Transforming Stress into Success: Staying Grounded in High-Stress Environments
Insights and tools from lived experience in high-intensity behavioral health settings.
My work in a high-intensity behavioral health facility taught me universal truths about handling stress and personal growth. While managing crises with troubled teens might seem far removed from your daily challenges, the principles of resilience I've learned apply across all environments and endeavors.
I am a counselor in a Level 3 behavioral health facility, working closely with teenage boys exhibiting Problematic Sexualized Behavior (PSB), many of whom have backgrounds marked by complex trauma and other challenges.
The pressure-cooker environment of residential care tests even the most seasoned professionals, with every shift presenting unpredictable challenges. Managing group dynamics, de-escalating crises, and navigating trauma responses must all be balanced with maintaining therapeutic relationships. This deeply personal and highly demanding work often pushes the limits of emotional resilience, revealing complexities that textbooks rarely capture. Thriving in such high-intensity settings requires a delicate blend of emotional intelligence, quick thinking, and adaptability.
I started in Level 2 and later moved up to Level 3. Looking back, level 2 was a breeze.
I won’t sugarcoat it—there were times I hit my limit, and I even quit once. Early on, I often found myself triggered by certain behaviors, especially when I hadn't yet developed proper response management skills. But these experiences weren't failures—they were opportunities to develop deeper self-awareness and emotional resilience.
We all have triggers, and we never know what will challenge our core beliefs and biases.
As residential counselors, we’re often confronted by unexpected challenges that require quick thinking and action. While “ignoring negativity” can work in some situations, it’s rarely an option for us. We can’t ignore escalations or attempts at manipulation; instead, we have to actively contain and re-direct them.
Effectiveness in high-stakes environments requires something I call "dynamic presence":
- Calmness - Not detachment, but rather simultaneous awareness of:
- Our own emotional reactions
- The acting-out client's emotions
- Other clients' responses (or lack of response) to the situation
- Assertiveness - Building on calmness by:
- Continually setting and resetting clear boundaries
- Communicating needs without aggression or defensiveness
- Taking purposeful action
All of these need to happen instantaneously.
The more in touch we are with ourselves the quicker we can become "dually aware" (a simultaneous awareness of our internal states and what is going on externally).
Dynamic presence is the foundation of “presence”, “mindfulness”, and “empathy”.
WHAT KIND OF STRESS IS IT?
Stress is not always a bad thing so we should not dismissively paint all stress with the same stroke.
According to the "Father of Stress Research"—Hans Selye, there are 2 types of stress—“eustress” and “distress”.
Eustress is our “good stress”, the type of stress that is short-term. Eustress comes from challenges that is in alignment with our deeper values and goals and brings a sense of enjoyment or meaning. It generates a sense of fulfillment or achievement because it helps us grow.
Eustress can also motivate us to do more and can be inspirational.
The other kind of stress is “distress”, also known as “bad stress”.
We call it "bad" stress because distress arises from feeling overwhelmed—when something surpasses our nervous system's ability to cope and self-regulate effectively. And when something continually goes against our deeper values and goals. These are the ones to stay away from.
Persistent, unmanaged distress is a serious public health risk, resulting in cardiovascular diseases and other health and psychological issues when not properly handled.
A large part of developing and deepening our coping skills is about understanding ourselves and the type of stress we are facing.
Understanding ourselves and what we are dealing with takes just a few minutes of gentle self-inquiry. Not all problems have to drag on for days, weeks, months, and years.
A regular self-care routine is a must but it’s not a complete picture without establishing deeper values, goals, tools, and skills.
BUILDING RESILIENCE: BEYOND SELF-CARE
Real resilience isn't about bubble baths and meditation apps. It requires transforming how you view challenges, aka—
a shift in mindset.
With a growth mindset, eustress transforms from a constant threat into a tool for learning and growth while we simultaneously develop ways to eliminate, reduce, or manage distress.
This empowering mindset shift is essential for long-term effectiveness and well-being in life, whether you work in the mental health field, building your business as an entrepreneur, or both.
Through my work, I've developed a framework that helps people:
- Convert threats into growth opportunities
- Build sustainable stress management practices
- Align challenges with personal values
- Develop stronger boundaries
Developing this mindset isn’t just about managing stress; it’s about enhancing your capacity to remain open-minded while keeping your eyes on your deeper values and goals.
It isn't about becoming stress-proof—it's about developing our capacity to process, learn, and grow through challenges while maintaining effectiveness. This principle applies to healthcare, business, or any high-pressure field and can transform your relationship with stress from adversary to ally.
Your stress responses aren't weaknesses—they're just data points for growth so use them wisely!
Understanding your stress responses and adopting a growth mindset can significantly enhance your resilience and effectiveness.
To explore your own stress attitudes and growth opportunities, download my free worksheet here.