Are you a human who lives in the 21st century and works, or aspires to work? Then chances are, you spend a significant portion of your time feeling pretty stressed out. The good news is that just about everyone has tips for you on how to manage the pressure. The even-better news is that some of that advice comes from very successful people.
Heidi Grant Halvorson, author or Nine Things Successful People Do Differently, has a list of nine strategies successful people use to beat stress. You can read the whole thing over at Lifehacker, but here are a few that stood out to us:
1. Have Self-Compassion
It's easy to beat yourself up when you're under the gun and everything seems to be going wrong, but resist the temptation to berate yourself for simple mistakes or minor organizational snafus. You deserve slack as much as the next person, and as Grant Halvorson points out, "A dose of self-compassion when things are at their most difficult can reduce your stress and improve your performance, by making it easier to learn from your mistakes."
2. Do Something Interesting — Even If It's Only for Five Minutes.
It might seem counterintuitive to step away from a tedious task in order to complete it more efficiently, but concentrating on something that interests you for a few minutes will "fill up your tank" and give you the energy to see the project through.
3. Add "Where" and "When" to Your To-Do List
If your to-do list is getting unwieldy, try being more specific about when and where you're going to perform each task. For example, instead of writing, "file contracts," write "if it is Wednesday at 2 p.m., file contracts." Studies have shown that being precise about the details can triple your chances of actually achieving your goals.
Tell Us What You Think
We want to hear from you! How do you beat stress? Share your secrets on Twitter, using the hashtag #MakeItHappen or leave a comment.
More from PayScale
12 Ways to De-Stress at Your Startup Job
Learn How to Get More Retweets [infographic]
4 Sneaky Tips for Your Stealth Job Hunt
(Photo Credit: Alan Cleaver/Flickr)
Leave a Reply