Troll the web for tips for HR professionals and you’ll soon see articles and posts speaking of the stress that goes along with the role. Attend an HR conference of any size and I guarantee there will be a concurrent session on stress management. They will generally have the same starting point of view: stress is bad in the near term and positively debilitating in the long-term, therefore we need techniques and tips to “de-stress.”
I rarely stress. One of my former subordinates once told me that I don’t have stress but am a carrier. This fine article by Heidi Halvorsen for the Harvard Business Review basically articulates the strategy I have always used (why, I have no clue) to regard stressful situations as opportunities to prevail rather than simply cope.