We call them the ‘ber’ months, September, October, November, and December, that is, and they’re just, in a word, busy. Now, the ‘ber’ months could be your quiet months of the year, but it’s probably safe to assume that you’ve experienced or tend to experience days, weeks, or perhaps months that feel almost overwhelming. Today we’re going to talk about how to deal with and manage stress during busy seasons because while these seasons are, in retrospect, short, the feelings experienced throughout are often very big. Let’s get into it!
Eliminate Interruptions
Sometimes the best thing you can do is put your head down and simply get work done, but with social media and e-mails and other humans existing, sometimes this can be easier said than done. And let’s be honest, it can be especially difficult when you’re procrastinating. We recommend eliminating interruptions to the best of your ability; shut the door, put your phone on ‘do not disturb’, snooze your e-mails, and set a time for X minutes of uninterrupted work time.
Delegate When You Can
Some of us are just really bad at asking for help or delegating, but whether it’s your family or your staff, look for ways to include others. You’ll find that despite what you think, people do love to lend a helping hand. Delegating allows you to focus on priority projects and not priority projects plus all the little things.
Make a List, Check it Twice
Whether you’re a natural listmaker or not, seeing what you need to do in writing rather than just allowing these thoughts to float around in your brain. By making a to-do list you can better prioritize your list which, in turn, makes delegating much easier. Plus you get the satisfaction of marking things off of your list, which is a feeling we live for.
Make Sure You’re Setting Appropriate Expectations
Sometimes things happen amid our busy seasons of life and we end up taking longer to achieve our goals than we thought. Make sure that as you’re making a plan to achieve everything you need to achieve that you consider the possible hiccups and plan accordingly. Remember that your goal is to set yourself up for success and not for failure.
In a Word: SLEEP
If you aren’t getting enough sleep then you aren’t great at making decisions, solving problems, controlling your emotions, or coping with change, so you see how a lack of sleep could affect you.
Don’t Over Commit
This can be hard, especially fi you’re one of those superhero people that wants to help everyone and probably can, but it means that you’re sacrificing time that could be spent relaxing or sleeping. Don’t sacrifice your mental health or your sacred time.