With this month marking National Stress Awareness month; a time when health care professionals and people join forces to increase awareness of the causes and cures for our modern stress epidemic and naturally working within one of the fastest moving, demanding industries there is we thought we’d share some of the tips that help us get through the notorious stressful periods.
- Pencil in quiet time
‘Work-life balance’ a term we’re increasingly aware of including its relevance for optimum productivity and the additional array of benefits but the reality of achieving it often seems unattainable. With the increase of smart devices and the rapidly growing digital landscape that both permit constant connectivity, it can feel impossible to switch off- especially during extremely busy periods. The truth is that productivity and work quality is proven to rapidly decline with a lack of rest and downtime. Making a conscious effort to schedule in some quiet time is imperative and rather than allowing it to persistently be an after-thought; setting a physical reminder and pencilling it in as part of your to-do list can be highly effective.
- Set boundaries
Individuals working within the events industry often thrive off the industry trait that no two days are the same, yet with this comes the lucrative benefit that each project requires you to bring a new level of creativity and problem solving to the table but, equally comes with the need to juggle various tasks simultaneously- things can become overwhelming and the lines often get blurred. Setting firm boundaries and deadlines for key milestones can be an effective way to tackle the project in smaller more manageable bites. Opting for online collaboration hubs can also be a great way to communicate with the team at your fingertips, ensuring you constantly keep the project moving, better connectivity leads to greater accomplishments.
- Keep active
It’s no secret that exercise offers an abundance of health and well-being benefits, the direct link between stress relief and exercise cannot be ignored. When we’re active endorphins are pumped into the body which assists with the production of feel-good energy. Exercise can also assist with the ability to get a good night sleep which is imperative for reducing stress. Getting an extensive, iron-pumping workout in on a daily basis may be unrealistic with your work schedule but even taking 20 minutes out at lunch to go for a brisk walk can contribute to seeing the benefits of keeping active.
- Accept that events will happen that are out of your control
Things often happen in events and in life in general that are simply out of our control. Determining what you can control will allow you to be much more effective by putting energy into the things that you can directly have influence and control over. It is unhealthy and massively detrimental to profoundly stress over things that are out of our reach and although it may sound like the obvious, jotting down a few of these things and being aware may make dealing with them a lot easier.
- Maintain a positive attitude
Research shows that 15% of top performing individuals success can directly be attributed to their skill level and a massive 85% is down to their attitude. You may not have direct control over everything but one thing we can certainly influence is our thoughts- you can choose to think differently about stressful situations. Healthy affirmations can really contribute to removing negativity. Take a step back when things get tricky and think about the wider goal and the sense of accomplishment you will get when it is completed.
