward the team along with individual compensation. As far as offering flexible work schedules, I already know of several contractors who have set up four-day work weeks, allowing a longer period of time off. Some employees may not mind working four, ten or twelve hour days if they could get a long weekend. Since they consider work and personal life blended, a company should consider having the employees spouse or family involved in company activities if possible. Insight into a person’s workday may help the spouse have a better understanding into what is really going on every day. I would also highly recommend that your set of work rules and employee handbook be rewritten by the employees every 2-3 years simply to get input from the team. If they made the rules, they are more likely to agree and go along with them. Being that social media and the internet is such a big part of their life, make the use of technology as part of their jobs. Everything an employee should need to perform their job should be made available when they need it. Those who have the most information always do best. I encourage you to look at some of the technologies available that make it easier for employees to do their jobs by having the information they need to do it available through a link online. If you don’t know where to find these systems, go to my website at frankpresents.com. I have a list of various resources that will help. We have to begin looking at people differently. Getting people to do something just for the pay isn’t enough. The employees of today and the future want more, they want to have some control over their routines, they want some say into the future of the company they work for, they want to have more time with their family and they want to feel like it isn’t just work. They want to have access to information when they need it. They want to believe what they do makes a difference. They want to be proud of what they do and enjoy doing it. Changing everything to meet the needs of the future workforce doesn’t happen in a day. A few steps at a time will eventually get you there. Focusing on the needs of your team has to be a priority, because if it isn’t, you wind up with people who just show up to get paid, instead of driven, hard-working team members who want to win. Start making the change by asking and talking about what they want to see or do differently. You’ll be surprised how much you’ll learn.

Free College?!? What the f--k?

I hear these politicians coming up with ideas and plans that everyone should get free college, tuition paid by taxpayers. We already have enough people going to college and graduating to come out with a degree in Music History, Art History, Anthropology, Philosophy or Creative Writing. None leading to a career in anything. Yes, let's have more of that!

Five words you should stop using in your advertising

Five words you should stop using in your advertising * Quality * Value * Service * Caring * Integrity I personally believe people have become numb to the claims of great service and high quality. Whenever I'm coaching a business I will regularly ask various employees in that business why a customer should select them over anyone else. I always hear the same things; we do quality work, great service, we care about the customer, honesty and integrity or great value. I'm sure you've seen these types of slogans in ads. "Quality Service", "Great Value", "Caring People", "Integrity Matters to us", Best Service Around" or this awesome statement; Value, Integrity, Quality and our Caring Staff is What Makes Our Service Great". So read these again and tell me if these words will make you want to do business with that company, versus the other fifty companies in your town who say the same thing. These five words, and other ones like "Honest" or "Best" really are useless too. If you live in most any large city, you've probably seen signs that say "Best Corned Beef Sandwich" or "World's Best Coffee" . . . Is it? . . . Really? How could it be possible to have so many places rated the best? I put on business workshops across the country and sometimes I'll ask the group; "Who provides honest, high quality service, has caring employees and provide a great value?" Everyone in the room raises their hand. Is there anyone out there who will admit their service and quality sucks? Imagine seeing an ad that says "We might suck at what we do, but, at least we are cheap!" In fact when someone asks me why they should invest in one of my workshops, I tell them "Because I'm going to change your life, you will change the way you do business forever, and if you don't believe you have gained valuable information and received a payback on your investment during the first hour of being there, I will refund your money, and you will be free to leave". I have yet to have anyone leave. Want to get a customer's attention? Tell the why you are different than everyone else. Let them know why you stand out from the rest. Tell them things like "Best warranty in the state", "Guaranteed on time arrival or it's free" or list a bunch of comments from real customers. Tell them your job is to make them happy! So happy that they will never go anywhere else and they will also tell all of their friends how awesome you are! Talk about why you are different and stop wasting time and money telling folks you are going to do what you are supposed to be doing anyway. What's special about doing the job you were paid to do? I know, I can hear you now. . . "But Frank, there are a lot of my competitors who do a bad job, are not honest, have bad quality and don't care" Of course, but I would bet money they say the same things in their ads that you do. So who will the customer believe is telling the truth? I recently had dinner at the Chop House in Lexington, KY. When I sat down I asked the waitress what she recommends. She said everything is really good and if I wasn't happy, they would do whatever it takes to make sure that had a great experience and would come back. I ordered a 9 ounce filet mignon and requested it be medium rare. Also had a salad, baked potato and a few cocktails. When the filet arrived, I immediately sliced it in two to check doneness and it was cooked completely through, well done. Just as I looked up, the waitress was there and asked how it was, I showed her and said "this is not medium rare". She asked if she could try it again, took the plate and later returned with a perfectly prepared filet mignon. When I went to pay the bill, she said, "don't worry, everything is on us". I was surprised, I said "really? Everything? She said "Yes, you're all set. I told you that we would make sure you were happy no matter what, didn't I? So are you happy?" Of course, I was thrilled and will definitely be back, I left her an incredible tip and left very happy and satisfied! Imagine telling your customer that if everything doesn't go well, it's free, and that all you care about is that they have a great experience and no matter what, you'll make it right. No matter what it takes. That is what you need to be telling your customers! One more thing, stop selling on price. Statements like: "We'll Beat any Competitors Quote. Low Price Guarantee. Quality Service at the Best Price" do nothing but attract price shoppers who are looking for someone to work cheap. Focus on customers who don't mind spending money for a great experience with a great business. Stop trolling the bottom of the barrel. You're much better than that.

