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How to Manage Stress
Here is a big catch twenty-two: The busiest people often manage to appear very relaxed. You'd think that these overachievers would be freaking out all the time because they've bitten off more than they could chew. The reality is that most of us who think we're busy spend much of our time distracted. We're either emailing someone, surfing the web, listening to a conversation happening in the next cubicle, or doing any number of things other than focusing on the task at hand. We then feel as if we don't have enough time to get everything done and thus become stressed.
The funny thing is that those relaxed, busy people probably need as much distraction as we do in order to keep their sanity. The difference is that they structure their distractions as well as their work sessions better. Knowing that it's practically impossible to work in high-gear all day, successful people plan time throughout their day to decompress. They may exercise before their workday starts to clear their heads of all anxieties. They may reward themselves with a silly movie after a long afternoon of concentration.
Creating a system of work followed by rewards in the form of distractions can help you focus better when you are working. Unfortunately, this tool can only work if you add some discipline to your life. During your work sessions, you must avoid the little distractions that slow you down. In return, by getting your work done faster, you will add more time in your life for leisure or more fulfilling distractions.
