From distress to de-stress; Managing Office Stress

For better or worse, work is a huge part of our lives. But that doesn’t mean that overtime is obligatory. One solution is to fine-tune your time-management skills. It is possible to adjust your habits to buy more time for the things that matter most.

• Plan regularly:

Every night, check through your list of things of things to do. Review the list, prioritize and decide how much time you need to get each activity done.

• Set deadlines for major projects:

Focus on starting to work on projects- not finishing them. Instead of procrastinating, divide large projects into manageable pieces and attack only one piece at a time.

• Delegate more:

Pass projects on to others at work, and recruit the children to help with the housework.

• Schedule concentration time:

Block out some time every day when you can’t be disturbed. Use that time to get the most important tasks of the day done.

• Organize throughout the day:

Follow a simple rule; Deal with it, Delegate it or Dump it.

• Be sociable at work:

Chitchat can be very important as it builds relationships and helps to stay plugged into the office grapevine.

• Make and return most phone calls at a set time:

Set aside a portion of the day as telephone time. Let people know that this is the best time to reach you by phone, so they’ll not bother you as much during the rest of the day.

• Stay flexible:

All your careful panning will be of little use if you assume that you can’t veer from the schedule you have set.

• Start your workday right – At home the night before:

Prepare yourself for the next days work, a night earlier. Mentally draw down next day’s schedule.