Get
Organised / Time Management
One of the most common causes of stress is being disorganised at
work or at home. Here are some tips to get organised:
Keep a diary.
Write lists of tasks to accomplish, prioritise them and schedule
when you will complete them.
Writing down objectives, duties and activities helps to make
them more tangible and do-able. Having a schedule also helps you
provide the facts when your boss asks you to perform
unreasonable tasks. They may have no idea that you are
overwhelmed with work and the additional responsibilities cannot
be accomplished unless something else goes. Again, prioritising
tasks helps you to minimize the stressful situations.
Make A List and
Prioritise
So many projects, so little time. To beat stress, you have to
learn to prioritise. At the start of each day, pick the single
most important task to complete, then finish it. If you're a
person who makes to-do lists, never write one with more than
five items. That way, you're more likely to get all the things
done, and you'll feel a greater sense of accomplishment and
control. Then you can go ahead and make a second five-item list.
While you're at it, make a list of things that you can delegate
to co-workers and family members.
Learn To Say No When
Appropriate
Sometimes you have to learn to draw the line. Stressed-out
people often can't assert themselves. Instead of saying 'I don't
want to do this' or 'I need some help,' they do it all
themselves. Then they have even more to do.
Give your boss a choice.
Say 'I'd really like to take this on, but I can't do that
without giving up something else. Which of these things would
you like me to do?' Most bosses can take the hint. The same
strategy works at home, with your spouse, children, relatives
and friends. If you have trouble saying no, start small. Tell
your hubby to make his own sandwich. Or tell your daughter to
find another lift home from hockey practice.
Pad your schedule
Realise that nearly everything will take longer than you
anticipate. By allotting yourself enough time to accomplish a
task, you cut back on anxiety. In general, if meeting deadlines
is a problem, always give yourself 20 percent more time than you
think you need to do the task.
Other Tips on Time
Management
Look at the way you do things. Are you a perfectionist? If so,
try to decide which tasks truly require meticulous attention to
detail and which can be done casually.
Make a realistic list of what you need to accomplish in a given
day, with the most important things at the top. Tackle them one
at a time, and don't start a second until you have finished the
first.
Plan your day to include work breaks which physically or
mentally take you away from the office. Try not to bring office
work home.
When you have several things to accomplish, set priorities and
postpone less important tasks. Learn to delegate matters that
cannot be put off. Deal with concerns on a day-at-a-time basis.
Control the timing of stressful events. Try not to make major
decisions when you are overtired or anxious.
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