…to jot down fifty low cost to no cost things they can do to celebrate themselves. Post your list in an obvious place, like your office data board or bedroom door, so you use it frequently. Drawing a bubble bath, reading, playing basketball, calling a friend and asking for comfort, using the good china for dinner or painting, can be your reward for a hard day’s work. Be your own cheerleader by recognizing your needs and providing for them. In the process, you’re building self-respect and confidence.
Break Frequently
This tip feels counterintuitive at first. Busy feels productive to most professionals, but our brains need frequent breaks. Researchers suggest that a ten-minute break every hour and a half of intense concentration allows the brain to synthesize information, make creative connections and reset for the next round of thinking. During that ten minutes, do something unrelated to the work. Take a walk, play a video game, call a friend, or take a short nap. You’ll recharge yourself and you’ll return to the work refreshed.
Delegate
Excellence is the hallmark of many professionals. How many times have you heard a colleague fuss, “If you want it done right, do it yourself! However, this is a sure-fire way to add stress to your job. Instead, prioritize. Which job duties are you responsible for? Which ones do you enjoy? Which ones showcase your expertise? Begin to move toward performing those tasks more. Delegate the small stuff. One way to do this to model for your assistant how you want certain tasks done. By upholding your standards, and supervising your colleague, you are getting those task done in excellence and freeing up your energy to exercise your expertise.
Conclusion
These are some strategies to manage stress. It requires personal growth, discipline and a desire to protect your time, mind, emotions and physical health. But, on the other hand, managing it brings you a sense of confidence, generates more energy, boosts performance, adds longevity to your career, and puts you in the driver seat of your workplace experience. Pat who once felt victimized by toxic stress now has tools to mitigate it. She has been an award-winning teacher for thirty years now.
Rosalind Henderson is a leadership trainer and author of several books which include, “Negative NO More, 100+ Ways to Upgrade Your Life” and her latest, “The ABC’s of an A+ Workplace.”
A product of world renown leadership mentors, Dr. John Maxwell, Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend plus her experience in educational leadership, combines to empower leaders, organizations, and businesses with fresh life changing tools, mindsets and solutions to issues. Rosalind provides many services which includes, small group consulting, products, keynotes, and presentations to equip individuals to meet and exceed goals. Sign up for your FREE newsletter::”Leaders Transform” at www.therosalindhenderson.com.