Feeling overwhelmed by competing priorities?

El estrés es difícil de reconocer y por eso se vuelve peligroso. No te das cuenta de lo acelerado que estás hasta que te pasas de aceleración o tu salud te da algún susto. Presta atención a estas se?ales y sabrás que tienes que empezar a gestionar de forma diferente: Dificultad para dormir, no conciliar el sue?o, levantarse cansado a pesar de haber dormido las horas suficientes. Trastornos en la digestión, ya sea porque te sientan mal las comidas, tus digestiones son muy lentas, o se desregula el apetito. Dejas de tener hambre, o el punto contrario, tienes hambre a todas horas. Dificultades de relación con otras personas, tu nivel de tolerancia es cada vez menor. Te molestan más cosas peque?as. Si te resuena, deja tu comentario

Just the way the woodcutter needs to sharpen his axe every now and then, we need to take breaks to rejuvenate our energy levels. A break is not a waste of time. It can boost productivity. The brain works in spurts of activity and rest. Plan your tasks in small batches or time windows of 20-25 mins, followed by 5 mins of break. During this window, work on only one task, giving your full attention to it. Break time means stepping away from the work area and doing some physical activity, instead of more mental activity. It could be gazing at the trees outside, drinking water, doodling, slow breathing, short walk and so on. Post this break, you can switch the context and move on to another priority.

In thick of things when we are managing compiting priorities we need to ask for help. Few extra pair of hands can do wonders in pulling of the work. One can also look at delegating some other work so that mental space is cleared for urgent matters

Catching oneself when one again gets into multiple things at the same time, pausing for a couple of minutes to take some deep breaths, or fully engaging with all senses with just one simple activity itself one can experience the difference in quality of attention, and focus that that simple chore gets and instead of chore becomes an enjoyable experience. which then becomes a reminder to make an effort to focus on one thing at a time for short durations through out the day before switching to another with undivided attention

I recently picked up the concept of W.I.N. = "What's Important Now?" I think about it all the time. I love that it's tied to "winning" because instead of feeling guilty, it allows me to focus on one thing -unapologetically. Being present and in the moment is vital to give tasks the concentration they need which not only improves quality, but also efficiency.

I met a young VP on a plane once who shared his secret to success: daily reflection. He said every night he would reflect on his day and take stock of what he accomplished, learned and would change tomorrow. It's something I adopted into my life, and has truly helped me reflect on my reactions to stress and how to navigate triggers. It also allows me to better understand when I'm getting overwhelmed and need to take a step back.