I can hardly believe this is our twelfth issue!  Thank you to everyone who has shared the impact one of our articles has had on you or your team, and for forwarding us along to your colleagues.  We enjoy keeping in touch with you. 

    Confession time:  I got caught up in the snow warning that most of Ontario was subjected to last week.  I had contingency plans for Friday’s meetings and a list of house projects in anticipation of a ‘snow day’.  I wondered about digging out from under the pending 30 centimetres for the weekend even, and elected to pick up a few grocery essentials on Thursday ‘just in case’.  As it turned out, the weather I drove in on Thursday to get those groceries was the worst of it.  Now isn’t that ironic? 

    As I reflected on the topic of stress management for this month I was reminded how vigilant we need to be.  A constant stream of factors beyond our control is projected at us, consistently sending a message of worry, fear, and anxiety.  News headlines and even the weather are cause for alarm.  Even items that are not overtly harmful, contribute to our stress.   Below you will find a few tips on how to manage some of these messages.  Best of luck and see you in the New Year! 

 

    What you are about to read will not astound you.  However, putting it into practice may yield highly positive results.  This time of year is stressful for many people as time with family looms amid regular work issues and year-end.  It can affect our productivity and our team morale.  Below are a few age-old tips for keeping stress to a minimum and starting the New Year off on the right, stress-free foot.

 

1.      Tune out – Many of the messages that come through radio, newspaper, television create a feeling of fear or helplessness.  Choose to turn off these stress-inducing media for some peace and quiet.  The same applies to your office naysayer, the person who is a regular contributor to gossip and enjoys stirring the conflict pot.  Make a December or New Year resolution to set a firm boundary about their behaviour to minimize its impact on you. 

 

2.      Declutter –  Carve out some time this week to tie up loose ends so they will not be dangling when you return to the office after a bit of extra time off.  Clear off the desk.  Clear out the email inbox.  At the very least, a clear surface / inbox (even if all items are just in a folder) will give you a clear start when you get back.  Set guidelines for keeping a regular flow of items ‘out’ to keep surfaces clear for 2006. 

 

3.      Prioritize – Stress is also created internally with messages we tell ourselves about the urgency of completing a task.  Take a look at your to-do list.  Are there items that have been lingering, week after week, without any progress?  Evaluate whether they are integral items (Critical), necessary and somewhat flexible in their timing (Need to) or extras that would feel really great to be able to do (Nice to).  Anything that does not make the cut can be removed.  Rewrite your list with these new priorities for a clear direction to start from.  Consider ongoing use of this or a similar assessment tool to keep a realistic check on your to do list.        

 

We know that tuning out the negative messages, tidying the clutter and being selective about the pressures put on a list are not new suggestions.  We also know that implementing these three small items can help you get your year off to a good start.  Best of luck winding up 2005 and here’s to less stress in 2006! 

 

 

We love to hear from you.  Drop a line to let us know how it goes, or what your technique is for stress management, at Inquiries@kscopic.ca.