Work

Success May Be Elusive, But It’s Possible

Photo by Dave Meier on Picography

Photo by Dave Meier on Picography

“Failure is inevitable. Success is elusive.” – Steven Spielberg

 

If failure seems like the worst thing that can happen, take heart. Everyone experiences it at one point or another. Most people try to learn from their mistakes, preferring to regard an outcome that is less than successful as a learning experience rather than an outright failure. The truth is that it may take repeated attempts before success is achieved, so adopting a positive attitude and sticking with the plan is a much better approach than simply giving up.

If success is what you’re after, yet you keep stumbling and feel like you never quite get there, there are some approaches you can take to ultimately achieve the outcome you desire. Keep these steps in mind:

Analyze.

If it doesn’t work out the first time, or the approach you used was less than effective, do a careful analysis of what you did to determine when, where and why it didn’t prove successful. The only way you’re going to get past a failure and achieve success is to recognize patterns, so you can learn from your mistakes.

Use this as a learning experience.

While it may seem difficult, make a conscious effort to look at mistakes and failures as a learning experience, part of the growth process you need to go through on your way to success. If you continue to regard failure as your lot in life, you’ll never find the success you seek. This is a law of self-fulfilling prophecy. You need to envision success to achieve it.

Cultivate flexibility.

Be flexible and willing to revise your plans, modify your goals and adopt and implement the latest and most current information as it becomes available.

Seek support.

Seek the advice and support of loved ones and friends. If you have people in your network you trust, talk with them about your goals and your efforts to achieve them. Sometimes all it takes to get you past a stumbling block is the reassurance from those who care about you that you can do it. Other times, you’ll receive suggestions and tips that may prove helpful. In any case, you’re not in this alone. You have allies. Make use of them.

Remain diligent.

Another cardinal characteristic of successful people is diligence. Be diligent and never give up. Success may take longer than you think. For this reason, you need to be diligent in your efforts and determined to keep going no matter what obstacles you encounter. Remember the fable of the tortoise and the hare. Slow and steady ultimately wins the race.

Replenish your goals list.

Always have new goals to strive for. The way to keep your optimism high and give you renewed motivation is to maintain a constantly evolving list of things you want to accomplish. Add new goals as you think of them or as opportunities present themselves. Keep in mind that not every opportunity is clear. You may need to scrutinize it to find the gem hidden within. An added benefit of replenishing your goals list is that it boosts enthusiasm for goals you’re currently working on.

Stay positive.

Saving the best for last, above all, stay positive. If you envision a successful outcome, you’re already making progress toward that eventuality. Plus, a positive attitude can help you weather interim roadblocks, overcome disappointments, and give you the breathing room to be able to discern potential solutions when you’re locked up.

 

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Related Posts:

How to Tap into Your Capabilities

You Won or Lost: Here’s How to Get Over It and Move On

Success Means You Make Things Happen

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How I Learned to Overcome Stress

how-I-learned-to-overcome-stress-photo-andrew-pons-unsplash

Photo by Andrew Pons/Unsplash

Friends often ask me my secret to being free from stress. I’m no expert, but I know what works for me. It didn’t come naturally, though, and it wasn’t easy at first.

When I was younger, I did it all wrong. Like a lot of young adults, back then and still, I seemed to constantly get involved in activities and pursuits that created a perfect petri dish for the development of stress.

  • As the old saying goes, I burned the candle at both ends.
  • Not only that, but I also engaged in risky behaviors.
  • To add more complicating factors, I hung out with questionable friends.
  • Naturally, I had poor self-care because of my bad habits.

Over the years, however, I learned that I control my actions and – vitally important – that my actions have consequences.

So, how did I go from being a veritable poster child for how to build stress to learning to live as close to stress-free as possible? Here are my go-to techniques to vanquish stress. Maybe they can work for you.

Stop trying to be perfect.

I used to think that I had to be the best in everything I did. I had to do it better, faster and smarter than anyone else or it didn’t count. Part of that had to do with being the younger sibling to a very competitive brother. Perhaps part of it was trying to please my parents, although I think every child wants that.

The downside of accepting only perfection is that perfection is an elusive target. There’s never going to be a perfect outcome. Improvement is always possible. What’s considered success today may be failure tomorrow.

My therapist helped me recognize this self-defeating tendency and gave me wise counsel: You don’t have to be perfect. Just do the best you can.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But when the advice finally sunk in, a lot of stress disappeared. Striving to do my best was not only enough, it was life-affirming, motivating and made me feel better about myself.

Create a schedule.

When too many conflicting demands began to intrude on my daily life, with a consequent dramatic uptick in stress, my therapist recommended I create a schedule. I didn’t want to do this, since I felt schedules were too confining. But I agreed to try it out. After all, with kids and school and work demands, I needed help keeping everything organized. If a schedule could accomplish that, I’d become a convert.

To my surprise, creating a schedule did help me put some breathing room into my life. It cut down some avoidable stress and gave me the self-confidence I needed to tackle other projects. In other words, to put different items into my schedule. All in good time, of course. I had to get comfortable with my schedule before I began to alter it.

That’s the other thing I learned about creating schedules. Like prioritizing tasks and creating lists of goals, schedules must be able to evolve and adapt.

It’s OK to ask for help.

I never liked asking for help. I thought it made me seem weak. But after several tragedies, unfortunate experiences and a lot of heartache, I gradually accepted the fact that there’s nothing wrong in asking for assistance. If I was willing to help others in need, asking for help when I needed it was OK.

