Some stresses are unavoidable; others can be reduced or avoided entirely! Here are some tips to help manage and/or avoid stress.
Good time management can be a great way to avoid stress — you’ll get more time with family and friends, increase work performance and productivity, and have free time to relax and do the things you love.
- Keep records of how you spend your time — look at how much time you’re spending on work, family, and other things.
- Prioritize your time — rate tasks by importance and urgency. Focus on the things that are most important; other things can wait.
- Use a day planner to help keep track of work and other commitments. Organization and planning can help take a lot of stress off your shoulders — you know what’s coming and when.
- Manage your commitments — don’t over-commit yourself. Keeping a weekly or monthly schedule can help you know at a glance where you have time to help and where you don’t.
- Break large projects into smaller segments. Set short term and long term deadlines to help you move through your work.
- Don’t be afraid to delegate. Share large projects with your coworkers, or get your family to help with chores around the house. You don’t have to do it all alone!
Keeping a stress journal can help identify what stresses you out — and what your coping strategies are. Write down stressful events, your reaction, and how you coped. Maybe you got mad; maybe you gritted your teeth and kept going; maybe you hit the drive through for fries and a shake. Over time, you’ll be able to recognize patterns in the things that trigger stress and how you react.
For example, if you always get stressed while you’re running the kids around after school — trying to get one to sports practice and another to music lessons — you may need to change things around. Maybe reschedule something to a different time or day, or see if you can set up a carpool with other parents with children on the same team. You don’t have to handle everything alone!