EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING TIME AND STRESS

In the current global climate, many businesses are facing unfavourable operating conditions, therefore, putting tremendous pressure on their employees not only to perform professionally but also to maintain their physical and mental well-being.? Implementing effective time and stress management tactics can help navigate such problems reducing the feelings of overwhelm and anxiety.

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Time Management

In our busy lives, and it is impossible to handle everything well simultaneously. Therefore, effective time management techniques are essential.

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Prioritise and eliminate the inconsequential.?When we focus on a matter, we may unintentionally disregard something that may be more important. Therefore, constantly reviewing and identifying important?tasks at hand, is vital. I use Apple’s Reminder and Google Calendar to help me organise my activities. I put my list of events under different categories, such as Family, Health, Coaching, Mentoring, Friends, Reading, Writing, Photo Albums, CPD, Travel … etc. I review my lists constantly to ensure I won’t miss any important matters.

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Organise and don’t procrastinate.?Technology can help us stay being organised and work smart. In the past, I always automated repetitive analysis and built links in Excel with Bloomberg and our in-house database to extract data efficiently. I believe people are now utilising AI to help them enhance efficiency and productivity. While technology can help speed work processes up, it is essential to avoid procrastinating and reserve a time buffer before a deadline for unexpected events.

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Delegate but supervise.?Leaders should delegate less crucial tasks not only to free their time for important matters but also to foster a sense of responsibility in their subordinates. However, they still must exercise supervision to ensure quality outcomes are delivered. In a family setting,?parents should encourage children to take responsibility for their belongings and tasks. Constantly assisting children in their daily lives has two significant drawbacks: firstly, it results with parents being overwhelmed by shouldering excessive responsibilities and workloads; secondly, it?makes children too dependent and deprives them of valuable learning experiences.

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Break down into steps.?It is essential to break large projects into manageable steps to avoid being overwhelmed and optimize time allocation. Indeed, it is easier to find time to handle small tasks than to reserve a long slot for a complex and lengthy process.

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During my days as a Data Analyst at DBS Securities, I?provided support to?the head of research, the economist, and seven sector analysts. I took time to ensure effective communication which allowed me to understand their needs and determine priorities.

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Later as a strategist?at BNP Paribas, I faced multifaceted challenges. I had to balance analytical tasks with research writing, strategies presentations to sales and clients, global and cross-asset team collaboration, marketing events, and building internal and external networks. In my personal life, I needed to oversee a small team taking care of my two young children at home, carve out some quality time with family, and find time for reading, exercise and meeting friends. It was the most challenging and overwhelming stage of my life. I usually used my lunchtime to do internal and external networking. I was rather efficient in managing my daily tasks which allowed me spend time reading books with my kids before bedtime. During my commute, or while waiting for my kids to finish their extracurricular activities, I read books and newspapers, reviewed my research, or chatted with my mom on the phone.

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Stress Management

A moderate level of stress can drive performance, but excessive stress can lead to anxiety and negatively impact physical and mental health. Individuals tackling too many challenges simultaneously can be overwhelmed and exhausted.

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Effective time management. Implementing effective time management tactics, as mentioned earlier, is the most critical aspect of reducing stress. Some people can work very efficiently despite looming deadlines. But most of us need time to work out our best routines and allow enough time.

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Identifying?stressors.?Identifying triggers is important for effectively managing stress. It can help individuals to anticipate potential stressful situations and develop a coping mechanism.?

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Stressors can come from external factors (e.g., boss, partner, parents), financial burden, or internal factors such as excessively high self-demands.?

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If the stressor arises from interpersonal factors, open communication, aligning expectations, understanding priorities, and identifying difficulties will help alleviate pressure. Being assertive and daring to say “No” is sometimes necessary to avoid overwhelming situations. In case of financial worries, it is sensible to implement strategies to increase sources of income and control expenditure. Addressing unrealistic internal demands requires adjusting your mindset, which includes accepting imperfections, setting achievable goals under a reasonable time frame, and focusing on areas within your control.