In fact, for me, being able to ask others for help turned out to be a lifesaver. There was a time when I was so despondent, I didn’t know what to do. My therapist offered some consolation, but I needed more. He encouraged me to talk with a trusted friend, which I did. Just having another person listen nonjudgmentally was instrumental in lifting a crushing weight of stress. That we could laugh and do things together, like go to a movie or out for a pizza, helped as well.

Today, while I don’t make a practice of asking others to help, if I really am in need, I won’t hesitate to do so. And, I firmly commit to being there for others when they request my assistance. This is all part of being genuine, living up to commitments, wanting to help when it matters.

Do what you love.

It took me a long time to be able to love what I do. I went to school at night to earn several degrees, each with an emphasis on what I consider my strength: writing. Like millions of people, I had to work at jobs that weren’t necessarily gold standard, didn’t match my goals and dreams, but they did help me put food on the table and clothes on my kids, pay the car payment and rent.

I held firm to my dream of working in a field that allowed me to make use of my talents. I was fortunate to work in public relations for a major automaker and then become a freelance writer once I retired. Capitalizing on both my studies and my love of writing was incredibly beneficial. Every day brought new challenges, new opportunities to do what I love.

Here’s a secret I learned about doing what you love. It crushes stress.

Make time for play.

Part of why people get stressed is they grind endlessly without a break. Or, the only downtime is when they fall exhausted into bed. I know. I’ve been there. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that any human being will reach a point of no return if they fail to insert time to relax and recharge into their life.

I love going to movies. I also love reading, walking the nearby nature trails, gardening, cooking and travel. Any one of these I consider play. And they work wonders for dissipating stress.

After breaking for play – doing what you enjoy for leisure, recreation or educational pursuit – you can come back and take on the next item on the schedule, today’s to-do list, or address a pressing or unexpected problem. You’ve put harmony and balance back into your life. Stress doesn’t have a chance against this dynamic duo.

Exercise gratitude daily.

I’m lucky to have learned how to rid myself of stress. In fact, I consider myself extraordinarily grateful. The concept of expressing gratitude for all that I have and all that I have learned is so strong that I recommend doing it daily. There’s a lot to be grateful for, no matter what the personal situation or circumstance. For one, you’re alive. For another, you have friends and allies. You have another day to receive the blessings and gifts today brings.

These tips aren’t all-inclusive. A few more I’ve found helpful include:

  • Know when to say no. It isn’t necessary or conducive to well-being to take on more than you can handle.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • Eat regular, well-balanced meals. Avoid excessive intake of sugar, fats and salt.
  • Drink lots of fluids, especially water.
  • Cut down (or cut out) alcoholic beverages.
  • If you smoke, quit. Nicotine is addictive. While it may create initial calming or soothing, once cravings set, the stress increases until the urge is again satisfied.
  • Tap into spiritual renewal through prayer, meditation, yoga, self-reflection.
  • Nurture a positive attitude.
  • Follow your dreams.
  • Love wholeheartedly, deeply and without reservation.

 

This article was originally published on PsychCentral.com https://psychcentral.com/lib/how-i-learned-to-overcome-stress/

 

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Related Articles:

10 Ways Stress Harms You

Combat Stress with Mindful Walking

8 Healthy Reasons to Ditch Your Bad Habits

10 Ways Lists Rule

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5 Tips on How to Get Started When There’s Work to Do

5-tips-on-how-to-get-started-when-theres-work0to-do-photo-geran-de-klerk-unsplash

Photo by Geran de Klerk/Unsplash

“A feeling of aversion or attachment toward something is your clue that there’s work to be done.” – Ram Dass

 

Ever wake up with a feeling of dread about some project or task you’ve got on your list of things to do today? This is a common feeling that no one likes but must learn how to deal with. There are also times when the opposite is true. Sometimes you wake up knowing what you must do today and just can’t wait to get started.

Either feeling – aversion or excitement – is a clear sign that there’s work to be done and you need to do it. The way you deal with either emotion will affect not only your motivation to keep going,

particularly when the going gets rough, but also the resulting outcome.

How can you turn dread or anticipation into action that makes sense, is effective, and allows you to feel a sense of accomplishment and increased self-esteem? Here are some tips to help get you started.

  • Take a minute to process the emotion – and don’t be overcome by it.

No doubt the prospect of diving into a mountain of tax receipts on deadline is the last thing you want to do, or you might just be so eager to get on the road on your vacation that you slip and fall out of bed. Take a minute to process whatever emotion you’re feeling before you get up. This gives your mind time to arrive at a game plan and put your thoughts in order before you need to do the work. Be aware that conflicting emotions can occur simultaneously. That’s OK. Acknowledge them, then proceed.

  • Learn to separate what’s nice from what’s necessary.

Both will not be true. You might find it pleasant to think about taking a swim in the ocean but you know that report for work demands your immediate attention. It might feel great to lounge around all day in your sweats but you’ve got clients to see, and such attire is no way to make a good impression. It’s fine to indulge yourself in thinking about what’s nice, but don’t dally. Get on with what’s necessary. The bonus here is that by dwelling briefly on what beckons gives you temporary satisfaction before you dive into the work that must be done.

Either take projects in order or arrange them according to a prioritization that works for you. Do the most difficult one first to make some headway at it, or start with some quick and easy ones you can get out of the way so that you feel a sense of making progress. Once you finish one, cross it off your list. This is a visual reminder that effort equals accomplishment.

