You might feel frustrated at work because you are not given sufficient resources to get the job done. Or you can feel like you are stuck in a dead-end job with no challenges and job satisfaction. Then there is the stress of deadlines which you simply cannot meet because let’s face it, there are only so many hours in a day. The feeling of poor planning and no clear guidelines also adds to your daily stressors.
Still, there are a lot of myths surrounding Time and Stress Management. This might clear a few things up for you:
- So you think if you don’t feel the stress you are not stressed and don’t need to watch out for it? Wrong! The reality is that many adults live with stress and don’t even realise it. They miss early warning signs from their body like twitches, headaches, etc… Stress is a silent killer and failing to control or handle it, might result in heart attacks and even death.
- Stress affects people in different ways. Not everyone deals with stress in the same manner. People are different and handle situations and issues in their own way.
- People hear the word ‘stress’ and automatically assume that everything surrounding it is a bad thing. Excitement and thrills are not bad but good stress. The key is to learn to identify between the good and bad and equip yourself with techniques to identify the symptoms and then to deal with it.
- Although stress is in many cases a natural response, the myth comes in when people think they can’t do anything about it. There are various skills and techniques you can learn and practice in your daily life to minimize the effect stress can have on you.
- When it comes to managing your time at the office, many think that compiling to-do lists and planning are some of the biggest time wasters. Wrong again! Although it might take up some time initially, it speeds up the processes, helps you prioritize and keeps you focused.
- Time management does not mean to get more work done in less time. It means you are equipping yourself with skills to efficiently distribute your time across your priorities so as to finish things properly. It makes you aware of the dangers of micro-management and helps you focus on your tasks at hand. You learn necessary delegation skills and how to prioritise your day.
- Multi-tasking is not necessarily the answer to getting things done on time. Shelley Hastings, one of the Forbes Coaches Council members actually advises that the “more effective way to manage time is to practice mindfulness and be fully present in the moment, increasing the ability to both focus and recall information, which saves time and increases productivity.”
Knowing the stumbling blocks to time and stress management, will help you identify the correct combatting strategies and skills. The Mindspa Institute presents a Time & Stress Management course nationwide on both public platforms and as in-house training at corporate companies. Employers love this course because it is customisable to fit in with their employees specific needs.