We’ve all had it happen to us before: we’re just about to head home from the office for the day when a colleague asks us if we could stay just a bit later to help them with something. And, against the advice of the little voice in your head telling you to go home to your family, you accept. Ignoring that little voice of ours is what so often leads to us becoming inundated with more projects that we can handle. And that is why no matter in what line of business you work, it is important to understand and master the principles of stress management.
Stress can come from anyone and anywhere at any time of day. From our friends to our bosses to even our colleagues, the sources of stress are varied. But just as varied as the sources are so too are the number of ways to cope with that stress. This article is going to go through some of the most effective techniques that I’ve discovered to get myself back on track.
First and foremost, you need to be realistic about your time. Try and only commit to work that you know you are capable of accomplishing without losing your sanity. We can’t always take on things that we’re asked of, and it’s actually better for everyone involved if we can learn to say no.
Of course, there are always those times when we don’t say no, when we feel like we can’t say no. For those times, times when we can’t nip the problem in the bud, it becomes more important to learn and practice stress management. I start with myself and my surroundings.
First of all, I take a deep breathe. I start taking slow and long breaths while visualizing a more relaxed me. I picture myself on my last Florida vacation, sitting on the beach with a margarita in hand. By visualizing where I’d like to be, I often find my mental state is able to recapture that feeling even if I physically can’t.
From there, I give myself a mini-massage and count to ten. I boil some water and make myself a cup of chamomile tea. I smell the sweet grass that is hanging in the corner. I walk around and do some stretches. I do anything I can do take my mind off the situation, at least for a moment.
Once I’m in a more relaxed mental state, I move on to the second step of stress management: taking a realistic look at the picture. How serious is the situation? How upset should I really be getting about this? What would the long term consequences of not doing this work be? Can I reschedule my time to better suit both my work and my mental sanity?
Finally, I accept the fact that I am not superman. I can’t do everything that is asked of me without a little help. And so, whether it’s calling my wife to pick up the kids for me, or asking a colleague to take on some of my additional workload, I ask for help.
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