  • If you’ve fallen behind, work out a plan that won’t overwhelm you.

Everybody gets swamped at times. Instead of tossing your hands in the air and writing off the project or task as hopeless, figure out a plan or approach that will be effective and won’t overwhelm you. This is a case where the intention to underpromise and overdeliver will pay off nicely. You’ll gradually become accustomed to the pace you’re comfortable maintaining and can better estimate the amount of time and effort specific tasks will take.

  • Recognize that work – what you do — is the best way to show who and what you are.

Another way to get started with work to be done is to keep in mind that your output is a clear way to show others who and what you are. Since no two people approach a project the same way, this shows your uniqueness, talent, decision-making ability and willingness to keep going until the job is done. You want to put forth your best efforts. This requires that you jump in and act. Perseverance, willingness to accept responsibility for your output and taking pride in your accomplishments are all part of what it takes to get the job done.

 

This article was originally published on PsychCentral.com http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2017/01/01/5-tips-on-how-to-get-started-when-theres-work-to-do/

 

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Related Articles:

10 Ways to Make Mondays Better

How to Be Flexible With Your Perceptions

7 Tips to Use Time Wisely

How to Be Even More Effective

Success Means You Make Things Happen

 

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To automatically get my posts, sign up for my RSS feed.   

Want to get my free newsletter? Sign up here to receive uplifting messages and daily positive quotes in my Daily Thoughts. You’ll also get the top self-help articles and stories of the week from my daily blog and more.

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10 Quick Ways to Take a Much-Needed Break

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Photo by Lindsay Henwood/Unsplash

“To experience peace does not mean that your life is always blissful. It means that you are capable of tapping into a blissful state of mind amidst the normal chaos of a hectic life.” – Jill Bolte Taylor

 

Grabbing lunch on the run, trying to multitask while glancing at the clock, staring with dread at the mountain of reports yet to go through – no wonder you’re frazzled, anxious, feel the tension rising – and it’s only mid-day. You need a break. Better yet, you owe it to yourself to take a break.

Maybe you think you don’t have time for it, but you can reward yourself – and considerably damp down your stress level – by making use of these 10 quick ways to take a much-needed break.

Take the long way to the next meeting.

Better yet, take the stairs. Walk fast or slow, whatever you choose, but do give yourself the time to get in a bit of aerobic exercise from walking. Be sure to take some deep breaths along the way. Getting oxygen into your lungs lowers blood pressure, eases anxiety, improves mood and clears your mind.

Sip a full glass of water.

Besides hydrating your body, slowly drinking 8 ounces of water gives you time to hit the pause button on whatever else you’re trying to get done. It’s not so much that you’re avoiding responsibilities as that you’re doing something incredibly positive for your own well-being. Aim to do this several times during the day for added benefit (and greater peace of mind).

Cup your eyes.

This simple exercise is one you can do anywhere. Cup your hands over your eyes so there’s no light coming through. Open your eyes and hold your hands in place for at least 1 minute, longer if possible. Allow your eyes to become accustomed to the dark, feeling the peace inside. After you’ve counted to 60 or however long you want the break to last, take your hands away. Your eyes will feel refreshed and so will you.

Gaze at nature wallpaper.

If you spend a lot of time at the computer, this is a break that’s a no-brainer. Download and install a breathtakingly beautiful screenshot of nature: mountains, river, forests, water, flowers, birds, whatever draws you in. You can even customize a rotating set of views to keep your interest level high. As you gaze at the wallpaper or photo display, let your mind take you there. This works especially well if the shot is a place you enjoy visiting or want to spend time in soon or someday.

Pick a bouquet.

If you have a flower garden available, take a few minutes to gather a bouquet. Even if it’s a single flower, spend a few minutes taking in the intricacies of a rose, an iris, chrysanthemum or other blooming beauty.

Daydream.

This suggestion is a personal favorite. When everything mounts up and I need to catch my breath, musing about things I’d like to do, places I want to go and people I anticipate spending time with or projects or goals on my wish list helps me transport myself away from the current hustle and bustle and off somewhere enticing. Best of all, daydreaming doesn’t cost a cent, can be done anywhere (except when driving or operating machinery), and may motivate action.

Go for a brisk walk.

This break takes a little longer than a leisurely stroll to the next meeting. The best way to get exercise and give yourself some time away from the grind is to mosey outside and get in a brisk walk. Aim for 10-15 minutes at the least and use the time to see what’s going on around you. This means you’re not checking your smartphone or thinking about what’s next on your to-do list. Be in the present. Enjoy the outdoors.

Light a scented candle.

Unless you’re allergic, the recommendation to light up a fragrant candle can help elevate your mood, change the dynamics of your cubicle, work space, home or study. There’s something mesmerizing about staring at the flickering flame as well that does wonders to put some space between tasks.

Indulge in a leisurely bath.

OK, so you can’t do this one at the office. But you can allocate some much-needed time for relaxation at home. Use Epsom salts to ease muscle tension or soothing oils or bath salts in a bubble bath.

Limber up with a few stretches.

Sitting at a desk or behind the wheel for long periods of time wreaks havoc on the body. An aching neck, sore back, tight leg muscles and other body parts that clamor for relief can get it with a few sensible stretches. Not only will you get out the kinks, you’ll probably have better posture after regular stretching.

