EXERCISE 14.3
Stress Tolerance
Water Off a Duck’s Back
Purpose
To manage stress by anticipating issues and having coping mechanisms in place.
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30 to 50 minutes
Participants list activities that are stressful to them and itemize the specific stressful aspects. For each aspect of the situation, they develop strategies to mitigate the stress.
Outcomes
- Enhanced ability to avoid or reduce stress through effective management
- Greater awareness of the power of planning for stressful situations
Audience
- Intact team
- Unaffiliated group
- Individual working with a coach
Facilitator Competencies 
Easy
Materials
- Paper and pens
Time Matrix
| Activity | Estimated Time |
| List and select stressful activities | 5–10 minutes |
| Outline stressful aspects | 5–10 minutes |
| Identify stress mitigation strategies | 5–10 minutes |
| Share with partner | 10 minutes |
| Debrief group | 5–10 minutes |
| Total Time | 30 to 50 minutes |
Instructions
1. Distribute paper and pens to all participants.
2. Ask individuals to list the three most stressful activities or situations they face on a regular basis—making a presentation, confronting a co-worker, getting through traffic, managing a heavy workload, dating someone new, attending or hosting a family gathering, and so on.
3. Ask each of them to select one from the list to work on. Encourage them to pick one they will be dealing with in the near future.
4. Have participants notice and write down the sequence of symptoms that indicate the onset of stress.
5. Ask participants to write down one thing they can do to mitigate or alleviate each symptom of stress that arises in the problematic situation. The following examples may be helpful:
- Have conversations with key people about the situation. The discussion should cover everyone’s expectations and commitment.
- Climb a flight or two of stairs, taking deep breaths all the way up and back.
- Schedule extra time for unforeseen contingencies.
- Seek assistance from a friend.
- Hire a service provider to help.
- Redirect all of your attention from the external world and focus on the internal rhythm of your breath or heartbeat.
6. Divide teams into pairs; individuals continue to work with their coaches. Ask the pairs to share their situations, including which aspects are stressors, and to ask their partners for ideas on some ways they would attempt to mitigate the stressors. Take up to ten minutes gathering this information.
7. Debrief the group. Ask what sorts of suggestions they heard and liked, but had not come up with on their own.