O - is for Organised (Stress management)

Not all stress is bad, but to avoid build up you need strong management

Being organised is crucial to successfully managing a team.  If you’re disorganised then it’s difficult for your team to see you as reliable and prepared.  It also leads to stress.  Skills associated with being organised like; time management, meeting management and networking have already been covered in other Promotion Paradox articles.  In this article I’m going to look at stress management, which isn’t so much an organising skill, but is one that is incredibly useful for when you find yourself in a period of being disorganised, or when a team member is feeling stressed.

Not all stress is bad.  Occasional stress can be beneficial.  Positive stress or eustress can motivate and energise.  You might come across eustress when you’re up against a deadline, going for a promotion, setting a new challenge or working on self-development.  Stress becomes negative when there are multiple, or on-going stresses, the build up of stress can lead to elevated anxiety and burnout.

You may well have already come across ways and means of dealing with stress, but here’s some suggestions that you can either take on board yourself or share with your team in order to keep stress levels manageable and beneficial.

Set Realistic Goals and Prioritise: Break down tasks into manageable chunks, set achievable goals, and set and review the priorities you’ve given your work. Try and avoid multi-tasking, focus on one task (or sub-task) and only move on when it’s complete.

Time Management: Familiarise yourself and use as many time management techniques as you can.  Being organised with your time reduces the likelihood of negative stress occurring.

Healthy Work-Play Balance: Establish boundaries between your work and personal life, but also between your ‘work’ time and ‘fun/relax’ time.  Housework may not within employed work boundaries, but in my book it’s not play either! Take regular breaks and make sure you do at least one thing every day that you enjoy.

Open and honest communication: If you're feeling overwhelmed, discuss your workload and stressors with your manager, and make sure your team know you are open for them to discuss anything with them.

There are also many stress reduction techniques you could try.

Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on the present moment. It can be done almost anywhere and doesn't require any special equipment. There are plenty of resources to help you get going.

Deep breathing exercises help calm your nervous system.

Yoga combines physical postures, breathing exercises, and. Regular yoga practice can reduce stress and improve your overall sense of calm.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation involves tensing and then releasing different muscle groups in your body, starting from your toes, and working your way up to your head. It can help alleviate physical tension caused by stress.

Low-intensity exercises like short walks or exercise breaks can refresh your mind and reduce stress. Even a 10–15-minute walk can have a positive impact on your mental state.

Journaling can be therapeutic. Writing down your thoughts and feelings can help you reflect on what might be causing stress.

Talking to friends, family members, or co-workers about your stress can be a great way to relieve tension. Talking with others can help you feel less isolated and more understood.

Different techniques work for different people, try a few and see which one works best for you.  Encourage your team to try the different options too.  Negative stress is best avoided, so if you can be organised and avoid stress build up that’s the best option. Managing stress is an ongoing process, and it's important to adapt how you manage it to continue to have a healthy work-play balance.