The Law of Exposure

Studies have shown that over 90% of our behavior is the result of what we've been exposed to on a repeated basis. What does this mean? It's the idea that if you tell someone something enough times that they will believe it is true, whether it is actually true or not. If you are told your whole life that your potential for success is limited simply because you are of a certain race, religion or ethnic background, and this is the fault of a specific group of people who want to "keep you down", you are almost guaranteeing failure and the only possibilty for self-gratification is to punish those who have caused this grief in your life. This, a result of a fabrication and belief that you were exposed to and told by many people, over and over again. I believe one of the major problems in the United States today is the idea that people are "owed" a certain level of success without contributing anything. Simply because the idea has been repeated over and over again, at home, on television, in church and the general media that they have been treated unfairly and deserve some level of compensation for it. I came to the United States as an immigrant when I was ten months old. The first day in America, in Washington DC, our capital, my parents arrived on a flight from Italy, went through customs and were basically lost. A man befriended my dad and showed them how to catch their connecting flight and said he would take care of their luggage for them, not to worry. Unfortunately, this man, who happened to be black was not really being helpful, he was thief who stole everything my parents owned. Everything they had was stolen, they had nothing. My parents did not blame every black person for this. My dad felt stupid and blamed himself for letting someone take advantage of him. As we grew up, I never heard anything negative about people of other races, I was not exposed to any prejudice except for the fact that my parents were not to thrilled with Germans, since they saw all of the horrible things that German soldiers did first hand in their villages during world war two. Many of my great aunts and uncles were taken to Dachau, a nazi concentration camp and some survived to tell their story. I was fortunate enough to hear what they had to say and maybe learn from it. It was when the American soldiers came in and treated them well, when my parents decided to move to America, the land of opportunity, a place of freedom. Somewhere that treats people fairly and everyone has the opportunity to become successful if you work at it.