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Related articles:

10 Ways Stress Harms You

Combat Stress with Mindful Walking

5 Ways to Find Peace of Mind

10 Quick Ways to Beat Stress

Self-Care: The Most Important Person to Take Care of Is You

10 Tips to Decrease Work Stress

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7 Tips to Use Time Wisely

Photo by Andy Chilton/Unsplash

Photo by Andy Chilton/Unsplash

“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.” – William Penn

 

While we know that time is precious and a scarce resource, at that, how often do we find ourselves wasting what little time we do have? Frittering away hours at the computer, playing video games, watching endless hours of TV, and any number of other voracious time-wasting activities can leave you feeling edgy, restless and incomplete.

For good reason, since nothing good comes from deliberate squandering of time.

This isn’t the same as when you make a conscious choice to engage in a hobby or pastime or recreational or leisure activity. Everyone needs time to play, to rest and recharge, and to gain a new perspective on life. Play time helps lower stress levels, eases tension, and provides the opportunity to see things clearer and without distraction. Solutions come easier after taking the time to play.

But time that you waste? That’s just gone for good. The question becomes, how do you use time wisely? What tricks or tips can help? Here are a few to consider:

  1. Jot it down.

Go through your day in your mind and jot down everything you did, noting when you did it, how long it took, and what the result was. This exercise helps to identify time wasted.

  1. Analyze wasted time.

Next, analyze those times you wasted. What was it you were doing immediately before or after? Try to determine if you needed a break from something strenuous, complex or time-consuming or if you were avoiding the next thing on your to-do list. This analysis helps to narrow down instances where you choose wasting time over taking constructive action.

  1. List must-do items or tasks.

Make a separate list of things that are must-do items. This list can be for today or things you must do daily. This may include getting up and going to work, preparing dinner for the family, taking medications or vitamins, walking the dog, taking out the trash and so on. Are there things you do that you could streamline or make easier? Could you combine some so that you’re not repeating ground? For example, set the medications or vitamins alongside your breakfast so that you take them right after (or before) you eat. Take out the trash when it’s time to walk the dog.

  1. Prioritize what must get done.

Staring at a list of must-to items won’t get them done. Put them in order of importance. This helps in rearranging your schedule to accommodate what must be done. For example, that big project that’s due at work should take priority, or the boss needs an update every morning at a certain time. Nothing should be allowed to get in the way of taking care of high-priority items.

  1. Schedule a break.

Build in some slack time. This can be a 10-minute break in the morning and afternoon to go for a quick walk or grab a coffee or chat with your neighbor or co-worker. Getting up to stretch your legs puts a period at the end of what you were doing and is a nice transition from one activity to another.

  1. Add variety.

Vary your schedule. If you find that your biggest time wasters are because a lot of what you’re doing every day is boring or repetitive, jazz it up by allocating different days for different tasks. When you know you’ve got an hour on Wednesday to go bowling or have lunch with a friend, other items on your task list won’t seem so challenging. Variety also adds spice to life.

  1. Be present.

Be in the moment. Instead of always thinking you don’t have enough time, savor the present moment. Whatever you’re doing, whether it’s a task or something you enjoy, really be there. This adds to the appreciation of time, that precious commodity.

Related Articles:

10 Ways to Make Mondays Better

Time-Saving Tips for Early Risers

How to Be Even More Effective

My 10 Favorite Ways to Waste Time – And Not Feel Bad About It

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To automatically get my posts, sign up for my RSS feed.   

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10 Ways to Make Mondays Better

Photo by Albert Amor/Unsplash

Photo by Albert Amor/Unsplash

No matter what you do in life, you can’t escape Mondays. You can dread them, try to avoid them, delay the inevitable by coming up with all sorts of excuses not to do what you must, but Mondays will still arrive each week like clockwork. The best you can do is figure out how to embrace them. Here are 10 ways to make Mondays better that may change your mind about this day of the week.

1. Have something to look forward to when work is done.

Nothing motivates more than the prospect of doing something enjoyable after the workday is done. What that is doesn’t matter as much as the fact that you put it in your schedule. Having fun, spending time with loved ones and friends, working on a hobby, participating in sports or a recreational activity, engaging in an educational pursuit, shopping, writing or whatever gives you a positive endpoint to your Monday that puts a lift in your step and jazzes your spirit. Mondays may even turn out to be one of your favorite days of the week. If not that, at least they’ll be more pleasant.

2. Get to work early.

Sleeping in, trying to grab the last few winks, throwing the alarm clock or jangling cellphone across the room won’t do anything to make your Mondays better. What may give you a leg up, however, is becoming an early riser — getting your legs out of bed a little earlier than usual. Go for a half-hour ahead of your normal wake time. That’s sufficient to help you gather your thoughts, prepare for the day, allow for unexpected traffic, weather or last-minute family details and get to work ready to go. Stopping for your favorite latte along the way is another reason you might want to get up earlier.

3. Go big.

Many employees put off the tough and difficult tasks until they’re smack against a deadline or the boss is banging on their door looking for answers. Another way to make Mondays better that seems counter-intuitive is to charge ahead and tackle something you know is important and demands your full attention. While it causes you to work a little harder than you probably want to first thing Monday morning, the sense of accomplishment and progress you’ll feel be getting to it is a huge boost to your self-esteem, self-confidence and overall well-being. Besides, the boss will likely take notice, and that’s always good for raising your work profile.

