Control Stress - or it will control you

If you don't control stress...
It will control you
Stress is an important topic for Project Managers.
And, when I think about my own biggest Project Management failure, it revolved around stress and a lack of resilience.
And I got an email from someone who said:
'I need help. My day should have 48 hours. And the stress at work is so high that I cannot think clearly. I am doing too much. I get done half of the tasks and end up exhausted.'
Sound familiar?
Their first priority is to get a break. At least a full, relaxing weekend, with plenty of sleep, time with family or friends, and good quality food.
Your next step, I said, is to re-design your time away from work, to prioritize:
• Good quality sleep each night
• At least one meal of good quality food eaten slowly each day
• Some exercise - daily if you can but 3-4 times per week at least
This will start to bring back some emotional and mental reserves. With these, you can properly assess your work situation.
Then, you need to determine whether you are either:
a. overloaded (genuinely too much work) or
b. overwhelmed (feeling stressed and unable to cope).
Overload
If you are genuinely overloaded, you need to book time with your boss/project director. The solutions to discuss include:
• Getting support
• Reducing workload
• Accepting a lower standard on non-critical items
• Finding quicker ways to work
A composite solution, with a little bit of change on each of these, can add up. If you can make a 20% improvement on each of these fronts, you can double your effectiveness.
My Biggest Project Failure
Without a doubt, it was a melt-down because I was too stressed to get a proper perspective on events.
A good night's sleep and some time to reflect were enough for me, then.
Overwhelm
Another few days of late nights, poor food, and zero me-time, and the same trigger could have had a far greater impact.
So, after that event, I made a decision. I spent time studying and learning about stress and resilience.
Best-seller
It may seem odd to you because you know me as a Project Management expert. But my best selling book is not about Project Management at all. It is Brilliant Stress Management - now in its second edition, as How to Manage Stress: geni.us/AxTfrH
Action
Do this today: survey your own stress levels.
And think about what you do to build mental, physical, and emotional resilience.
It may not be a problem today (I hope). But it is never to soon to change your habits to protect you.
And, if it's stress in your team that worries you, please do take a look at my article, How to Spot and Deal with Stress in Your Team: onlinepmcourse...
Recommended Videos.
Carefully curated video recommendations for you:
Overcome Overwhelm: How to Cope with Overwhelm
... • Overcome Overwhelm: Ho...
Handling Contradictions - How Well do you Cope with Uncertainty?
... • Handling Contradiction...
How to Keep Cool in a Crisis: Stay calm when your project goes wrong!!
... • How to Keep Cool in a ...
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#Project #ProjectManagement #Stress

[@Onlinepmcourses]

The biggest failure I had as a Project Manager was due to stress. Don't let it happen to you!

[@Onlinepmcourses]

😰

[@tatianatorresm]

I am a fan of you! Love your style.

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Wow, thank you!

[@anglingxploits7709]

Have you considered exploring the benefits of stress? The right amount of stress can have a positive impact on drive and efficiency. The key is knowing how to identify when it’s to high and is reducing your performance. Personally I find that if I’m not in the right range of healthy stress, it has an equally negative output on my efficiency as to much stress.

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Yes, I do understand the value of Eustress as a motivator. However, the project management lifestyle often provides plenty of stress - and the bigger risk is not being able to discharge it.
However, I don't generally like the idea of 'healthy stress' as a way of understanding this point. I prefer to think of an optimum level of stimulation. Above it is overload, pressure, panic, and burnout. Below the healthy level is boredom, fatigue, depression, and 'rust-out'. This is equally stressful. The middle ground is not really beneficial stress. Rather, it is optimum stimulation, leading to engagement, focus, and challenge.

[@Adam-ui3ot]

When you get the chance to rest its important to turn that phone off and log off the laptop.

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Excellent point, Adam.