If the law of exposure were true, and I believe it is, I learned as a child that all people are equal in the eyes of the Lord. I never looked down at anyone. So when it was time for me to go to Junior high school, this is seventh through the ninth grade in Cleveland, I did not have a problem going to Empire Junior High, even though I was the only white student there, who cares? I thought people would like me because I was different, heck, a lot of our neighbors were black and I had a story to tell about being an immigrant. My first day didn't turn out well. I was a very timid kid, kind of a dork with thick glasses. I never stood up to anyone and would try to talk people out of being violent and my mom always told me that if you are nice to others, they will be nice to you. I learned as a young teenager, this didn't work very well. I was beaten so badly that I had to be hospitalized, for being white. My dad didn't have insurance, he tried to get the school to pay for my medical bills, they didn't want to hear it. Witnesses said I started it. Well, the only witnesses were the fifteen or so thugs who beat on me. Nothing was done, no one was arrested, my dad had to pay all of the medical bills himself. All that happened was that my parents sent me to St. Vitus an all-white private school. My parents struggled to pay fr my tuition and eventually ran into some fiancial issues and sent me back to the public school system. I was sent to Collinwood High School. So what happened there? I was beat up again during a racial riot and hospitalized simmply for being timid and white. The crazy part was that some of my black friends were even in on the attack. None of it made any sense. At that point I learned how to fight and decided that I would not take any abuse from anyone and I wouldn't trust anyone I figured out that if I stood up to people who were thugs and didn't take any of their verbal abuse, it would never get to the point where it became physical. People learned to leave me alone after that. I was known as a crazy person, weirdo, who could probably not have a problem killing someone. It worked well. Still today, I don't understand why people who attack me, simply for existing, believe I owe them something. I have to chalk it up to the "Law of Exposure". their actions were not a personal, thought out decision to attack someone, it was a mob mentality. A response based on the idea that they believe all of there ills, all of their problems were coming from white people. So naturally when the opportunity presented itself to vent the frustration and anger, they took it. So whose fault is this? I blame the media, movies, music and the idiots who go around claiming they and their race have been tretaed unfairly like Al Sharpton and Barack Obama. Barack Obama was raised by rich white people and had everything he ever wanted. I have more of a connection and understanding of what it is like to be poor and in the ghetto than Obama, cause that is where I grew up. I make it a point in life to surround myself with successful people. I know, because of exposure, I will think more like them and eventually be more like them. I don't blame anyone for negative things that happen to me, it's all me. I control my destiny and no one else.

The Client Journey - The point of Contact

Managing Your Clients’ Journey – The Initial Contact Last year I attended the international Night Club and Bar Show in Las Vegas. The main reason I attended was to meet with my friend, Jon Taffer (host of the TV show, Bar Rescue on Spike TV) and his producers regarding the possibility of a new television series. As you can tell, it did not happen. Well . . . While I was there I thought I might as well make the best of my time and attend some of the workshops offered. I sat in on a class that discussed various scenarios on properly handling the “Customer Experience”. I have to say this workshop could have been presented at any HVAC contracting business convention. Same challenges, same issues, same solutions. The one thing that stood out and was very clear to me was that no matter what type of business you may be in, understanding and controlling every aspect the “Customer Journey” is essential to success. There could be any point in time where a business could either add value to or detract from the overall level of experience during that journey. Whether you own a bar, restaurant, hotel, gas station or HVAC contracting business, the level of value the client perceives will be based on the journey you provide for them. Since this “Journey” is so important to the success of your business, I’ve decided to write several articles that specifically deal with each segment of the journey and how to best manage it to increase your odds of success. Let’s look at a typical HVAC service contracting business. The “Client Journey” begins with them having a need or problem that needs to be resolved. Based on the negative impact of the need or problem, this client will already have a predetermined level of priority. The part of the journey that involves the contractor will begin when they see the website, business card, flyer or ad. Based on what they see at the time will determine whether you meet their specific needs enough to warrant a contact with your company. So let’s say they do call or email you. Once the initial contact is made, the customer will have a sense of the type of value you offer. For example, if a client hears a recording that does not sound professional or does not make any commitment that seems to fulfill the need they have, he or she will immediately set a predetermined level of value to your services. In some cases, your level of value may be so low that when they hear the recording the potential client may just hang up and call someone else. This is one reason why I always recommend that contractors have real people, who have a scripted and practiced responses, answer the phone, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Don’t believe that people will always leave a message, hoping for the best. I rarely do. The phone is the front door of your business, don’t annoy people with an unprofessional, lack of concern attitude. To me, if I call a business and hear a recording to “just leave a message and we’ll call you back”, I automatically assume that business does not consider me as a priority. I do expect the people on the other side of the phone to be thrilled that I, a potential client, picked your business, out of all the possible places to call, as the one I want to do business with, so don’t screw this up! The biggest obstacle has already been passed, you got me to call you! Be thrilled and excited that I want to give you my money! If you can’t have a staff of your own people do this, pay someone to do it. A great answering service may put you back one hundred to two hundred dollars a month, but think about it, all you need is one new client to pay for it! The phone could either kill you or save your business, don’t take that part of the journey for granted. Do the right thing and don’t leave it up to chance to get it right every time. Next issue we will discuss the scheduling and initial visit with your client and how your organization can ensure that everything communicated and presented increases your odds for success!