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Breathing and meditating exercises.?During moments of stress, deep breathing exercises can help to calm down emotions and promote a sense of balance. In addition, regular meditation, yoga, and tai chi can foster sustained physical relaxation, release tension, and raise self-awareness.?

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Healthy lifestyle.?Maintaining a healthy lifestyle involves several aspects, such as a balanced diet, enough rest and sleep, avoiding excessive alcohol and caffeine intake, and physical exercises. Relying on alcohol for relaxation can lead to increased dependence over time, which will adversely affect health. Similarly, excessive caffeine consumption can negatively impact sleeping quality. Incorporating physical exercises, indoor or outdoor, into our weekly schedule helps establish a routine and allows mind and body to recover. It helps redirect?our brain's focus away from stressors and enhance mood.?

I advise combining exercise with social activities, such as hiking and boat trips with friends and family, to connect with people, enjoy sunshine and nature, and get exercise all at once. I tried walking coaching with my coachees so that they could enjoy nature and have a bit of exercise on top of coaching.

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Social connection and support.?Building connections with family or friends offer channels for expressing concerns and receiving emotional help. Seeking advice and guidance from professionals like counsellors, therapists, or life coaches can also assist in devising coping strategies. These connections can alleviate pressure and foster motivation to overcome challenges.

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Setting boundaries.?Establishing healthy boundaries in personal and professional relationships is crucial for preventing anxiety and burnout. Allocating time and space for rejuvenation is helpful for restoring energy levels.?

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My experience in overcoming a stressor?

I once encountered a significant stressor, which was from one of my global superiors. The pressure was so intense that on the night preceding his visit to our office in Hong Kong, I experienced blistering on my fingers. This made me realise that internal anxiety can have a detrimental impact on one's health. After a workshop?with our team, he outlined a list of areas needing improvement. Being a person who always wanted to fulfil my supervisor’s demands, I analysed the details and realized it was impossible to do everything. Gradually, I learned the importance of taking a more relaxed approach to external demands. Therefore, addressing stressors and tackling root causes is critical in mitigating stress.

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Overwhelming situation

Life can be challenging; we are all being pushed to spend time and effort on matters that appear essential, but we need to stop and determine whether it is indeed so. In a complex environment, playing different roles in life, and burdened with too many responsibilities, individual feel overwhelmed. Stress can impact our health and without good health, any success or wealth becomes meaningless.

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If the situation allows, it is sensible to take a break in the form of a long holiday or even a career break. This pause allows us to reflect on what truly matters to us, reassess our life priorities and explore the life goals that we want to pursue. ?

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Back in late 2016, I suffered from a bacterial infection, which resulted in a week-long hospital stay. With a demanding job and being a mum of two small children, the resulting stress negatively affected my quality of sleep and undermined my immune system. This made me question whether I should continue my career as a strategist. In early 2017, my boss told me that the management wanted me to move to the compliance department. Since I love doing research and writing, I thought I was too creative to be a compliance officer. I tried to explore any other internal opportunities but could not find any, so I decided to leave. I came to believe it is vital to prioritize health over career. Since my husband and I were not big spenders, we focused on saving and investing in properties. This allowed us to be quite relaxed and not worry about our living standard. As I shared in my previous article “My Professional Journey - Growth and Challenges”, my continuous advancement and gaining confidence, I was not worried about leaving my company. And being a creator, I believed I would do something else; with my determination, I am now on a path to be a Life Coach and a Writer.

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Tips to young people

We cannot be greedy; we cannot achieve everything. We must prioritize the essentials and eliminate the inconsequential. We can set milestone goals, and we should also add joyful elements along our life journey. It is impossible to please everyone; we can say “No” at some point to reserve time and space to relax and protect our inner peace. Indeed, a healthy boundary is an invisible fence to protect us, we need to exercise it to avoid being overwhelmed. Accepting we have limits and acknowledging only a balanced life can be sustainable is vital. Besides, working smart is more important than working hard, being busy at something which is not in the right direction is meaningless. Constantly reviewing your strategies and goals to ensure you are on the right track is sensible; it is not about doing fast but more about doing right.