4. Prepare with good self-care.

If you’ve made a practice of partying until all hours from Friday night on, chances are you are still hung over or feeling the effects of such disdain for your well-being. You can turn this around by instituting good self-care. In addition to getting sufficient rest (forget the three hours of sleep; go for 8 hours), eating well-balanced meals (and no late-night snacking), cutting down on alcohol and curbing smoking, find other ways to relax, restore and rejuvenate. These include meditation, yoga or Pilates, walks in nature, listening to calming music, self-reflection and prayer. Don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it. Greeting Mondays with a healthy body-mind-spirit makes the day so much better.

5. Map out time chunks.

Instead of looking at your to-do list with a grim demeanor and a sinking feeling that you’ll never get it all done, try this: map out time chunks. For example, if you have a report that’s due tomorrow, allocate one to 1-1/2 hours or so to work on it today. If it’s something critical, move everything else aside until you get it done. Set aside a half hour to tend to emails at a scheduled time, not whenever they come in. If you must answer emails from your boss, give them a priority with an alert. The point is to arrange your day in time chunks. This provides a sense of order and a schedule you can easily follow.

6. Craft a plan.

For any project or task, your best approach is to craft a plan. How will you arrive at the result you’re looking for – or that someone else demands? What resources do you need? Will you need the assistance of others? Are some elements missing? How will these items affect timing or delivery? With well-crafted plans, you’ll boost your self-confidence, knowing that you’ve taken variables into consideration and have a workable approach to pursue.

7. Take mini-breaks.

You can’t go breakneck speed without a break, not unless you want to risk crashing to a dead stop along the way. Exhaustion, physical or mental, work stress, tension, irritability, anger, disappointment and other negative effects from working nonstop will take their toll. Ward them off by the simple and quick practice of taking mini breaks throughout the day. Walk to the water fountain on the next floor. Get up and stretch. Do isometric exercises. Close your eyes and meditate. Take the stairs to your next meeting instead of the elevator. Whenever possible, walk outside instead of within the building so you get some fresh air and a different perspective.

8. Go somewhere different for lunch.

Like having something to look forward to at the end of the workday is the idea of going somewhere different for lunch. If you always brown bag it at your desk, go to a park or somewhere in your work complex to eat. If you go out for lunch only on Wednesday or Friday, switch to Monday to give your first work week day a changeup. Not only will this brighten your day, it will make it speed by.

9. Skip coffee and go for a walk.

Coffee may be a workday staple, but it doesn’t have to be a boring routine you’re locked into. For one of those times you’re headed to the coffee room or vending machine, skip the brew and indulge yourself with a brisk 10-minute walk. Outside is best, but even a walk in the building will suffice. You’re getting up and moving, always good for mental stimulation and physical exercise.

10. Celebrate all the things you accomplish.

While you’re busy working on Mondays, be sure to take the time to celebrate all the things you accomplish today. It may seem like a trivial thing, but giving yourself credit for your hard work is important to your sense of completion, tending to your responsibilities, seeing the fruit of your labors, and making progress. It also helps make Mondays better. What better way to start the work week than with a string of accomplishments?

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Related articles:

10 Tips to Decrease Work Stress

5 Tips on How to Make Plans

Time-Saving Tips for Early Risers

How Do You Get Ready for the Day?

Self-Care: The Most Important Person to Take Care of Is You

* * *

To automatically get my posts, sign up for my RSS feed.   

Want to get my free newsletter? Sign up here to receive uplifting messages and daily positive quotes in my Daily Thoughts. You’ll also get the top self-help articles and stories of the week from my daily blog and more.

I also invite you to like me on Facebook, facebook.com/suzannekane.net follow me on LinkedIn,  on Twitter, @SuzanneKanenet and Google+.

 

10 Tips to Decrease Work Stress

Photo by Kristopher Allison/Unsplash

Photo by Kristopher Allison/Unsplash

Are you stressed to the max at work? Feel like you can’t catch a break no matter how hard you try? The truth is that work stress will kill you if you don’t do something about it. But what should you do? Here are 10 tips to decrease work stress you can begin today.

Figure out what’s causing you stress.

Before you can begin to decrease work stress, it’s helpful to know what it is that’s causing you to be stressed in the first place. Are you taking on too many projects at once? Is your boss expecting too much from you and have you not mentioned any limitations to what you can reasonably do to him or her?

By analyzing what bothers you at work, you’ll be better able to pinpoint ways to effectively deal with the stressor. If, for example, you’re overworked, you must carve out some of those responsibilities and either delegate them or reduce them.

Your supervisor will be a great help in this area, although it might be tough to broach the subject. Construct a proactive approach. If you let your boss know that you’ll be able to finish X project within deadline if Y and Z are either delayed, assigned to a different person or team, or can be consolidated, he or she may be amenable to making some changes.

Take regular breaks.

Working non-stop is going to wear you down, increase stress and make you miserable. The only way out of this dilemma is to institute a practice of taking regular breaks. Even if you only get a 10-minute break in the morning and afternoon, you can still stand up and walk around at regular intervals.

Instead of staring at a computer screen for hours on end, avert your eyes and gaze outdoors once an hour. These mini-breaks help you compartmentalize what you were doing and provide a buffer so that stress doesn’t exact too great a toll.

Cut down on tasks.

When your to-do list starts to resemble a phone book, you’ve got too much to handle. No human being can possibly tend to an overwhelming number of tasks, not to mention the unnecessary stress such an accumulation tends to produce.