The Client Journey – Actively Waiting for You

In my last article I discussed the “Client Journey” and how the proper use of the telephone will either make or break that first step of the journey for those customers who call you for the first time. This article will discuss the act of scheduling and showing up, a very important part of the “Client Journey” Many service contractors give their customers a time span of the expected arrival of their technician or “Comfort Specialist”. For example, you would tell your customer that you will arrive sometime between noon and 4pm. In your mind, this means arrival could be any time between noon and as late as 3:59pm. To some customers, no matter how you say it, this means you will be done and gone by 4pm. You have to also keep in mind that once the time span begins, that is noon in this case, the customer begins “actively waiting”. “Actively waiting” takes energy and brain power away from things that could use their attention. In the mind of some people this is almost like work. So, think about this. A customer may be waiting your arrival actively, actually devoting brain resources to an event that may or may not transpire during the allotted time. If for some unforeseen reason, the representative doesn’t show up, or shows up late, this customer now believes you owe them since they have actually devoted time and brain resources to something of no value. This will now diminish your value, since you owe them for their time now, and price will become an issue, no matter what you say or how low it is. So, Frank, what is the solution you may ask? First, be aware that the customer is “Actively Waiting”. This is kind of like going to a restaurant and they tell you the wait time is 40 minutes, yet you start consciously listening for your name one minute after they told you that and the closer you get to the 40 minute mark, the more active you become in waiting. Secondly, make it a requirement from every employee that as soon as you know an approximate time of arrival, someone calls the customer. I know some companies have a policy to not give technicians more than one call at a time because some expert at one time said that giving a tech more than one call will overwhelm them and they won’t be able to focus on the one customer. I disagree. I believe if you have a pretty good idea as to who will get what customer, let them schedule themselves and allow them the opportunity to contact the customers and let them know an approximate arrival time. I managed one of the largest service companies in the world, and we had one of the highest customer satisfaction rates in the country along with the highest profitability per technician. Trust your team to do the right thing. I think you will find they will. Avoid doing things or using practices that diminish your value. Every aspect of the journey will either contribute to or take away from the value of the experience encountered. Limit errors and diminish mistakes by setting up systems and processes that increase your worth to the customer by creating a great experience. In my next article I will discuss the next part of the Clients’ Journey . . . The visit, and how important it is to plan the anticipated reaction of your clients so that “the visit” becomes a success for everyone.

Motivating Employees

I visit a variety of businesses and probably speak to at least 2500 individuals every year in various venues. I usually hear the same gripes from business owners and managers like: "I can't get my employees motivated", "These guys just don't want to work", and "Seems like I have to constantly check on people". When I meet work teams who have those challenges, it is almost always the result of poor leadership and coaching. I go into organizations and perform something I call a “Business Tune-Up” which consists of an evaluation of processes and systems to identify areas that have a need for improvement. During these evaluations I occasionally meet managers or owners who, after observing them on the job, would be better suited in a position not requiring any leadership or coaching skills. I usually wind up telling them what I really think, that we don’t have a business or employee problem, the real culprit is a lack of good leadership. In most cases, they listen, accept the reality of what I am saying and we work on coaching and leadership development to improve the business. Those who refuse help, typically go out and pursue a solution that reinforces their personal beliefs and occasionally they will find someone who will either charge them a lot of money to tell them what to do in every aspect of their business, or, they will find someone else to tell them what they want to hear, not what they need to hear. I’m neither of the two, I usually have no filter and sometimes people need to face reality that they are not a good leader and need to have it hit them like a ton of bricks. I follow certain guidelines and have come up with a list of key attributes a good leader and coach should have.

