How do you handle stress in a fast-paced environment?

Stress is a natural part of life. Here are some strategies I follow to manage my stress: 1) I spend time alone and ask myself questions like, "What is making me feel anxious?" or "Is this thing in my control?" 2) I take a break from social media and try not to talk too much. 3) I spend time on things that make me feel happy. 4) I eat my favorite food or chocolate. 5) I share my feelings with someone who is close to me. 6) I give myself time to heal and come back stronger. Remember, not all days are the same, and it's okay to be sad sometimes. Lastly, if I'm stressed too much, then I cry it out, and it gives me relaxation.

Not all "stress" is negative stress. I regularly do an energy audit at work and in my private life. Here's how to do one yourself: 1/ Note down every task and interaction for a day. 2/ Mark the ones that drain your energy with a "—" and mark the ones that give you energy with a "+". Side note: You need to be completely open and honest with yourself here. 3/ Try to minimize the tasks and interactions that drain you and do more of what gives you energy. Final thought: That's often easier said than done. I always try to have more on the "+"-side at the end of the day. Hope that helps.

In high-pressure settings, prioritize tasks, focusing on urgent ones. Use organizational tools like lists to manage responsibilities. For large tasks, break them into smaller steps to avoid overwhelm. Stay composed by taking deep breaths and short breaks when needed. Adopt a positive outlook, viewing mistakes as lessons. Communication is vital; seek support or clarity from peers when unsure. If overloaded, delegate tasks. Avoid multitasking as it reduces efficiency. Quick physical activities, like walking, can dissipate stress. Additionally, embrace mindfulness or meditation for consistent calmness.

Journaling is a great way for you to start getting a better understanding of who you are and what you react to. Start documenting and after 30 days check in and see if you have identified common themes that lie outside of what you already knew. It is also useful to group stress triggers into the following categories: 1. What you can control your self by changing 2. What you can control by asking others to change 3. What you cannot control as they will not change If you end up with a large number of stress triggers in group 3, you might want to consider a different role or org.

I avoid fast-paced environments as much as possible. I dislike the term because it's intimidating. It implies that we are skilled at handling pressure and multitasking, but it also means sacrificing sleep and time with family. It's worth waking up to the fact that an intense adrenaline rush is another form of addiction. Think about the consequences of permanent stress: ulcers, heartburn, anxiety, constipation, and high blood pressure. When did we decide to sarcastically pretend that working to exhaustion is a sign of efficiency? When did we create an unspoken agreement that ignoring our natural body and social functions is worth the rush? Taking time to reconsider why we are absorbing this stress would be my number one recommendation.

Effective and efficient time management is essential to reduce stress. It may take some experimenting in order to find the methods that work best for you. One thing that works well for me is time blocking. I assign specific blocks of time to specific tasks. Nothing else is worked on during those blocks, but that work is set aside when the time is complete. Experiment with different practices to find what suits you most and helps you to deliver the best results.

Sometimes, it's not about time management. Sometimes, it's about your energy management. There are many ways to manage your energy. The simplest ways are: ??Vary your schedule for high level to low level energy tasks. ??Take microbreaks like a 5 minute walk at the hallway. ??Get your lunch or coffee break away from your desk. ??Listen to energetic or your favorite songs. ??Set boundaries for yourself. Rest if it's time to rest. Work if it is time to work.

I used to be great at managing my time and being "busy" all the time. No spaces between one meeting and the other. One task and the following one. And I was very good in ignoring energy management and rest. Until one day I hit my head on the ground. Literally. I learned the hard way how important is the combination of time and energy management. Only when we work and act in respect of our energy and our whole being (body & mind), we can truly thrive and being successful in the long term.

Time blocking is a great method for time management as it allows you to proactively plan what you intend to spend your time on and then assess if your execution followed your plan or not. Understanding the value of your blocks is imperative for this to be successful. If you block 2 hours each Tuesday morning for "deep work" and then constantly let others book you in that time, it will not be sustainable. Hold yourself accountable, by rejecting the meeting or suggesting another time. If it does not move, simply do not show up. You are accountable to yourself to make sure you spend time on the things you proactively decided will have an outsized impact in your performance over time.

