“Approach stress like an engineer: understand how it works, and therefore how you can work with it.” Top executives from EPAM Ukraine, Futurra Group, Ciklum, Genesis, Capgemini Engineering, Railsware share secrets for combating stress and tension

«In the second year of the war, I realized that many of my usual useful practices had disappeared from my life. I had no hobbies, almost no time for myself. During therapy, I came to an important conclusion: taking care of myself could become my new hobby — something that inspires, energizes, and is a priority for me. This idea helped me return to useful routines that support me, and for a year now I have been feeling much better.

My morning starts with a glass of water and a cold shower. This is a habit that I have inherited from my youth, and it helps me wake up quickly. I work out in the gym three times a week, and in the summer I enjoy running outdoors. I also make it a point to take a daily walk — it’s a time when I can clear my head and get ready for a good night’s sleep.

My main source of peace and security is my family. When they are around, I feel true peace of mind.

It is important to maintain concentration: during work, focus on work, and during rest, be able to relax and rest.

I often return to the concept of the balance wheel. Work is just one of many areas of life. Rest, activity, time with family, friends, volunteering, and hobbies are just as important. I update my wheel from time to time, setting goals in each area to feel their presence in my life. I sometimes get help from therapists or coaches.

I believe in simple things. More movement, healthy eating, quality sleep and time with loved ones are the basics that help me stay resourceful. To achieve harmony, you don’t need magic pills, just discipline and loyalty to your principles. I always remind myself that a person is a unity of body, mind and emotions. Therefore, I try to take at least minimal care of each of these aspects: I train my body, develop my brain and create moments for joy.

Definitely — sports. During training, we switch attention from problems to the body, and this process allows us to look at tasks from a new angle. In my practice, it often happened that solutions to the most difficult business tasks came after a morning jog or an intensive workout.

My Futurra Group team is on the same wavelength with me — we often run and train together. It’s about reducing stress and increasing the sense of togetherness. We recently introduced a tradition — to get together for beach volleyball every Sunday. This really made it morally easier to «break into» work Mondays.

For me, the best way to deal with stress is running. I regularly go for runs — 10 km, an hour alone with my thoughts. This is a time when you can think things over, put your mind in order and reboot. Running is not only about sports, but also about a kind of meditation and concentration. It is an opportunity to be present in the moment and find balance in life.

At Siklum, I manage an international HR Operations team of 25 specialists, have two children, ages 4 and 9, and my husband serves in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Therefore, stress is a part of my daily life, but over the past three years I have learned to cope with it more or less effectively. Here are some of my methods:

1. I plan everything a month in advance. I plan work, time for the kids, health — everything. If an event is not planned in advance, the likelihood that I will actively participate in it is minimal. This gives a sense of order in the daily chaos and does not give time for negative thoughts, because I am always busy with something. Moreover , if possible, I try to do everything in advance to avoid stress and rush hours in the future. It is already a professional habit to start the day with the most unpleasant or difficult task.
2. I delegate everything I don’t like to do. I calculated a long time ago how much my working hour costs, and everything I can avoid doing, I don’t do. For example, I delegate cleaning and ironing.
3. To be a good mom, you need to be resourceful. To be resourceful, you need to rest, including from the kids. So I found a nanny who comes three times a week — usually two evenings on weekdays and one day on weekends. It really helps to find time for yourself.
4. I limit my circle of communication. I maintain contact only with those people with whom I feel emotional closeness and common values. If after meeting a person I feel emotionally fulfilled, not exhausted, then this is my circle. Such selectivity helps to preserve energy.
5. I minimize my use of social media. It’s my personal choice to give up things that take up time and resources.
6. I find time for walks. Every day I try to spend 30-40 minutes walking, at the same time listening to something not about the war. It helps me relax. I also work in the garden, taking care of the flowers — it is very calming.
7. I do Pilates or yoga. Every day I find 20-30 minutes for Pilates or evening yoga to relax, and I also light candles during classes.
8. I focus on what I can control. I only focus on the aspects of life that I can influence, and this helps me avoid unnecessary stress.
9. I end the day with gratitude. Before going to bed, I remember what good things happened today and what I am grateful for.
10. I always remember that it’s difficult for everyone right now, and everyone is experiencing stress. Therefore, I am understanding of other people’s strange or emotional behavior. I take responsibility for my decisions. I understand that I am an adult and I have to solve problems, make decisions and be responsible for them.

If I made a choice and stayed in Ukraine, then I have to adapt to the challenges and go through them with dignity. To be an example for my children and my team, as well as support for my husband.

To remain effective, you should maintain a balanced approach to your reactions to events. Often, a situation may seem catastrophic, but over time, it turns out that things are not so bad. Similarly, excessive optimism can lead to unexpected difficulties.

There are no unexpected recipes here — healthy sleep and nutrition, regular exercise, and reading books instead of the news. All of this gives me the opportunity to relax and achieve inner balance.

My approach is hardly original, but it is effective. It is a sport in general, and in my case, running. Therefore, I recommend that everyone whose health allows it relieves nervous tension through physical exertion. I myself try to run three to five kilometers every day and allocate some time for strength exercises. But running is the speed against stress. For example, in moments when I feel that I am «overwhelmed», I simply drop everything and rush for a run. Then physiological mechanisms and biochemistry start to work. Endorphin, the «happiness hormone», is released, the level of the «stress hormone» cortisol decreases, the pulse quickens and our body receives more oxygen. In addition, the production of serotonin and dopamine improves — hormones that positively affect our mood.

In addition, the best way to combat excessive stress is prevention.

Taking a day off or a mini-vacation for a couple of days to breathe and relieve stress can be helpful. Also, approach stress like an engineer: understand how it works, and therefore how you can work with it. Huberman’s podcast, Sapolsky’s lectures, and books can be helpful.

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