Last week, a member of the project team had a crisis. Everything was becoming too much for and she had to step out to regain her cool. It’s an all too common situation for a lot of teams and individuals these days. Deadlines are shorter, workloads are increasing and with smart phones, we’re constantly connected. Recharging our batteries becomes more challenging.
Here are 15 top tips to stay cool when you’re experiencing stress:
It’s simple. I love my weekends and what better way to start it than by attending a concert with my friend? Simple Minds were playing at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium. Wow! The stadium was packed, the band put on a great show and we were just soaking up the fun surrounding us.
As I looked at the stars during one song, I realised again how lucky I am. It’s late January and we were outside (I admit the 21C/70F did feel cold though). It was a Thursday night, last day of our working week, and we were being entertained by a fabulous band from my childhood. I was spending the evening with one of my closest friends. I was simply grateful for what life gave me.
Gratitude which is defined as “being aware of and thankful for the good things that happen; taking time to express thanks.” can be such a cool thing. What are you grateful for?
The festive season is almost over and the long weekend seems to be months away. It was such a wonderful time celebrating with my loved ones on the beach. But then, I was shocked seeing a Facebook post about my cousin in the US. She was hospitalised – suspected stroke! While she’s better and at now home now, it was terrible news.
It made me realise how important spending time with our loved ones really is. We’d expect something to happen to our parents, not to our cousins and friends.
We’re all so busy wrapping up outstanding projects at work, finalising that sale before year end, preparing for the Holidays, rushing from one party to another, getting the nails done and so on. There’s hardly any time for us to just breathe. Even at the hairdresser’s, it’s writing down what needs to be done next.
This weekend, my friend from London was visiting and we were enjoying the beautiful weather in Dubai. Laying at the beach, soaking in the sun, relaxing, it was gorgeous! As I was looking around, I realised how much I love these moments of peace, quiet and sunshine.
I also noticed how well my friend did without her phone. Fair enough, she didn’t have data roaming and free wifi was not always available. Still, seeing her carrying on a normal face-to-face conversation without looking at her phone every 2 minutes was almost a new thing for Dubai.
It made me look back at a previous holiday where my work phone didn’t have reception. While it was only a short break, it was a very uncomfortable feeling for me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m easily replaceable, or so I think. My colleagues thought differently and relaxation was gone once I saw the number of emails in my inbox. For me, this holiday showed me that I can unplug and live without my phone after all!
When was the last time that you stopped being connected 24/7?
This week is almost over and I’m exhausted. Seeing the winter decoration being put up at my hairdresser’s this week, it hit me. We’re now entering the crazy last few weeks of the year. At work, people are trying to reach their annual targets. Students are slowly but surely preparing for end of term exams. Across the world, folks are getting ready for the advent season and ultimately Christmas.
These activities, plus our normal daily activities, can leave us drained and shattered. How fantastic is it that we’re getting a long weekend! 2 and 3 December will be given off to employees in the private industry and we can enjoy a mini-break from Wednesday till Sunday. What are you going to do with these extra days off?
Anybody with children knows how important a routine is for them. Ignore their nap time and you’ll have a grouchy kid for the rest of the day. In the past, routines were ridiculed as taking the spontaneity or creativity out of something. These days, more and more people are recognising the benefits of routines.
The benefits have been widely described as:
At the end of the week, I often feel deflated and can’t wait to recharge my batteries over the weekend. Work can be very stressful and I’ve recognised the need to relax to avoid burnout. For me, this means spending time with my loved ones, going out and having fun with my friends and, despite the heat, golf or some other physical activity.
How do you boost your energy levels? If you don’t know which method is suitable for you, take this test from Psychologies UK. Here are 5 suggestions for everyone to take a break and regain your strength:
Running or even long walks are part of my routing to blow off some steam. It’s a brilliant way to simultaneously catch up on webcasts. Recently, Authentic Living shared that 80% of Americans are stressed. On a daily basis! I was shocked.
Not having enough time to meet tight deadlines, dealing with ridiculous workloads and the never ending email traffic are typical workday stressors. Being stressed at work is stressful! Add stress outside of work to the mix. Being stuck in traffic, coordinating social engagements, finding the missing tax documents. NAPO found that Americans are losing 1 full year of their life looking for misplaced items.
Here are 7 tips to prevent this horrible feeling of being stressed all the time:
The weekend is barely over and I’m already writing about the next weekend. Am I nuts? No, though some of my friends may question it at times. Rather than waiting for Thursday night, then debating how to spend the weekend and wasting valuable time, start thinking about it now. To me, it’s also a great motivator which carries me through the week. Are you also looking forward to some of your weekend activities?
When’s that opening of the long awaited restaurant again? Is there an artisan market which you meant to visit for weeks going on? What about this nagging home improvement list that you’ve been putting off? Do you need to complete a proposal for your business?
Follow these easy steps and you’re ready to own the weekend:
Today was probably one of my most productive days this month. The UK and the US were off for their public holiday, I had blocked time for a project I procrastinated on for too long (yup, I also have weaknesses), defined achievable steps for an upcoming project with some colleagues and answered the majority of my emails (yeah!). Wow! By the end of the day, I felt ahead of the day and even week.
Want to leave your office with the same feeling of accomplishment and success every day? Feel at the top of the world? Make your purposeful planning and actions thrive you to reach your best? Here are some tips for you to increase your efficiency and productivity: