Managing Stress: The Power of the Plimsoll Line
In 1880, Samuel Plimsoll set out to fix the problem of too many freight ships sinking at sea. He recommended a bill to the UK Parliament requiring that a line be drawn around a ship’s hull. As the cargo was loaded onto a ship, the increased weight would cause the ship to become further submerged in the water. When the line on the ship hit the water level, it was time to stop loading freight. That line has come to be known as the Plimsoll line and it is standard in the shipping industry.
In a way, we all have Plimsoll lines. No, they aren’t visibly painted around our bodies, but they are there. We can all handle stress to a certain point, but once we experience too much, our Plimsoll lines submerge, and we go from dealing with the stress to unraveling under it.
This week’s tool and video are designed to get you to think about your Plimsoll line.
– How close it is to the water’s surface right now
– How much further might descend in the days and weeks ahead
– What you can do today, tomorrow, and beyond to offload a bit of freight
Watch this week’s video. Put this week’s tool to work for you. Doing these things can help you to keep stress under control. I also encourage you to share this information with others so they too can better manage the stress in their lives.
Managing Stress The Power of the Plimsoll Line
Patrick Leddin, PhD is a speaker, global leadership consultant, and The Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Five-Week Leadership Challenge. Patrick is an Associate Professor at Vanderbilt University with a thriving leadership blog and podcast, and 25-years of leadership experience. He offers an unparalleled mix of academic rigor and real-world experience.