We all know that sometimes stress can get the better of you. Are you finding that your successful start-up is bringing in an increasingly heavy workload? Or has starting up your start-up led to a monstrous looking pile of time-consuming challenges? Our City Virtual Hub team shares some of our stress-busting tips.
IDENTIFY THE SOURCES OF STRESS (AND HOW YOU DEAL WITH THEM)
Where’s your stress coming from? Take a step back to look at your schedule and identify the root cause of the problem. Look outside of the work-box too; it could be related to problems at home. Are you moving house or are you worried about that impending deadline? We all have the tendency to brush off stress as an inevitable part of life (the oh-it’s-just-busy line), but defining the issue is the key way to start resolving it.
How do you react to stress? It might be an extra glass of wine at dinner, or hitting the gym of an evening. Implementing healthy coping mechanisms as a weekly part of your routine might help to anticipate, and manage stress. If you know that September-December is your busiest period, try to slot in some extra gym sessions, or schedule in some extra time with family. Isolating yourself is the worst possible solution; while down-time is important, make sure you aren’t spending too much time alone with that glass of wine.
ORGANISE YOUR TIME (AND TACKLE THE ISSUE HEAD ON)
Be honest; can your time management skills be improved on? There’s always room to improve on your schedule. Once you’ve identified the problem, you might still spend your time avoiding it. Tackling the issue head on quickly resolves the issue and will give you a major boost as a bonus. Start building up a realistic to-do list of the tasks you need to do, and put that difficult task right at the top.
The list of time management techniques and tips are so endless (and could potentially induce further stress) so we’ve boiled down the basics. All time management experts seem to agree that too many meetings are counterproductive, as is having more than one to-do list. Creating small and manageable tasks will make them easier to complete, and give you a greater sense of achievement as a result. Most importantly: be realistic. Why list three major tasks in one day when you know you only have time for one?
CONTROL THE SITUATIONS YOU CAN (AND ACCEPT THE ONES YOU CAN’T)
Your stress-inducing problem might be something you can control. It might also be something you have absolutely no control over. Are you constantly worried about what that difficult client might come back with? If you are fretting over the uncontrollable, then your stress is entirely dependent upon the reactions of other people. The only thing you do have control over is how you react to these issues.
While you can avoid people causing stress in your personal life, it’s that bit harder in the workplace. Wherever possible try to anticipate solutions to limit the potential for stress. If you have a client that always comes back late, emphasise that any extensions will incur a fine or timeline delay. Even the chatty colleague that sets you back can be resolved by asserting how busy you are.
