How To Excel in Your Career While Reducing Stress – Part 1

Burn out can strike at any time, leaving even the most dedicated employee, parent, volunteer, or leader helpless. Yet, our media is filled with stories of unstoppable people who conquer all and still find time to do more at every turn. The good news is that you don’t have to be the next Elon Musk to excel in your career. In fact, you can excel while still managing your stress levels and getting more enjoyment out of everything you do. Here’s how:

Set Yourself Up for Success

The number one way to reduce your stress while meeting all of your goals is to get organized and learn to prioritize. You may be shocked to hear that not every task is worthy of your undivided attention! In fact, you need to get good at selecting which tasks only you can do, and which tasks can be safely handed off or delegated to someone else. Pro tip: This means giving up a tiny bit of control to get the job done quickly, even if that person goes about the job in a slightly different way. We’re looking at end results here, not cloning more copies of yourself.

Get in the Right Headspace

Meditation is all the rage these days, but you don’t have to attend hour-long classes with a guru to reach mental clarity. Even ten minutes of deep breathing in the morning, or writing while listening to calming music, can help you get your head on straight and help you ditch yesterday’s worries. If you never clear out all the clutter, it will only pile up in the back of your mind. When you set aside time to deal with these things before you begin your day, you allow yourself to give your very best to the new day.

Remember Why You’re Doing It All

The tasks that burn us out fastest are the ones that don’t have meaning for us personally. If you’re getting bogged down in tasks that don’t contribute to your happiness and goals, find a way to give them away, or find a way to appreciate how those tasks are part of your journey. We can’t get rid of all the dirty dishes and unpleasant work emails, but we can learn to focus on the why behind them.

Don’t let stress hold you back from getting everything you want out of life!