Life hacks: Anna Geary on conquering stress
Manage your time better and you will keep stress at arm’s length, says lifestyle coach
STRESS hits us all in life, and while a little stress is good as it keeps us focused and motivated, too much can grind our lives to a halt.
When we’re stressed, everything can get on top of us. You may find that it has a cumulative effect, with each stressor building on top of the other. Instead of feeling like you’re constantly chasing the ‘to do’ list (unsuccessfully), identify what you’re actually stressed about.
Is it a specific project at work, an upcoming exam, a disagreement with a work colleague, a heap of undone housework, financial strains? By getting specific, and pinpointing the stresses in your life, you can tackle the easiest first to get it out of the way (and to gain confidence knowing that at least one thing is sorted), and then progress from there.
The main worry with stress is, that while it may start off in a small capacity if it’s not dealt with, it can turn into a long-term problem and be more difficult to fix.
Not dealing with stress can lead to burnout, poor mental health and physical exhaustion.
The work environment is often a place where stress can build up to breaking point.
The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work reported that 22% of employees in Ireland experience stress at work “always” or “most of the time”. The proportion that “always” experience stress was the third highest in Europe.
It was also recently reported that up to 11 million days are lost to stress-related absence in Ireland each year, costing the economy an estimated €1.5bn annually. In Britain, this figure was £26bn, while it is almost up at $300bn in the US.
So, if you are an employer, it might be worth your while making sure the culture of your organisation is conducive to reducing the stress of your staff. That might mean little additions like offering a lunch-ordering service, providing gym memberships/ fitness classes or as simple as encouraging people to leave their desk during their lunch break.
As a society, we are obsessed with always being busy, or at least being ‘seen’ to be busy.
The Future of Work Institute is concerned by the fact, that in the modern workplace, “there is little time given to thinking”. This extends even beyond the realms of the working world, as now emails and deadlines follow us home on our laptops, tablets, phones and even watches. The pinging sound of notifications is now as common in the home, as the sound of a crying baby or a kettle boiling.
The Institute points out that “innovation works best when we have a rested brain”. Often you won’t come up with creative ideas and solutions in a noise-filled environment or mid- flow writing an email. It will be when you are going for a walk, when taking a long shower, reading or people-watching. Taking a break and switching off is so important for stress and productivity levels and for your overall health.
We are in the thick of wedding planning and one of the best bits of advice I recently received relating to stress, was to anticipate the moments when we’re most likely to have increased stress on the big day, or in the lead up to it. Then decide to cut them out entirely or find ways to make them more manageable.
Whether that’s a room full of people on the morning of your wedding, the panic of your first dance, or the worry of making a speech all can create stress.
Nerves are natural, but if you think these moments might spoil your day (or stress you out in the lead-up), find ways to alleviate the stress. For example, have the speeches at the drinks reception to make them more informal. Also, have one week a month that is a ‘wedding free’ zone.
Each of us can play a part in intensifying our own respective stress levels daily. ‘How are you?’, is a question we ask people every day. Think about how many times you have heard the reply, “I’m up the walls”, “Oh stop, I’m very busy” or “I’m flat out”. Are you guilty of saying that yourself? We wear ‘being busy’ as a badge of honour. In many minds, it’s something to be proud of.
It’s almost an (incorrect) indication of status or success in our lives. But here’s the thing, being busy is not an emotion. If someone enquires about how you are, then answering relating to your state of busyness is not an accurate reply.
Also, bear in mind that you may miss out on an opportunity if you keep telling people that you are busy because they might think, ‘well, I won’t ask him to fill this new role or take on this new dream project, because he just told me how swamped he is already’.
If you hear the words ‘busy, hectic, snowed under, swamped, overloaded’ coming out of your mouth often enough, then you may start to convince yourself that this is the case, even when you are not that inundated with things to do. This type of talk can heighten your stress levels unnecessarily.
The question you should ask yourself is, “Am I busy or am I being productive”? There is a big difference.
TOP TIPS
Exercise won’t make your stress disappear, but it will reduce some of the emotional intensity that you’re feeling, clear your thoughts and let you deal with your problems more calmly.
While you can’t control what your boss does, what your in-laws say or the state of the economy, you can control how you react to it all. The worst thing for stress is trying to take control over uncontrollable things. Because when you inevitably fail (as it’s beyond your control) you will only get more stressed and feel helpless. Stress can be paralysing. Doing what’s within your power is what moves you forward.
One of the biggest stressors is lack of time. The to-do list continuously expands, while time continues to fly. How often have you wished for more hours in the day? But you’ve got more time than you imagine, as read in the aptly titled book by Laura Vanderkam, 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think. We have 168 hours in a week like everyone else. A simple tip is to keep track of your time with a spreadsheet.
This will help to you figure out how you’re spending your time, and if you’re doing what you want to be doing. Track your time for a week using various categories, such as sleep, work, food, household tasks, family time and exercise. Don’t forget to factor in “down time” too. As my granny used to say, “wasting time is not time wasted”.
What activities would you rather dismiss from your schedule? We rarely think to outsource washing clothes, food shopping or housework. We may think it’s too expensive or feel shame for not being able to keep up with everything that needs to be done. Yet, we think nothing of outsourcing childcare. For many people, outsourcing housework means more time with your children/ loved ones and more time spent doing the things you love. It might be cheaper and easier than you realise. Some services are free, like food shopping online and having it delivered to your door. Pick one thing and trial it for a month.
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