Work demands are real. For high achievers who want to knock off as many tasks as quickly as possible and move on to the next project, stress can go unnoticed. I used to find myself in these very situations more often than not.
I missed meals, even pushed nature calls to complete the tasks on hand and accomplish “the goal” I set for the day. Soon I found myself in an anxious state all the time. I could not sleep well (Even the quality of my sleep was being compromised). It was actually quite depressing because I was putting in a lot of time and effort, but was not getting the output or reaping the rewards I was hoping for. My energy levels were depleted. With low energy levels, I could not function at my best. Constantly being in the “on-mode” was burning me out. Not only did this prove to be counterproductive, but also health damaging. I had to change my approach and working style to be at my optimal best.
If you notice yourself constantly stressed, overwhelmed, frustrated, anxious, or worried about not meeting the deadlines (or beating yourself up for not being able to tick all the check boxes for the day), then it is time for you to step back and reconsider your working style.
We are taught to block out time for focused work. But to be at your optimal best, get intentional about the break. Set a timer to take a break for 10-15 mins. Make it after every 20 min or 45 min or 90 mins, whatever works for you. Resist the feeling to continue doing the work. Research has shown that brief diversions from a task can dramatically improve one’s ability to focus on that task for prolonged periods.
When you are in an anxious state it might hinder your ability to think clearly. During such times, take a moment to calm your nerves with focused breathing. Close your eyes or with a soft gaze, simply inhale and exhale slowly and feel the fresh air moving in and out of your body. Focus your attention on your breath. Repeat till you feel a sense of calm and gain composure.
There could be times you are caught up in your own thoughts and emotions. If you feel overwhelmed, anxious about the presentation or plain angry about the situation you are in, pass by your good friend or confidante at work and share how you feel. Just recognizing and labeling those emotions gets you in a different state. Susan David, author of Emotional Agility tell us that there is a high cost to avoiding our feelings. When people don’t acknowledge and address their emotions, they display lower wellbeing and more physical symptoms of stress, like headaches.
Sometimes it is best to leave the work unfinished. Overthinking the problem is not the solution. Instead, take a nap if allowed at work. This sounds counter intuitive but Sara C. Mednick, PhD, sleep expert and author of ‘Take a Nap! Change Your Life’ says you can get incredible benefits from 15 to 20 minutes of napping. Napping helps to reset your system and get a burst of alertness so you can come back to the task at a later stage with a fresh perspective.
When things don’t work your way and you don’t accomplish what you set out for the day, practice self compassion. Kristin Neff, Ph.D. who is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading experts on self-compassion, asks for kindness and understanding yourself when confronted with personal failings instead of mercilessly judging and criticizing yourself for various inadequacies or shortcomings. Regular practice of self compassion has helped me and many of my high achieving clients (who generally are over critical of themselves) to accept the humanness and allow to fall short of their ideals.
It is easy to slip into auto pilot when the work pressure is high. It’s at these times that we must be most mindful of the default overwork mode. Use these techniques to break the ingrained work habits and develop a new working style to help you de-stress and be more productive without burning out.
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