How to manage stress

Stress seems to be a permanent part of our lives. And to be honest, I’m not entirely sure that it has to be, but I’m also not entirely sure how to avoid it. But in an effort to work more effectively I’ve discovered that getting things done and feeling good about my work day has helped reduced that nagging feeling that hits at 4:00 when you suddenly think, “Where has the day gone?!”

How many times do we look at the clock and wonder where the day has gone? Or how many times do we do that and think, “What have I done today?” Often the feeling of stress is synonymous with being overwhelmed. It’s very easy to get overwhelmed with work, let alone life and all that goes with it. But one thing at a time – let’s look at ways to take out some of the weight at work and maybe, just maybe, we’ll feel better, work better and look back and say “Wow, look at everything I got done today!

One of the most important keys to your outcome is your outlook. Your attitude will affect so many areas of your working day that it’s very important for you to check whether you are being optimistic and positive in various aspects. Choose to “look on the bright side” in the genuine sense, not the tragically ironic sense. But having a good outlook will affect how you see things, how you interpret situations, how your clients perceive you and how well you perform your job. And as you can imagine, constantly having a negative attitude will raise your stress levels – if nothing is ever right, how can anything be pleasant?

Another key to getting through the day and feeling good about work is setting realistic goals. Setting goals helps you take things one step at a time. It causes you to pace yourself and plan out your time, and allows you to track your progress. Instead of having loads of things to do and this ambiguous cloud of confusion looming over you head, you have a defined set of tasks which progress you toward your end goal for the day. At the end of the day (and even throughout the day!) seeing a list all ticked gives a great sense of accomplishment and also shows you exactly what youdidget done that day. And if there are items that you didn’t finish, they are still clearly defined for you so that you’re not constantly bombarded or surprised by new items.

One final and very important aspect of being productive but not overwhelmed is to not lose momentum or enthusiasm. The two keys listed above – attitude and goals – will help keep you going strong throughout the day.