Great leadership requires specific skills and determination to win as a team, not as an individual. Here are my 10 Great Rules of Leadership: 1. Lead them to victory by helping them set personal goals and putting together a plan of action to get there. 2. Make sure your team understand the business mission, work rules and overall performance objectives. 3. Using the team’s input, develop processes and systems that they will follow rather than just telling them what to do. 4. Be positive, optimistic and energetic. Happy people create a happy environment. 5. Be transparent. Your team should now what is going on with you and in your business to avoid rumors or morale problems. 6. Have the courage to make unpopular decisions and gut calls. You are not running for office, you are running a business. 7. Empower team members to make decisions on the job without fear of retribution. Respond positively when great decisions are made without your input. 8. Ask a lot of questions when things don’t make sense to you. Don’t wait forever when dealing with an employee’s performance problem. 9. Know when to stand firm (Legal, ethical and moral issues) and know when to bend. 10. Celebrate successes and reward great achievements. Motivating people is not a very complicated task, typically I find demotivated employees in places where I have demotivated managers. The workplace has become a place people go to in order to get a paycheck. Ambition is lacking and, generally, everyone has reached a state of burnout. This doesn’t have to be you, maybe it’s time to reinvent, innovate and work on a strategy that makes work a fun place to be. Try changing things up a bit every day. Drive to work a different way. Throw out all of the crap that has piled up on your desk. Set a goal to change at least one thing for the better every week. When I managed people in the past, I made it a point to let them know how important they were, and that my job was to make sure all of the obstacles that kept them from being the best they could be were removed. In order for that to happen, I needed their help and input to reach my goals. In turn I helped them reach theirs. And we all win.

Stressed Out?

You have two people call in sick on the same day. Your demanding mother-in-law comes for a visit. A large payment due from a customer never shows up and is already 30 days late. A storm hits town during the weekend and causes tens of thousands of dollars of damage to your building and inventory. All stressors, that cause tension, headaches, lack of sleep and anxiety. Stress happens to everyone, but not everyone knows why our bodies go through these emotional and physical changes. I read some great articles from various publications and thought I would share the information with you, about what causes this, the amygdala. Here's why we get stressed: Historically, the majority of stressors facing humans were physical (lions and tigers and bears, oh my!), requiring, in turn, a physical response. "We are not particularly splendid physical creatures," says David Spiegel, M.D., director of the Center on Stress and Health at Stanford School of Medicine, who explains that plenty of other animals can outrun us, overpower us, out-see us, out-smell us. "The only thing that has allowed us to explore the planet is the fact that we can respond effectively to threats." Humans are equipped with a sophisticated fight or flight response that allows us to outrun a grizzly bear or fight off an animal far more powerful than we are. When stressed, the sympathetic nervous system takes control of the body, which then triggers fight or flight. (The counterpart of the sympathetic nervous system is the parasympathetic nervous system, also known as the "rest and digest system," which is in control during more relaxing times. Both are part of the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary actions.) Once our bodies identify a threat, we prepare for war (or getting the heck out of there): muscles tense up, the heart starts beating faster and blood flows away from any non-essential body system. The problem, though, is that while just a few hundred years ago our stressors were primarily physical, today the vast majority of stress is psychological -- work, finances, families and the like. But our bodies have yet to catch up. And that means the stress response is still a physical one. Soemeone gets you worked up, your body thinks "grizzly bear."