The word balance is key here, and switching off from work at the end of day is essential. An example: if you’re working from home, close your laptop, put it in a drawer, and go for a walk with a podcast. When you come back, from this point on, it’s a work-free zone and your down time begins. I find doing something physical to signify the end of the working day helps me move into a new mindset: the resting one.

When I saw “communicate effectively”, my mind went to a different place. In order to manage our stress, we have to communicate to others when we are struggling and when we need support. This communication will vary in tone, style and content depending upon your audience. For example, it would look and sound different if you were speaking with your boss than if you were speaking with a peer. We cannot be afraid to ask for help, or to ask for a prioritization of deliverables.

Reciprocity is a key component in communicating effectively. Don’t ask of others what you’re not willing to give yourself. Practice empathy and compassion in all aspects in all ways.

There are different modes of communicating. Common to all of them is that you should avoid reacting to what others do or say, and make sure that you can act based on your analysis on what needs to be said to achieve the desired outcomes. When it comes to written communication this often means that you should draft your message but sleep on it before sending (or deleting). When it comes to verbal communication this means that you should probably pause and reflect before stating your opinion. If you are under stress the instict will tell you to react as it is a classic fight or flight trigger. Don't.

Communicating effectively is important -- if you don't share what you think and feel, others won't know. That said, it's important you share those thoughts and feelings in a way to not make the receivers become defensive. Think about what you are saying and how you would feel if it was being said to you...and the WAY it's being said. The old saying "Think before you speak" is wise!

One of the things that can have an outsized impact in the way you can handle stress is to make sure that you have a network of people that you can air your frustrations with in a safe environment. Work place: I encourage everyone to build and maintain connections to peers that are likely to experience the same situations that are causing you to be stressed. They might not be able to change the way things are, but you will have allies that you can confide in and the feeling of strength in numbers will assist. Outside work: Do make sure that you have family and friends that you can talk to on a regular basis about how you are feeling. It is a good idea to start this before you are stressed as it establishes a routine you can tap in to.

One of the things that helps me most is to be able to have someone I can "vent" to, plus ask questions and not be criticized about. When you have someone who can be supportive, it can be beneficial for all.

Specific action steps to handle stress as an opportunity to learn and grow: 1) Reflect on your stress experiences: ? What could you have done differently? ? What caused the stress? ? How did you react? ? What went well? 2) Identify your strengths and weaknesses: ? You may discover that you are resilient and resourceful under pressure or ? You realize that you need to improve your time management or communication skills 3) Seek new skills, knowledge, or opportunities: ? Take advantage of your resources. ? Identify your interests and goals. ? Be persistent and don't give up. ? Stay open-minded. ? Do your research.

You can definitely learn from your challenges. Think about how you could have faced the situation and dealt with it differently. In addition, perhaps with a friend or co-worker having a similar situation, you can share your personal experience...here's what I experienced, here's what happened after, here's what I learned from it, here's how I handle it today... Not only can it be beneficial for you to share, it's helping you as you teach and it's helping the person you are sharing it with.

A healthy level of stress can be a great booster for growth. But when we become chronically stressed, we risk to sabotage our success and our health. While most of us are focused only on time management, we should consider the relevance of energy management within our stress factors. You can’t give what you don’t have. Accordingly, we want to ensure to have the batteries full and not only running at 30%. Deliberate self-care is like being plugged into a solar panel with the sun shining 24/7. Start by taking care of yourself by creating habits that will positively impact your energy level. And eliminate as many "energy" vampires as you can.

I have found it helpful to prioritise tasks, take scheduled breaks to renergise and refocus. Acknowledge small wins, practice gratitude and journal 3 things you are greatful for, at the end of each day.

The #1 way to handle stress in a fast-paced environment is to look within. Ask yourself what you need to be effective in this environment? The answer will be different for everyone. But whatever it is you need, is what you need to give yourself. No one else can give it to you. If you need more frequent breaks, you need to be the one to take them. If you need better boundaries to manage your time, you need to create that. Whatever it is you need, find ways to give yourself that in your days.