Tuesday 9 November 2010

Managing Stress - Part Two

Time management is an essential factor in managing stress. Often the feeling that you don't have enough time in the day increases your stress levels before you've even started.

If you manage your energy, attention and commitments you create an effective daily management of tasks leaving you feeling more focused.

Mark Walsh shared his top tips for successful time management on BusinessZone.co.uk.

Here is my adaptation:
1. The first step is to record and analyse how you spend your time for a week. This includes times when your energy levels slump and times when you are most productive or creative.

2. Next make a list. One list of everything you want to do from 'call the hairdressers' to 'write blog on stress management'. With everything you want to do on the list you are less likely to be distracted by other matters not listed. If there are time-sensitive items on it, set an impeccably reliable reminder system - high or low tech (a Blackberry alarm or a laundry basket in front of your door to remind you to do the washing for example). If you are on the move Mark suggests a colour system based on locations such as 'Computer', 'Computer no net', 'With secretary', 'In town', 'On phone – private', 'On phone – public', etc.

3. I always include a wish list, important things you need to do or read for long-term development or inspiration but that are not urgent. Preferably with a expected time scale so when you know you have a period of time before a meeting or on the train you can fit them in.

4. Don't make the list a must-do-today list as other stuff will always come up pushing things off the list and onto the next day which can leave you disheartened. It's better to have one overall evolving time management. list including sacred time for important

5. Empty your email inbox using the framework
- 'do it (less than 2 min),
- drop it (not important),
- delegate it or defer it (with time frame and reminder)' method.
Differentiate between reference/storage and 'to do' areas and don't use one for the other.

6. Unfortunately multi-tasking is often only dividing attention and switching quickly between tasks. This is an ineffective way of working causing you to make mistakes and need to repeat things. Often switching your mind from one job to another will make you less efficient. Where possible do one thing at a time and chunk together similar tasks in a given period

7. Do the hardest most important thing first to get your day going and give you a sense of satisfaction that you can do anything with your day.

8. And finally, relax. Sounds simple but a five minute walk around the block, just a few seconds breathing and clearing your head or just listening to an upbeat song will really help.

8 comments:

  1. This post is so interesting. Keep it up.

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  2. Hey!

    Your blog is so nice. Please do not stop posting.

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  3. I would whole heartedly agree with the statement about multi-tasking. I think we're extremely good at distracting ourselves, or not doing things we should be doing by replacing them with good excuses (other things that need doing which are also important). It's a great excuse and you feel like you're achieving stuff. Unfortunately the new task quickly becomes painful, and so we move on to another seemingly less painful task. Eventually all tasks are equally painful and we fall in a heap completely overwhelmed!

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  4. Absolutely fantastic article! You should really come back and write some more articles!

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  5. Thank you for the insight on stress management. In addition to effective time management it pays to have ergonomic furniture to reduce stress. If you improve your posture at the desk you will improve your position at the office.

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  6. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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