Stressed out?

Developing a tick? Hives? Sweaty palms? A bit unexpectedly SHOUTY? You, my friend, are probably feeling the pressure…under the kosh…at the end of your tether and toying with trouble, frankly. Call it what you will, it serves little purpose to you, your team or your clients. The sooner you can identify the signs, the sooner you can get rid of the symptoms and restore the semblance of calm and order your organisation knows and loves you for. To this end, it's probably time to do at least one of the following...

Take a rain check
Take a walk. Take a break. Give yourself a day off. If you’re feeling pressured, chances are your sharp business mind is not what it could be and you’re not doing your staff or clients any favours. Take a day away from the office to refresh you batteries, clear your head and give everyone a break. With the benefit of a bit of distance, you will be able to come back tomorrow and tackle yesterday’s crisis with renewed vigour.

Prioritise
OK. You’ve probably got a list as long as your arm of Important Stuff To Do. You've staff constantly rattling your door for advice and in general there seem to be a lot of people breathing down your neck for soemthing or other. But what actually needs doing? Make a list so you can see in cold, hard print what you have on your plate, then prioritise it ruthlessly into ‘necessity’ versus ‘pointless worry’. Then you can...

Chunk it up
Er, chunking up is thankfully nothing like as horrible as it sounds. ‘Chunking up’ should actually be your friend as it's all about sorting your to-do's into manageable chunks. So once you’ve written your giant list and prioritised it ruthlessly, your next step will be to break it into realistic, time-bound chunks and at the same time, take your poor anxiety levels down a few notches.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help
However frazzled you feel with those around you, remember that as well as being someone to take your troubles out on, they might actually be able to help. So this might be about delegating more to your partner or your team. It might be about calling in favours from family or a friend. Whatever it is you need, don’t be afraid to ask; you don’t need to struggle alone.

Some useful links
Stress management courses:
http://www.siliconbeachtraining.co.uk/business-skills-training/stress-management/
http://www.stress-counselling.co.uk/
Stress management at work – advice:
http://www.i-resign.com/uk/inwork/copingwithstress.asp
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/mental_health/emotion_stress.shtml#work-related_stress

Need a hand cutting your to-do list down to size?
At TT, our very core business is helping SMEs like yours, who all too often can’t see the wood for the trees. The source of business stress is often tricky to spot, especially when it's your own. We can help you to objectively assess and review what you have to do; take some pressure off your shoulders and some weight off your mind. Call Sarah today to find out more on 0845 075 1044.

Please share!
As always we’d like to hear from you if you’ve either comments on this blog or tips or advice of your own to share. Post your comments below or contact our team on 0845 075 1044.

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