Few things in life can bring on new highs for stress levels like the holiday season. There is so much going on during this time of year in both our personal and professional lives. For many of us, year end brings about a bounty of dead-line induced activities, added to our already overloaded plate, all of which needs to get wrapped up by December 31. And speaking of wrapped up, there are all those gifts to buy for a ton of people on your list. The extra strain on the personal finances is a big contributor to our stress levels. Add in potential travel, kids out of school, holiday baking, decorations to put up, getting your home clean for the company that is coming, and, oh yeah, all the stuff that is already on your “to do” list, it’s no wonder that many of us feel very overwhelmed. Where there is overwhelm, there is stress.
There are a number of things we can do to keep stress and overwhelm at a minimum and maintain our Up or Getting Up (But Never Down) attitude. Here are six key things to focus on:
- Maintain your list of “Things to Finish”. While this should be an ongoing list that is continually maintained and reviewed, now more than ever is when you need to clear your head and get a visual of everything you are wanting/needing to finish. By doing so, you can more consciously evaluate where to place your focus and reduce your feeling of overwhelm.
- Stay focused on what needs to happen next instead of EVERYTHING that needs to happen. Nothing compounds the feeling of overwhelm more than reminding yourself of every little thing that needs to get done, even though you can’t put the decorations on the tree until you get the lights on the tree, and you can’t put the lights on the tree until you set up your tree, and you can’t do THAT until you go get the tree from storage. In other words, nothing CAN happen until you get the tree from storage, so just hold on to “Get the Christmas tree from storage” as your next step and trust that all the other steps will start to fall in to place once you get that done.
- Track your next steps by Context. David Allen, author of the NY Times National Best Seller “Getting Things Done”, recommends that you track your next actions by context. In other words, group your next actions by “where you need to be” or “what tool do you need.” For example, I keep a list for “Home”, which are actions I can only take when I am physically at my house. I also have categories for “Calls” (for calls I need to make), “Errands” (things I need to do when I am out and about), and “Computer” (actions for which I need my computer in order to accomplish, like all of my online shopping.) You might also have one for “Office”, which are actions you can only take when you are at work. The value in doing this comes from reducing overwhelm. How? Well, at any given moment, there are things you can do and there are things you can’t do. For example, when you are in your office at work, there is nothing on your “Home” list that you can do because you need to be home in order to do them. As a result, when you are at work, you don’t need to even look at your “Home” actions so you are not stressing yourself out by looking at a bunch of stuff you need to get done, but can’t do at the moment.
- Take care of yourself. In the rush of the holidays, it is easy to neglect our own well-being. There is so much to get done, both at work and at home, that we may find ourselves skipping meals or just grabbing a handful of all the readily available candies and desserts. It is certainly OK to enjoy the treats of the season, but recognize that your body needs fuel (good fuel) to deal with the increased volume of activities and stress levels. Take time to stop, sit down, and eat at least one healthy meal a day.
- Take time to rest. Yes, there is a LOT to get done, but cognitive science has shown us that taking time to rest, relax, and recharge will contribute to overall productivity, not detract from it. Your brain and your body need time to recharge to perform at peak. As Dr. Stephen Covey, author of “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, stated so well, take time to “sharpen your saw.”
- Raise your level of tolerance for others. This may be the most difficult one of all, but remind yourself that it is a busy time of year for everyone. It is not the fault of the minimum-wage seasonal worker that the store is out of stock of the item you were looking for, or that 40 people decided to check out at the same time as you. Remember to Respond instead of React (to see my article on that subject click here!) Take a deep breath. Relax.
This is a wonderful time of year. You CAN keep your Up or Getting Up attitude even during this busy time of year by taking a few steps to reduce the levels of stress and overwhelm while remaining highly productive. Enjoy the season and keep being Up or Getting Up (But Never Down!)
What is your favorite technique for reducing stress in your life? Please add to the conversation in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Be sure to visit and “like” our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/uporgettingup). If you are interested in bringing James in to speak to your organization or group (or just want additional information), please contact us by clicking here (go ahead…you know you want to!)