Stress has a negative connotation; it causes tension, miscommunication, and less clear thinking. It's not pleasant, yet it's part of life. Stress can also give you that extra push to do something you find quite exciting. But how do you maintain the balance between healthy stress and when does it tip over to the negative, unproductive side?
Do you feel your blood pressure rising, or your breathing quickening? Do you start the work week, discussion, or meeting with a restless feeling, are you re-reading that email for the third time, or are you wondering if you can even bring up that one topic? Chances are you're less effective and experiencing stress. How can you invite yourself back into clear thinking?
5 tips for you:
- Create a to-do list, set priorities, and be realistic. Ask for help when you feel overwhelmed.
- Often, 80% of the time is spent improving the last 20%. Ask yourself when it's good enough and, if necessary, discuss it with a colleague or your manager. Not everything has to be perfect.
- Try parking your car a bit further from work and walk the last 10 minutes. Exercise and fresh air are a breath of fresh air to get yourself back in balance.
- Take a walk during lunch. You'll be amazed at the brilliant ideas you get while walking.
- At the end of the day, take 5 minutes to reward yourself for everything you *did* achieve today and where you made a valuable contribution.
See what you can do with this today and experience the effect. Curious what else you can do? In the coming weeks, we will share 5 tips on Fridays for dealing with stress.
Good to know: these are general tips. Which tip works best for you? We are all different; for some, taking a break works best, while for others, seeking more challenges is more effective. Curious about what recharges you most? Take the Recognize Your Stress Test or contact one of the PCM Coaches for a PCM Profile. You will gain insight into what works for you and concrete tools to apply immediately for better balance and clear communication.
Photo credit: Unsplash.com
