How to Manage the Stress of a Big Project

Sometimes it feels like the deadline will never arrive or that the big deadlines just keep coming. It is easy to get on the roller-coaster of stress and feel like you’ll never be in control of your work life again. However, there are ways to deal with the stress-filled times at work to make them more manageable.

Implement the following steps to reduce your stress at work.

Tackle the worst first. There are parts of every project or every responsibility that we have in our jobs that is something we dread or find ourselves putting off. Take the opposite approach. If you dislike the phone calls you need to make for the project tackle those first in the morning or take on the budget tracking that frustrates you. When you get rid of some of the worst parts of your work first it frees you up to work on things you enjoy later, when you’re feeling a sense of relief and accomplishment at putting some of the most stress aspects of your project behind you.

Talk to your manager. Many of us put off discussing our stresses with our manager because we don’t want to give off the impression of being overwhelmed or incompetent at something. Your supervisor is there to help and wants to see projects completed well and on time. If the stresses you experience threaten the success of the project your manager will want to know. In addition, he or she should be interested in your well-being and might be able to help you identify strategies to be more effective in your work or perhaps can take some things off your plate to help you devote additional time to the more important project.

Work for focused and brief spurts. Consider setting aside dedicated periods of 45 minutes throughout your day to focus exclusively on your project without allowing for outside disruptions, including phone calls or checking of emails. It’s likely you’ll find you accomplish more throughout the day with this approach, leading to reduced stress as you see the end in sight.

Pay attention to your health. It’s critical to reducing your stress levels to take care of yourself by exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, eating well, and engaging in a mindfulness practice such as meditation or yoga.

By putting into practice these four steps you can learn to more effectively manage the stress in your work life.