It is a common scenario that a person associated with a responsible position in any domain of work has to face spells of overwork time and again. If this extra load of work is not handled properly, then the burden increases further leading to a stressful situation under which even normal abilities seem to shrink and very soon the person reaches a state of confusion and numbness. We will discuss some pointers on how one can function effectively in such situations and manage without undue stress.
Accept that it is not possible for you to do everything Indeed, we cannot do everything. Each person has his own limitations. In such conditions, if he ends up taking responsibility for anything and everything, there will soon come a situation where he will not be able to do even a single job efficiently. The burden of work impairs a person’s ability to think and places him in a state of stress. Therefore, it is essential to review both our personal and professional lives to determine all those tasks that are not getting accomplished in spite of the best of our efforts. Having the courage to understand and accept this truth is very important for our strategy to combat stress.
It is imperative that we focus on our core strengths and delegate all those tasks outside of it to appropriate team members. This requires a good understanding of the abilities of each member of your team. This enables you to identify the owners for different tasks according to their strengths. Once the responsibility is delegated, you should periodically oversee the progress being made, offer advice when required, provide encouragement if it is being handled satisfactorily, provide guidance to correct any mistakes done and ensure that the task is taken to completion.
Give sufficient time to chart out a plan To accomplish any task, it is essential that there is a solid plan in place. Never consider the time taken to plan to be a waste. Meticulous planning ensures that time and resources are put to best possible use, which will ensure the successful completion of the said task.It is worth remembering what the great American President Abraham Lincoln said – ‘If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend four sharpening my axe.’ The meaning is that one should spend more time in preparation. This is very true in the context of planning a task.Always focus on the priorities It is crucial to know the preferences associated with each task if you want to rid yourself of the stress related to work. The priorities are ascertained during the planning phase, and they should be completed in that order. If you lose focus on priorities, there is a good chance that you end up spending time on unimportant tasks while the more important ones remain incomplete.To ensure that you never land in such a situation, it is always helpful to classify your tasks in four different quadrants:1. Important and urgent: Tasks need to be done right away2. Important but not urgent: You can postpone the tasks to a later time3. Not important but urgent: These tasks can be delegated to others4. Not important and not urgent: These can be easily skipped
Always be wary about distractions In the present times, social media and smartphones are proving to be huge distractions that can make you lose track of your time and life without your even realizing it. These technologies are beneficial and open doors to innumerable opportunities, but it is up to you that these are used wisely and not be distracted by them.Similarly, unwanted meetings should be avoided. You should make it a habit to say “No” firmly and politely. It is seen that the time gets wasted on unimportant stuff because of not being able to say ‘No.’ This, in turn, creates a time crunch for other activities. Therefore, you should identify all the distractions that are draining your time and make a plan for handling them efficiently.
Maintain a balance between professional and family life It is extremely essential that there is a balance between your life at the office and home. If we are not mindful of its significance, it can lead to a lot of unwanted stress and strained relationships that can affect your productivity substantially. So, always maintain the right balance between professional life and family and friends. This goes a long way in improving the quality of your life.Avoid multitasking Do not take up more than one task at the same time because your focus gets distributed, and the quality of work suffers. This leads to unrest and a lack of confidence. So, take up one task at a time; divide it into multiple sub-tasks and complete each one methodically. The success in each of these sub-tasks will boost your confidence and provide the satisfaction of accomplishing something. This also makes it easier to do subsequent tasks.
It is a good idea to create a time table and also track the amount of time spent on various activities. This gives a clear picture of how much time is getting wasted on unimportant stuff. Time utilization can be reviewed every week and refined for the subsequent week.Maintain a healthy routine Amid all the work pressure, you should maintain a habit of taking healthy food, adequate sleep, keeping positive thoughts, and cordial social relations. This will ensure that you are enthusiastic and energetic most of the time. This way, you can handle the stress in day-to-day life and stay positive all the time.“Man does not get tired by the enormity of work, but by considering it as a burden and doing it irregularly. – Acharya Shriram Sharma”
Source: Akhand Jyoti Magazine Sept-Oct 2019