The quickest and perhaps the only way around this is to simply cut down on the number of tasks. Streamline the entries, combining similar ones and deleting, delegating or deciding others. For example, if you have 30 tasks listed, see how many are necessary and which ones are perhaps holdover items no longer relevant. Cut the list in half. That’s a good start. Shedding this amount of weight will lighten your load and help to decrease work stress.

Prioritize what’s necessary.

No doubt there are some work items that need to rank high on your to-do list. Your boss may demand action on a project, or you’re the head of a team working on a hot development. Some are time-sensitive, while others require the assistance of others only available for a certain period.

But there are also other items on your to-do list that don’t require immediate action. They may be better suited to a lower ranking on the list or even deserve their own list of tasks and projects for when there’s a lull.

Mark each item on the list in numerical order, with #1 being the most important and requiring prompt attention. You might even color code those items in the top five, assigning different colors to those further down the ranking of priority.

By prioritizing things, you exert control over what and when you intend to work on them. This alone will reduce the type of stress that often goes together with work-related duties and responsibilities.

Limit distractions.

When you’re trying to work on a task or project, listening to your co-workers’ conversations in adjacent cubicles or offices isn’t exactly conducive to productivity. Neither is having your email client notifications of incoming messages going to keep you focused on the work at hand. Constant interruptions of any kind drain your energy, scatter your attention and limit your ability to get work done.

What’s helpful is to schedule times to check emails, take or make phone calls. Turn off your email client, put the phone on silence mode and automatic answer. Tell co-workers you’re not going to be available for the next hour while you tend to an assignment. Most of all, don’t allow yourself to search for distractions to keep you from your work.

When you’re less distracted, you can concentrate on what you need to do now. This is a great way to curb stress at work and something very much in your control.

Confide in someone you trust.

When you’ve bottled all that stress inside you, you feel like you’re going to burst. That’s not a pleasant feeling and it won’t go away on its own. A huge help is finding someone you trust that you can confide in. This doesn’t mean you do a dump of everything on your mind. That will just succeed in exhausting you and your confidante. Maybe talk about the biggest thing that’s bothering you, the one causing you the most stress.

Also, be aware that you can go to the well too often. Instead of abusing your relationship with too many instances of crying the blues, balance your time with that person by doing other things. Ask about his or her problems and listen without jumping in to talk about your own.

Sometimes it’s enough that you have someone you can go to and talk over things. It isn’t always necessary to dwell on them when you’re with that person.

Meditate or try yoga.

You don’t have to be spiritual to get value from meditating. Think of meditation to get in touch with your inner self, whatever that concept means to you. Through the practice of meditation, you’re not forcing items out of your mind as much as you’re acknowledging their presence and then allowing them to dissipate. This is a huge boost in reducing work stress. You can take classes to learn how to meditate or teach yourself with the help of books, tapes and information on meditation websites.

Another way to decrease work stress is to practice yoga. Again, there are classes you can take to learn yoga as well as self-help instruction. There are numerous types of yoga, so you can check out what resonates with you.

Eat well and sleep better.

Too much stress at work also wreaks havoc on your health in other ways. You tend to eat inappropriate foods, eat too much or fail to eat altogether. You’re also likely to toss and turn at night, mind racing over things left undone at work, remembering something you should have done but didn’t, endlessly going over in your mind what’s on tap for tomorrow.

A key part of your quest to decrease work stress begins at home. You need good self-care: to eat well-balanced, nutritious meals and get a good eight hours of sleep each night. There’s no getting around the fact that your body requires adequate nutrition and rest to function properly. This includes the ability to fight the cumulative effects of stress.

Start to exercise.

You might think that scheduling time for exercise has no place in your busy life, especially given all your work responsibilities. Who has an hour to devote to something that doesn’t lighten your work load? When you exercise, your energy levels get a boost, your mood lightens, and you’re better able to channel the anxiety and stress you feel at work.

Furthermore, after a quick, brisk walk, riding an exercise bike or working the treadmill – or any other vigorous physical exercise that gets your blood flowing, heart rate increasing and oxygen coursing throughout your body – you’ll likely return to the task at hand with greater focus and a resulting increase in productivity.

Enjoy a recreational activity or hobby.

All work and no play is bad for your health. If you’re so caught up in work projects that you never have time to do things you enjoy, your life is seriously out of balance. It’s time to remedy that by figuring out something you can do away from work that, well, takes your mind completely away from anything related to work.

What the activity is doesn’t matter. It can be a recreational activity you do alone or with others. It can be a hobby you’ve long wanted to pursue or just discovered you have an interest in. Spending free time with friends, loved ones and family members also qualifies if this brings you a sense of contentment, love and fulfillment.

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Related articles:

Combat Stress with Mindful Walking

10 Quick Ways to Beat Stress

Self-Care: The Most Important Person to Take Care of Is You

10 Ways Lists Rule

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10 Ways Lists Rule

Photo by Aaron Burden/Undplash

Photo by Aaron Burden/Unsplash

 

“Making lists helps me be more focused and productive, lowers my stress level and makes it easier to stay on top of tasks.” — Suzanne Kane

 

I’ll confess. I’m an avid list-maker. In fact, I’m so convinced that lists are beneficial that I’ve decided to reveal my personal thoughts on the 10 ways lists rule.

Lists:

#1 — Keep you on-track. I don’t know about you, but it’s sometimes the case that I get so deeply immersed in what I’m doing that I lose track of time. This is a good and a bad thing. It’s good that I’m so focused and being productive, but it’s bad if I lose sight of other things I also need to tend to. Lists help keep me on track. They can do the same for you.

