The frenzy of the 2015 holiday season is fast approaching. With tight work deadlines, holiday commitments, and endless shopping lists, it’s easy to get stressed out. Inspired by the Meridian Health Fair Day in our office this week, I searched for this week’s top articles on reducing workplace stress and increasing productivity.
In case you missed it (ICYMI), here’s how to manage workplace stress and avoid careless mistakes in the workplace during the holiday season!
How to stay focused at work during a stressful holiday season
The holidays are just as stressful as they are fun. With work projects wrapping up and new ones on the horizon, it’s hard to maintain a clear and calm mindset—especially with travel, holiday, and shopping plans taking over your to-do lists! To help you stay cheerful and productive, Mashable put together a list of three ways to stay focused during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.
- Don’t give in to interruptions. Guess what? Multitasking doesn’t work. It kills your productivity. Don’t give in to distractions this holiday season. Mashable recommends constantly reminding yourself that interruptions will increase dramatically over the holidays, but it’s important to remember not to give in to them. Focus on the task at hand, and you’ll be far more likely to get through the day without anything falling between the cracks.
- Look for the right projects. According to the article, the holidays are a great time to catch up on email and work on self-guided projects. With colleagues out of town for the holidays, you can take advantage of the peace and quiet and focus on some of the bigger projects on your workload.
- Be thoughtful about your off hours as well. We often forget that scheduling time for non-work commitments is just as important as scheduling time for work-related commitments. Working extra hours before taking time off is tempting, but it isn’t a healthy practice. Avoid overtime if you can, and try engaging yourself in the activities you enjoy. Something that can help you unwind from the stress of the day. For instance, you can join clubs with your friends or join them for a tennis or badminton game.
Unique ways to burn off stress
Job-related stress costs us an estimated $300 billion a year and wreaks havoc on our minds and bodies. A continuous work schedule can drain your energy and cause you to slow down, reducing your productivity and efficiency. Providing breaks where one can relax for a short period of time could help reduce stress and anxiety and allow you to get back on track with a possibly higher output.
As part of this effort, Fast Company this week listed some of the innovative ways in which organizations are proactively managing stress.
- Workplace venting sessions. One company created a weekly venting report where employees could anonymously publicly submit frustrations. They also held a meeting once a month where they could address the issues.
- Offering one-on-one attention. Another organization hired stress management coaches to offer employees specific techniques that address their needs.
- Offer stress relief medication. One of the easiest ways to help your employees burn off stress is to have some mild medication.
- Mindfulness on demand. Google takes it a step further by offering specific classes like Meditation 101, Search Inside Yourself, and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. They even created a virtual and in-person community called gPause that encourages mediation and stress reduction.
Ten mistakes you might be making in the first 10 minutes of your workday
I bet you didn’t realize how much the first 10 minutes of your workday set you up for success (or failure). Business Insider researched some common mistakes we make at the beginning of the day. Here are ten traps that are keeping you from success:
- I am getting in late. This is obvious: being late will certainly throw you into a tailspin.
- Not greeting your coworkers. It’s important to be friendly, or you’ll come off unapproachable.
- Drinking coffee. The best time to drink coffee is 9:30 am when your cortisol levels are declining and you’re more likely to need a caffeine boost.
- Answering every email in your inbox. Before you start responding, scan and prioritize your inbox!
- Launching into your work without a tentative schedule in mind. A prioritized to-do list is the only way to ensure your day and workload don’t go sideways.
- Do the easiest task first. Save the easy stuff for when you’re suffering from the 3 o’clock feeling; you’ll be much more prepared to tackle the big projects in the morning.
- You can’t devote 100% of your brain to three different tasks simultaneously.
- Dwelling on negative thoughts. Leave the negative thoughts about your soul-sucking commute at the door. Dwelling on them all day will kill your mood and productivity.
- Having a meeting. According to experts, morning tasks should be focused on things that take a lot of brainpower, like writing. Dedicating that precious time to meetings will throw your brain off.
- Not following a routine. Healthy habits and routines help your brain save mental energy.
Here’s a little thought to go out on. Workplace stress is a real problem in many countries, so much so that it has dire consequences for people. Many people have been known to fall into a substance abuse problem to cope with the anxiety and pressure of their burden at the office. All it ends up doing is leaving the person crippled in the long run, and the only hope of salvation for them remains in an institution for drug and alcohol rehab in Thailand or wherever else. Therefore, managing your work and its stress cannot be overstated. So, as long as you follow the rules listed above and don’t bite off more than you can chew, you should be fine.