Managing Stress Effectively

Stress in our professional lives is a reality for most of us. Deadlines, sales goals, and internal conflict can cause professionals to carry heavy burdens on top of their existing responsibilities. While stress may not be avoidable, it is possible to handle it properly, and to keep your performance level high in the midst of it. Below are a few tips on how to keep a high level of performance and a balanced life in the midst of professional stress:

Positivity, Perspective and Progress

Often, in times of extreme stress, people begin to wallow in their own “could have, would have, should have’s.” This not only causes a person to emotionally and mentally suffer during times of stress, but it keeps them frozen in their momentum. Learning to focus on the positive outlook and “lessons learned” (healthy perspective) can keep us performing and moving forward, even in the most stressful of times. Focusing on gratitude, though seemingly cliché, is necessary in continuing to function and performing to our best abilities. Notice, that I do not say, performing perfectly. Perfection isn’t the goal; progress is. We are human and have our stumbles along the way; focus on picking yourself back up and progressing towards goals, as opposed to focusing on the lack of perfection in your pitfalls. This again comes back to perspective; keep it balanced, and the stress load will balance itself as well.

Take Care of You

In the midst of stress and the need to perform at high levels, it is easy for a person to shelf their own self needs. Not eating well, sleeping at night, or even taking time to practice small hobbies you enjoy, can backfire greatly. Not only will you burn out quickly, but your work is also going to suffer in the long run. Finding time to prioritize your needs sets you up for a healthy, balanced work/personal life. When periods of stress hit, your mental and physical state will be well prepared to handle what comes its way.

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

Keeping a balanced perspective means knowing where to expel your energy and emotion. Abandon the stresses that arrive when you hit traffic, spill your coffee, or have an unnecessary conflict with a co-worker. It’s easy to fall into the pit of “piling on the stress,” but focus on your priorities. In order to be successful, save your energy and stress for the big decisions. The less decisions you have to make, and the less you focus your energy on the smaller stresses in life, the more you can reserve energy for the larger scale stresses that can hit you. Have I mentioned how important finding a balance is? Keep the big picture in mind and you can begin to minimize the smaller stresses that will creep up on you throughout the day.


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