#2 — Remind you what’s important. List have the very appealing benefit of showing you and providing a vivid reminder of what you deem important. When you prepare and pay attention to your lists, you’ll always have a ready guidepost to the meaningful tasks and duties in your life. It may mean reorganizing some items when one takes precedence over another or a new one demands attention. Lists help remind you when you may need this the most.

#3 — Give you something to do. Not that there are many times when you have completed everything you need to do and are looking for something else to devote your attention to. But lists can serve this purpose when you want or need something that’s not on the top of your to-do chart. Be sure to include some fun or for-whenever items on your list so you’ve got something readily available when the power is out, there’s a snow day, you’re on vacation or just have some free time on your hands you’d like to put to good use.

#4 — Provide an easy way to prioritize tasks. It’s simply impossible to do everything at once. There has to be a means to prioritize what gets done first, what can wait a while, and what you can tend to whenever you get around to it. Lists provide this in an easy and painless manner. Assign a number to each item, with #1 being the most important and #10 (or whatever number) the least important. Sometimes, you’ll work on the #1, 2 or 3 items first and intersperse that with a lower-priority item. That’s so you don’t burn yourself out working too hard in succession.

#5 — Take away the stress of trying to keep everything in your head. Your kid needs picking up from school. The cleaning is ready. Dinner plans are uncertain. Your boss just handed you an urgent project and everything else has to be put on hold. What about all the other items you have to do today? What if you forget some? Here’s where a list removes the stress of trying to juggle and remember it all. There’s no forgetting when you’ve put it down on your list.

#6 — Allow you to track progress and results. Once you’ve constructed your list, created a plan or approach and begun work on one or more items, you’ve got a ready-made template from which to track where you are with each. When you achieve a certain level or stage of completion, note that, along with any lessons learned and what’s left to do. Seeing results cements the value of making lists. After all, lists are meant to be helpful. They will be, if you use them.

#7 — Increase self-esteem. Lists are composed of items that are designed to be worked on in some sort of order. When you complete or finish one item, cross it off your list. This helps increase self-esteem and makes you proud of your accomplishment at the same time. It’s not necessary to cross everything off your list in order to boost your self-esteem. Doing one or more well or making significant progress on a few also elevates your sense of accomplishment.

#8 — Improve focus. By selecting one of the items on your list and doing some work on it, you’re helping to refine your focus. Doing one thing at a time does wonders for improving this critical aspect of successful accomplishment. Instead of trying to do many things at once, keeping to one task on your list at a time will help you be more focused.

#9 — Help you organize your thoughts. With so much going on around you, it can be hard to separate one task, project, duty or activity requiring your effort from another. You need organizational ability in your thought process to keep things in order. Lists help you do that in black and white. When an item is right in front of you, you can better figure out an approach.

#10 — Allay anxiety. Ever feel that gnawing and miserable sense of worry over not being able to get a handle on all the things you have to do? It’s no secret that everyday life throws a lot of unexpected situations your way, things you need to deal with immediately. With a list, however, you can feel confident that you’ve put down what you need to do and can come back to as soon as you tend to the pressing concern. Lists also remove the element of uncertainty. If it’s on your list, you’ve given it thought.

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Do you have other ways lists have helped you? I’d love to hear your comments. Maybe they’ll result in a follow-up piece on the topic.

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Stuck in a Rut? Tips on How to Break Free From Monotony

Photo by Mika Matin/Unsplash

Photo by Mika Matin/Unsplash

When you’re stuck in a rut, everything seems to run along the same track. Nothing ever changes and you find yourself doing the same things day in and day out.

Some might argue there’s nothing worse than endless monotony, but there truly are more serious situations. Like chronic pain, a sudden illness, trauma, financial disaster, losing loved ones, getting fired and so on.

Compared to what you could be experiencing, being stuck in a rut isn’t all that bad – if you want to continue living a life of sameness. But most people want more out of life than that. Once you recognize the rut you’re in and know you want to change, that’s the first major hurdle. Here are some tips on how to break free from monotony.

Scrutinize your daily schedule.

Maybe you think you know your daily routine inside and out, but do you really know how much time you spend doing various tasks? Here’s where you put down on paper what you do and when from the time you get up until you go to bed. This means jotting down everything and assigning the time you spent doing it, whether it’s brushing your teeth for two minutes or taking the subway to work for 45 minutes.

What you’ll discover is that there’s a lot of time spent looking for things you might have misplaced, time spent frivolously on social media when you could be tending to a work assignment, backtracking to fix an error you made because you were in a hurry to finish, and other instances where your head either wasn’t into what you were doing or you just got bogged down in the details and lost the objective.

Add up the lost moments and you’ll find that there’s a lot of time you could be utilizing to better purpose.

Examine your rituals and make adjustments.

If you do the same thing every morning that you’ve done for the past year, is there a reason why you continue? Is it a ritual you do to get ready for the day that you find helps you or has this become a chore you dread?

Whether it’s deciding what to wear or making something to eat, maybe switching what you do or the order in which you do it will remove the element of boredom and monotony and contribute to a more positive outlook on the day ahead.

The same principle applies at work or school. If your first order of business is to open your desk and take out the files for the day’s work, maybe you talk with your supervisor or co-workers first about the today’s top projects. If there’s something hot or new, you want to be the first to know about it.

When you’re not afraid to look at your everyday rituals and make adjustments, the result will be a lightening of the load and adding an element of change to the day.