What's more, the brain isn't always particularly good at evaluating how serious a particular stressor is. Think of lighting a sparkler (or a candle or a match) inside a house, explains Amit Sood, M.D., associate director of Complementary and Integrative Medicine and chair of Mayo Mind Body Initiative at Mayo Clinic. Now imagine you can't tell the difference between that sparkler and a multiple-alarm fire -- so each time, you send every available firefighter to put it out. "It would probably extinguish the sparkler, but it would waste a lot of resources," he says. Similarly, when the body is constantly stressed, it's pouring resources into fighting that stress, which can, over time, take a profound physical toll. The stress response starts with the amygdala, which acts as a sensor at the base of the brain vetting every input for possible threats. When it senses danger, it basically shuts down most brain operations and prepares all of its resources for survival, allowing you to react before you even have time to think about what is happening. For example, if you touch something hot, you instantly jerk your hand away without even thinking. This is handled by your amygdala. When constantly, severely stressed, the amygdala becomes hyper-sensitive and hyper vigilant, making even relatively harmless events (such as a barking dog or screaming baby) seem like a threat. After the amygdala sends a distress signal, the hypothalamus activates the sympathetic nervous system by sending signals through the autonomic nerves to the adrenal glands. These glands respond by pumping the hormone epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) into the bloodstream. As epinephrine circulates through the body, it brings on a number of physiological changes. The heart beats faster than normal, pushing blood to the muscles, heart, and other vital organs. Pulse rate and blood pressure go up. The person undergoing these changes also starts to breathe more rapidly. Small airways in the lungs open wide. This way, the lungs can take in as much oxygen as possible with each breath. Extra oxygen is sent to the brain, increasing alertness. Sight, hearing, and other senses become sharper. Meanwhile, epinephrine triggers the release of blood sugar (glucose) and fats from temporary storage sites in the body. These nutrients flood into the bloodstream, supplying energy to all parts of the body. All of these changes happen so quickly that people aren't aware of them. In fact, the wiring is so efficient that the amygdala and hypothalamus start this cascade even before the brain's visual centers have had a chance to fully process what is happening. That's why people are able to jump out of the path of an oncoming car even before they think about what they are doing. Techniques to counter stress The findings of the national survey mentioned earlier support what mental health clinicians experience in their own practices - many people are unable to find a way to put the brakes on stress. Chronic low-level stress keeps the HPA axis activated, much like a motor that is idling too high for too long. After a while, this has an effect on the body that contributes to the health problems associated with chronic stress. Persistent epinephrine surges can damage blood vessels and arteries, increasing blood pressure and raising risk of heart attacks or strokes. Elevated cortisol levels create physiological changes that help to replenish the body's energy stores that are depleted during the stress response. But they inadvertently contribute to the buildup of fat tissue and to weight gain. For example, cortisol increases appetite, so that people will want to eat more to obtain extra energy. It also increases storage of unused nutrients as fat. Fortunately, people can learn techniques to counter the stress response. Personally, I have found simply understanding and knowing what I am feeling is my amygdala responding to current events and doing its job, makes me feel better. If I still feel stressed, I'll try to physically exert myself. People can use exercise to stifle the buildup of stress in several ways. Exercise, such as taking a brisk walk shortly after feeling stressed, not only deepens breathing but also helps relieve muscle tension. Relaxation response. Dr. Herbert Benson, director emeritus of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, has devoted much of his career to learning how people can counter the stress response by using a combination of approaches that elicit the relaxation response. These include deep abdominal breathing, focus on a soothing word (such as peace or calm), visualization of tranquil scenes, repetitive prayer, yoga, and tai chi. Social support. Confidants, friends, acquaintances, co-workers, relatives, spouses, and companions all provide a life-enhancing social net - and may increase longevity. It's not clear why, but the buffering theory holds that people who enjoy close relationships with family and friends receive emotional support that indirectly helps to sustain them at times of stress and crisis. So, still feeling stressed? You're not losing your mind, it's just your body's old caveman response to getting you ready to deal with the issue physically. Dusek JA, et al. "Stress Management Versus Lifestyle Modification on Systolic Hypertension and Medication Elimination: A Randomized Trial," Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine(March 2008): Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 129-38. Holt-Lunstad J, et al. "Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-Analytic Review," PLoS Medicine (July 27, 2010): Vol. 7, No. 7, electronic publication. McEwen B, et al. The End of Stress as We Know It (The Dana Press, 2002). Schocker, Laura, et al . "This is Your Body on Stress", Huffington Post, March 2013, electronic publication. Harvard Health Publications, Harvard Medical School, May 2014