I have had to learn how to deal with stress in my everyday life, as have countless others. I researched and studied and found some practical tips that have made a huge difference in reducing my stress levels. It certainly worked for me and I hope it helps you too.
Have you got into a routine where you ‘always’ do certain tasks or chores and they are now proving heavy going? It’s time you looked realistically at what you could change to reduce that burden. Are you in the routine of always being the one who has to make dinner in the evening? Delegate so others get a chance to make a meal or choose one night where you get to eat out?
Are you the one who uses up their lunch hour to go to the post office, replenish the office tea and biscuit supply or is responsible for cards and collections for staff events like leaving parties or get well flowers? Well, again couldn’t someone else take over for a while? Think about who you could ask, and if no one is willing to take it on, then why don’t you just stop doing it for a while and see what happens? Saying clearly to your colleagues, friends and family that you need a break because you have got too much else on is a positive step forward.
Be honest, are you working too many hours so you can’t possibly get everything done? Working long hours really adds to the stress you are putting yourself under.
The best way of organising yourself is to implement some form of time management system. It’s important to know just where the biggest chunks of your time go and how you spend the day, so get yourself a diary with enough room to write those details in. Put in all the things you do every day and keep that up for at least a week. This will give you a very clear idea of where, and on what, you spend the majority of your time. At the beginning of the week make a master list of the things that must be done that week and use it as a check list each day to focus on what to tackle first.
You are not a robot, and being human means being fallible so give yourself some space and accept that it isn’t always possible to get everything done. It helps to prioritise so you are clear about what it is really essential to do first. The ‘A’ list is usually the urgent and essential tasks, the ‘B’ list is important but not as urgent and the ‘C’ list is neither urgent nor of high priority but will need to be done at some stage. An example of an ‘A’ task would be ringing the plumber if you have a burst pipe, a ‘B’ task would be contacting the insurance company and a ‘C’ task would be finding a decorator to repair the damage.
Take the time today to start making some small changes and you will soon see your stress levels reducing, and that means you will be healthier, and happier as a result.
AnnA is the author of the practical ebook, ‘How To Handle Stress’ and is an inspirational writer and speaker on health, personal development and creativity. For more information and news of her special bonus on Attitude and Illness, visit http://www.sortingstressout.com
If you would like free email newsletters, creative resources and archives then visit her main website at http://www.catalystonline.co.uk
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