How to Manage Stress and Still Get Everything Done

Everyone gets stressed! Whether you're a single mom working two jobs just to make a decent living for your loved ones or a 21 year old college student on a full ride scholarship, there are stresses that have to be dealt with! Although our stresses are not the same, the way we can deal with them without shutting down are very much alike.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A day planner
• A good work ethic
• Emotional Control

1. 
    

   Get organized! No matter what stresses you are dealing with, you always know that there are things to get done and a deadline for all agendas. A technique that really works for me is having a notebook, day planner, or simply a calendar. In this I write down what things I must get finished, what date and/or time it needs to be completed and a reminder in my planner half-way in between knowing about it and completing it. This helps me prioritize. If I know I have 4 things to do from Monday to Wednesday, I set a deadline for each one. I spread them out.

2. 
    

   Don't panic! When we get overwhelmed or stressed, most of the time it is because we do not prioritize and use out time in the wisest way. If you feel overwhelmed, take a deep breath and just focus on one thing at a time. Looking ahead in the day planner is never a good idea. Take it one day/obstacle at a time to avoid panic.

3. Always schedule in some "me" time. No one is EVER too busy for themselves! Whether it is 5 minutes of breathing exercises while in the shower or an hour and a half workout, this always lowers the amount of stress.

Tips & Warnings

• Always get enough sleep. The average person needs somewhere in between 8 and 10 hours of sleep a night. Sometimes this is just not achievable, but at VERY least ... get 6 hours.
• When you're working on one obstacle, don't think about another. If you worry about another project while working on the one you need to focus on, you'll either not complete the task at all, or the task will not get done as well as it should.
• By achieving a less stressful life ... you might have to say the one word that no one likes to hear or say ...NO! You may have to say no to friends, family, or co-workers. If you're too busy ... you're too busy.

[alcor805]

on 2/20/2009 Great Article. God knows I've got a lot of stress. :)