3 Things You Can Do To Relieve Workday Stress
Whether you work a 9-5 job or whether you run your own business, odds are that you have some sort of stress going on. As women, we can often feel an immense amount of pressure to do it all, although it is nearly impossible to do it all. I am guilty of creating long to-do lists that never get done because I forget to take into account that things take time to do and I need to eat and do things like laundry. I also tend to forget that life happens and plans can get thrown out of whack. I have had weeks where I had long to do lists and I spent so much time multi tasking all of the projects at once that nothing ended up getting finished. I would feel disappointed in myself and feeling like I didn’t do enough or had enough time. What was worse is that I just didn’t finish anything, especially the most important things. So at the beginning of this year I decided that how I was working was not going to work anymore. I developed new habits to help me stay organized and take out the stress of the work day.
Below are 3 things that I have added into my routine to help take some stress away from the work week:
Choose 1 Top task and 3 small tasks
This has been a game changer for me and my week. Everyday I write down my one main focus for the day- this is the thing that must get done. Then I write down 2-3 small things that need to get done. This allows me to stop multi tasking. It forces me to focus on that one important thing and then I can spend the rest of the time that I have left working on the other tasks. Another helpful thing to do when planning your tasks is to batch your tasks. This is great for entrepreneurs and creators. I used to work in a very scattered way, but this year (because my #1 goal was to be organized in every aspect of my life) I started dedicating certain days to certain tasks. Example: On Mondays I will spend the day blogging, on Tuesday I will film videos, on Wednesday I will spend the day researching and taking notes, etc. This has been a huge help. It helps to create a good work flow and enables you to finish and complete tasks. One thing that I have learned through my journey to an organized life is to not disrupt the work flow.
Create a gratitude journal
Each day I start by writing down 3 things that I am grateful for. I also write down the one thing that I am looking forward to most that day and then my hope for the day. I find that starting the day with inspiring thoughts helps me to start my day on a brighter note.
Schedule “Me Time”
I schedule “me time” every single day. I choose at least 1 “me time” habit that I can do every single day (which for me is my workout). If I have time at the end of the day I will add in one more thing (yoga, journal, meditation, reading, a face mask, a bath, etc.). Block out at least 30 minutes during the day for you one “me time” habit. I like to get up an hour earlier so I have time for just me before the day begins. If you have time for multiple self care habits that’s great, but I recommend you at least have one thing that you do consistently for yourself everyday!
A few other things to help relieve stress during the work week:
Take time for your meals- don’t use this time to check social media or emails
Take time at the end of the week to reflect on the past week- I like to go through and see how well I completed my big tasks and how I managed my time.
Take time at the end of the month to reflect- I like to take the time to reflect on any struggles or big wins that I had. This is not only motivating for the next month, but it is a great way to see how you can react better to stressful situations.
Create a Sunday checklist- this is a great tool that I am trying to make a habit out of. This can include meal prep, setting up my desk, setting out clothes, etc. This list should include anything you need to do to set up for the week (so Monday is also less stressful).
Unfortunately, the planner I use to track everything above is sold out till 2022, however this one here is similar (it allows you to put in your own dates and it is only for 100 days so it is a perfect mid year planner). It includes space for writing out your to-dos, main focus (the big task), your hopes for the day and what you are grateful for. There is also a section at the end of the month to reflect on the past month.
I hope these tips help! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
