Stress Management at Work

Practicing stress management at work isn't some complex concept or activity. It's you and me, as leaders, controlling (to the degree we can) those things that cause us stress at work. 

Clients observe that revisiting even a few basic practices that made them productive and successful in the first place, helps them regain some quick control.

52 Ways for Leaders to Reclaim Control of Personal Productivity and Avoid Burnout

Reclaiming control of a few smaller (but important) things creates momentum to tackle and achieve bigger (and often harder) things. Stress is reduced, solutions surface, and a way forward becomes clearer and more doable.

Putting into practice even one of these habits will help you with stress management at work. The more habits you are intentional about acting on, the greater the benefit. 

What follows is a list of 52 everyday habits that successful leaders and professionals practice consistently. Some are very simple, but you may have gotten away from practicing them. Others may be new to you.

If you wish to jump straight to the working section of 52 Solutions, the complete expanded list, insights and five days of coaching for each practice can be found here. 

As You Look to Manage Stress at Work and Maximize Your Efficiency, Pick One or Two Habits to Revisit

For every habit you feel is important to you RIGHT NOW, you will find five days of self-coaching exercises. Pick a practice that seems most relevant to your situation and begin working on it. This isn't about speed or brilliance. It's about regaining control of YOUR time, energy, leadership, and confidence. 

Introducing even a couple of these practices will strengthen our work together on dealing with your overload or burnout. 

These 52 strategies or habits are taken from my book for leaders, 52 Solutions for Those Who Need a 25 Hour Day.

1.   Use the 80/20 Principle
2.   Plan Your Day
3.   Conquer Your To-Do List
4.   Harness the Power of Three
5.   Capture Your Thoughts
6.   Say “No” A Whole Lot More
7.   Be Accountable
8.   Prepare for Meetings
9.   Plan Time for Renewal
10.   Speak With Clarity
11.   Create a Shield to Guard Your Time
12.   Know the Facts
13.   Persevere
14.   Adequately Fund Your Actions
15.   Relieve Yourself of Other Responsibilities
16.   Work With a Great Team
17.   Prepare for People Who Don't Understand
18.   Let Your Purpose Determine Your Schedule
19.   Schedule a Quiet Time
20.   Don't Manage Your Image for Others
21.   Reject Busyness as a Bragging Point
22.   Enjoy the Journey
23.   Avoid Using the Word “Should”
24.   Cultivate Good Friendships
25.   Focus on One Person at a Time
26.   Change Pace
27.   Deal With Things as They Come Up
28.   Focus on the Assignment, Not the Work Week
29.   Eliminate Scraps of Paper
30.   Handle Things the Least Amount of Times Possible
31.   If it's Not an Absolute Yes, it's a No
32.   Do it Now
33.   Embrace Failure
34.   Group Lesser Tasks
35.   Read Books on Time Management
36.   Make the Tough Decisions
37.   Work With a Coach
38.   Break it Down into Parts
39.   Get Your Finances in Order
40.   Do Ditch Delegate Delay
41.   Build Character
42.   Celebrate Individual Steps
43.   Practice Time In, Time On and Time Out
44.   STOP
45.   Make a Strategic Alliance
46.   Plan for the Unexpected
47.   Organize Your Files
48.   Space Your Appointments
49.   Accomplish More While Traveling
50.   Create a Not-to-Do List
51.   Ask the Wants Versus Needs Questions
52.   Keep Technology at its Simplest Level

Use the 5 Days of Self-Directed Coaching for Stress Management at Work

The five-day questions, suggestions and invitations to experiment are simple.

They will enable you to move from thinking to purpose to action and on to greater effectiveness and success.

Life and managing stress is made up of habits, strategies and techniques. A small change in one area can result in significant positive change across a broad range of life and leadership areas.

Even a 1% improvement every month for 10 months is a total 10% improvement in efficiency! Improving 1% per month is completely doable, isn't it? 

Be Intentional and Notice the Change

If you are intentional about managing stress by working on these habits in even a handful of areas, you will be a different person and a different leader one year from now.

You now have the opportunity to accomplish more things that really matter to you. And this will help you in dealing with that significant stress you are going through.

All 52 are contained in my book, "52 Solutions for Those Who Need a 25 Hour Day."

Achieve More Priorities, The Ones that Truly Make a Difference in Your Situation

I found over the years, in practicing these 52 basic strategies for managing stress that I ended up gaining greater focus and momentum. I achieve more priorities … the true priorities that make a difference (not to be confused with saying “everything” is a priority).

If we are working together I'll encourage you to revisit one or two new strategies every month in addition to other things we may be focusing our attention on. In this way you will make considerable personal and professional development gains over the course of our coaching engagement.