Stress management gives you a set of tools to reset your alarm clock and feel more relaxed.
Stress management
Managing work and school can be stressful, and many people face regular sources of stress each day. Having too much to do each day is one of the leading causes of everyday stress.
You may wake up in the morning and immediately feel stressed before your feet even hit the ground.
This is no way to live, and you understandably need to take action to improve the situation.
By following these stress management tips, you can create a less stressful schedule that improves your overall quality of life.
5 ways of keeping stress under control
1. Be realistic
When you pencil items into your calendar, it is important to be realistic about how long each item will take.
For example, a doctor appointment in the afternoon will rarely take only 15 minutes realistically. It may take you more than 15 minutes just to get to the doctor’s office.
When you are not realistic about how long tasks will take, you automatically set yourself back each day
Then, you must check in, wait to be called back, wait for the doctor to see you, check out and drive back to your home or office. The entire process may easily take a few hours.
2. Prioritize your to-do list
Another important step to take is to create prioritized lists each day.
For example, it is important that you get the kids to school on time, but it may be far less important to vacuum the floor. Vacuuming can easily wait until the following day without majorly impacting your life.
Do not feel pressured to get everything done in a single day.
3. Delegate
Stressed out people often take on too many items, and they can greatly reduce their stress level by delegating. After all, you do not need to be the only one in the house to take the kids to school or to vacuum.
Use others in your office to help with big projects. Set up a carpool for getting the kids to and from school.
There are many ways you can reach out for help with your busy schedule
4. Employ the power of saying “no”
Another reason why people have a busy schedule is because they take on too many responsibilities.
For example, the PTA may have asked you to contribute your time at a school fair when you already have a major project due at work that week.
It is acceptable for you to simply state that the timing is bad for you and you cannot participate this year.
5. Pencil in downtime
It is easy to feel overwhelmed with a busy schedule when you are constantly spinning your wheels without any downtime to enjoy on your own or with family and friends.
Take time to consider things you enjoy doing personally, and ensure that you pencil time in your schedule to enjoy those activities.
By scheduling this time, you can eliminate this source of stress
For example, you can easily grab some yoga pants and enjoy a session at your local yoga studio a few times each week. This can do wonders for your stress level.
You also may want to plan time each week to spend quality time with your loved ones. After all, you may feel stressed when you feel as though you do not have time for what is truly important in life.
Conclusion
On one hand, it is great that you lead an active, productive and healthy life.
On the other hand, you may be over-booked on a regular basis, and your busy schedule may be a source of unhappiness for you.
By learning how to better manage your commitments and schedule, you can more easily enjoy the quality of life that you desire and reduce your stress level in the process.
Stress management will give you the relief you need.
How’s your stress management going? Anything to add? Anything to comment? Leave your opinion in the comments below and let me know!
For more business and career tips, check our entrepreneurship section and subscribe to our weekly newsletters.