Are you Stressed?

Are you feeling stressed? At times it seems like we all have just too much to do with too little time to do it in. I often feel stressed at key points in the year, christmas, holiday time, and at times when there are too many people off work and workload is passed onto me when I have enough of my own to do! I know it is easier said than done but I sometimes try to take a step back and try to de-stress myself by doing the following: 1. Think about the progress you have made – It can sometimes be very easy to feel as though you are getting nowhere. Take a moment to reflect on what you have achieved so far before looking at the challenges ahead. 2. Take time out to do something you find interesting but remember interesting is not necessarily the same thing as fun, pleasant or relaxing. Remember if it interests you and gives you replenished energy then do it! 3. Your to do list – Your to do list can sometimes seem endless and it is simply a list of tasks. Have you ever thought about adding a where and when to your list? Research has shown that that if you decide when and where you will complete a task it can double or triple your chance of doing it. For example, call Dawn in HR, could be call Dawn in HR on Tuesday after a lunch out with the boss. It is called seizing the critical moment. 4. Use a routine. Try and reduce stress by reducing the number of decisions you make and use routines. For example, respond to emails at a certain time in the day, have a break at 10.30 every day. In fact in a recent interview President Obama, (who I am sure knows a great deal about stress ), mentioned using this strategy himself: ‘You need to remove from your life day to day problems that absorb most people for meaningful parts of their day.. You’ll see I wear only grey or blue suits. I’m trying to cut down decisions. I don’t want to make decisions about what I’m eating or wearing because I have too many other decisions to make. You need to focus your decision making energy. You need to get into a routine, you can’t be going through the day distracted by trivia’ quote from ( President Obama – Vanity Fair) 5. Look at the big picture – it is sometimes useful to link your smaller actions to the big picture to give you a sense of achievement. 6. Take a break – finally we are all human and yes it is OK to take a break. Follow these simple steps to a stress less 2013!