Prioritize tasks and delete unnecessary ones.

No one has just one thing to do on any given day. There’s always a multitude of tasks, chores, responsibilities and duties to tend to. No wonder you wind up frustrated and feeling stuck in a rut. How can anyone not feel this way when there’s so much to do and only 24 hours in the day?

Knowing that you can only work on one thing at a time, it’s important to pick out the one you intend to work on first. This requires prioritization of your tasks and it’s not always easy to do. There might be an important assignment that you know will take a long time and you’re reluctant to get started on it. On the other hand, you know you can dash off a few short tasks. It’s going to be a trade-off. Sometimes, the prudent course of action is to do some work on a longer task and then intersperse it with several shorter ones.

During your prioritization of tasks, when you come to some that are purely arbitrary, have no real deadline or have outlived their usefulness on your list, delete them. Cleaning up your to-do list will leave you feeling more in charge and less stuck in a rut.

Factor in some free time.

Since you’ve made some changes in your daily routine already and also prioritized your tasks, you’ve likely created some space in your schedule. Use this time to your advantage to do something that you enjoy.

This could be as simple and uncomplicated as going for coffee with a friend on a break or making a lunch date, taking a walk in the park after work and before heading on your commute home.

It may be more involved, such as researching a goal you’re interested in, connecting with friends to arrange a weekend activity, shopping for clothing and equipment for a hobby you want to begin.

The important thing to remember about free time is that it’s just that: free time. This means you use it for whatever you want. By allowing yourself to enjoy your free time, you’re making great strides to break free from monotony and getting out of being stuck in a rut.

If you need help, ask for it.

Sometimes you may be in over your head, swamped with projects and beset with impossible deadlines. This is not conducive to your well-being. You aren’t superhuman and cannot possibly tackle it all at once. You need help.

It may come as a shock to know that it’s OK to ask for help when you need it. Your supervisor won’t be surprised or shocked if you request assistance, an extended deadline or more resources. In fact, if he or she is, that means they haven’t been paying attention, or they may be getting pressured by their own higher-ups. In any case, when you ask for help, it’s a wake-up call. A good supervisor will accommodate in any way possible.

Once you’ve gotten the help, or the promise of it, this will alleviate some of the stress and tension of the overwhelming workload. Be sure you don’t take advantage of this assistance and dawdle on the projects or tasks. Work efficiently and make progress. That shows your boss you value his or her help and you’ve made good use of it.

It also reinforces your self-confidence and judgement to know that you’ve analyzed your situation and figured out where you need a helping hand.

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5 Tips on How to Make Plans

Photo by Ryan McGuire/Gratisography

Photo by Ryan McGuire/Gratisography

“You can never plan the future by the past.” – Edmund Burke

 

Looking toward the future is an exercise many are afraid to do, principally because they’re held captive by the past. With so much baggage carried forward, is it any wonder that plans sometimes get cast aside for fear they’d turn out to be failures, just like so many did before? This is shortsightedness in the extreme, for no momentum or traction can be gained when your eyes are firmly planted on the past.

“You are not today who you were yesterday.”

It takes a certain amount of courage to pull down the door on the past, particularly if those memories are recent, disastrous, and painful or one more in a long line of failures. But this is an important point to keep in mind: You are not today who you were yesterday.

Hopefully, you’ve learned from what didn’t work so

that you don’t endlessly repeat those mistakes. Having a good support system is also critically important as you draft plans for how you’ll go about completing goals you consider worthwhile.

But do give yourself some credit for having the tenacity to slog through some incredibly hard work. It’s rough going through failure and disappointment. It stings, saps your immediate energy and definitely puts a temporary damper on plans for the future.

You are here today, however, living testament to the restorative power within you. It’s time now to move ahead, look for new opportunities to get involved in, an interest that fires you up and you just can’t wait to pursue, and people whom you haven’t yet met who may provide that added spark that you need to take action.

What you really want to know, however, is what can you do now. Here are five tips on how to make plans – and stop thinking and obsessing over the past:

  • Adopt a hopeful outlook.

Instead of condemning yourself to repeated failure, reverse that trend. Tell yourself that this is a new day and you are moving ahead with excitement and purpose. You may need to repeat this mantra daily for it to begin to take root – and it will, it you allow it.

  • See the lesson in everything.

There’s always something valuable to learn from everything you do, regardless of the outcome. If you train yourself to find the kernel of wisdom in all your actions, you will boost your self-confidence and feel more empowered.

  • Share what works with your network.

Even when plans don’t turn out to be completely successful at first, there are some aspects of your action that does work. Be willing to share what works with those in your network who support your efforts – and listen to the suggestions they offer. You might learn something incredibly valuable that will further your own efforts.

  • Embrace change.

You may be fearful of change, likening it to past disastrous outcomes, but the truth is that life is filled with constant change. Without change, there would be no growth. Instead of fearing change, make it a point to embrace it, to eke every last bit of knowledge and opportunity from it and make it your own. When you are in charge – and you are – change doesn’t look as formidable. That’s because you’ve put change in your go-to bag and are running with it.

  • Use the building-block approach.

A house doesn’t get built without going through many stages of construction. Similarly, achieving a successful outcome when working toward a goal almost always involves a number of steps. It isn’t just point A to point B. You may need to accommodate layers and a building-block approach. Capitalize on what you’ve learned and apply it to the next stage of development of your plan.

                                        

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