The average
business professional has 30 to 100 projects on their plate. Modern workers are
interrupted seven times an hour and distracted up to 2.1 hours a day.
Is there a way to
maintain steady focus throughout the day? Is it possible to do everything that
needs to get done and still have energy left over after work? How do you keep
cool under so many demands? Informed by 10 years of Harvard research and
field-tested by more than 6,000 clients and trainees,
Sharon Melnick, Ph.D
offers the following strategies to take your work stress down a peg, before it
takes over your life.
Act Rather Than
React
“We experience
stress when we feel that situations are out of our control,” says Melnick. It
activates the stress hormone and, if chronic, wears down confidence,
concentration and well-being.
She advises that
you identify the aspects of the situation you can control and aspects you
can’t. Typically, you’re in control of your actions and responses, but not in
control of macro forces or someone else’s tone.
Take A Deep Breath
If you’re feeling
overwhelmed or are coming out of a tense meeting or a visit and need to clear
your head, a few minutes of deep breathing will restore balance, says Melnick.
Simply inhale for five seconds, hold and exhale in equal counts through the
nose. “It’s like getting the calm and focus of a 90-minute yoga class in three
minutes or less at your desk,” she says.
Eliminate
Interruptions
“Most of us are
bombarded during the day,” says Melnick. Emails, phone calls, pop ins, instant
messages and sudden, urgent deadlines conspire to make today’s workers more
distracted than ever.
While you may not
have control over the interrupters, you can control your response. Melnick
advises responding in one of three ways: Accept the interruption, cut it off,
or diagnosis its importance and make a plan.
Schedule Your Day
For Energy And Focus
Most of us go
through the day using a “push, push, push” approach, thinking if we work the
full eight to 10 hours, we’ll get more done. Instead, productivity goes down,
stress levels go up and you have very little energy left over for your family,
Melnick says. She advises scheduling breaks throughout the day to walk, stretch
at your desk or do a breathing exercise. “Tony Schwartz of the Energy Project
has shown that if we have intense concentration for about 90 minutes, followed
by a brief period of recovery, we can clear the buildup of stress and
rejuvenate ourselves,” she says.
Eat Right And Sleep
Well
“Eating badly will
stress your system,” says Melnick, who advises eating a low-sugar, high-protein
diet. “And when you’re not sleeping well, you’re not getting the rejuvenating
effects.” According to the CDC, an estimated 60 million Americans do not get
sufficient sleep, which is a critical recovery period for the body. If racing
thoughts keep you from falling asleep or you wake up in the night and can’t get
back to sleep, Melnick suggests a simple breathing trick that will knock you
out fast: Cover your right nostril and breathe through your left for three to
five minutes.
Change Your Story
Step back and take
a more objective view at the issues you face on day to day, you’ll be more
effective and less likely to take things personally.
Cool Down Quickly
“When you feel
frustrated or angry, it’s a heated feeling in your body that can cause you to
react,” says Melnick. Instead of immediately reacting—and likely overreacting—she
suggests trying a “cooling breath” technique: Breathe in through your mouth as
if you are sipping through a straw, and then breathe out normally through your
nose. Done right, you’ll feel a cooling, drying sensation over the top of your tongue.
It’s like hitting the “pause” button, giving you time to think about your
response. She says, “It’s so powerful it will even calm the other person down.”
Identify
Self-Imposed Stress
“Learn to stop self-imposing
stress by building your own self-confidence rather than seeking other’s
approval,” says Melnick. If you’re too caught up in others’ perceptions of you,
which you can’t control, you become stressed out. Ironically, once you shift
your focus from others’ perception of your work to the work itself, you’re more
likely to impress them.
Prioritize Your
Priorities
With competing
deadlines and fast-changing priorities, it’s critical to define what’s truly
important and why. That requires clarity, says Melnick. It’s important to
understand your role in the organization, the company’s strategic priorities,
and your personal goals and strengths. Cull your to-do list by focusing on
those projects that will have the most impact and are best aligned with your
goals.
Reset The Panic
Button
For those who become
panic-y and short of breath before a presentation, Melnick says you can quickly
reduce your anxiety with the right acupressure point. Positioning your thumb on
the side of your middle finger and applying pressure instantly helps regulate
your blood pressure.
Influence Others
Even if you’re responsible for your behaviour and outlook, you’re still
left dealing with other people’s stressful behaviour, Melnick notes.
She advises confronting a problem co-worker or employee by stating the
bad behaviour in a respectful tone, describing the impact on the team and the
individual, and requesting a change.
For example, constant negativity might be addressed in this way: “When
you speak in a critical tone, it makes others uncomfortable and less likely to
see you as a leader. I understand your frustration but request that you bring
concerns directly to me, so we can talk them through.” By transferring the
ownership of the problem, you’re more likely to resolve it.
Be Your Own Best
Critic
Some 60,000
thoughts stream through your mind each day, Melnick says, and internal
negativity is just as likely to stress you out as an external event. The fix?
Instead of being harsh and critical of yourself, try pumping yourself up.
Encouraging thoughts will help motivate you to achieve and ultimately train you
to inspire others.
Jamal, IT Guru
