Hacks to help control and prevent stress

Learning how to manage your time is not only difficult but also painful (at times). Getting the right things done takes motivation and drive. We’ve comprised a list of hacks you can utilise to help with your time management skills:

• Put the hardest task at the top of the list: 

Even though it is the hardest, or the least favourite thing to achieve, it has to be done eventually. So, put the grind and effort in first. Your list will progressively get easier. Meaning, when you start to fade into the afternoon of the working day, your stress levels will be lower due to having already completed the most difficult and largest task at hand.

• Make a list the day before: 

It is so important to comprise a list of tasks to make sure you stay on top of your workload. Having them written down the night before for the following day means you are reflecting on the day just had, and what didn’t get done/needs to be moved to tomorrow. Also, don’t leave anything out. Even if it’s as small a task as drink water, write it down.

• Eat some healthy food:

You will feel smarter, sharper and not to mention your body will be thanking you for feeding it right. It’s not to say you can’t have a mid-arvo pick-me-up. However, get some greens and healthy fats to keep you moving. It’s also so important to be mindful when you eat. Take the time (we know it’s scarce) but take some truly uninterrupted time to sit and enjoy your food. Even 5 minutes of down time will make all the difference.

• Focus on your breathing: 

As cliché as it might sound. It actually works. High stress levels can be related to anxiety. It’s all interconnected to the amount of oxygen we receive to particular parts of the brain. When our heart rate increases and the breaths shorten, less and less oxygen is making its way to the part of our brain that rationalises. And hence, the things we shouldn’t be sweating about become the biggest issues in the room. Take a breath. You’ll thank us for it.

• Utilisation:

Take part in resources, tools and equipment that essentially buy you more time. We can always get more time, based on how we choose to disperse the one we have control over, our own. If you feel like you’re time poor and this is adding stress, grab the opportunity to get yourself back a few hours.