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Stress can be lethal if not brought under control. It can affect your health, well-being, relationships and employment.

Many people miss the signs when there's too much on their plate.  However, there are a number of indicators and symptoms you should recognize so that you may remain calmer and more focused at completing the task-at-hand while increasing your performance and productivity.  Be aware of high stress, anxiety, frustration, irritability, depression, or inflexibility.  Notice when you become impatient with others and respond rudely. If you find yourself making an increasing number of foolish mistakes or bad decisions, pause and shift your energy so that you alleviate negative consequences.

Recognize what you can and cannot control in your life. Let go of what you absolutely have no control over and concentrate on what you can control or at least influence or negotiate.  You can regain control in many situations by simply:

·      Rethinking the ‘shoulds’, ‘musts’, and ‘coulds’

·      Acknowledging your reality and current situation

·      Accepting your abilities and limitations. Leveraging/maximizing your strengths.

·      Having a positive can-do attitude

·      Minimizing stressors

Some stress cannot be totally eliminated and is actually effective to helping you be at the top of your game.  However,many different behaviors and attitudes help better cope with stress. My personal favorites include exercising, smiling/laughing, taking things in stride/going with the flow, breathing through difficulties (too help slow things down and stay in the moment while consciously choosing how I want to respond rather than just reacting), planning ahead and creating contingencies in case things go as unanticipated.

Other effective behaviors for coping with stress so that you can increase your productivity and contentment include:

·      Defining your limits (having realistic standards and limits)

·      Slowing down (stop hurrying)

·      Learning to deal with anger

·      Using meditation/yoga

·      Avoiding catastrophic thinking

·      Listening to calming music

·      Using imagery or daydreaming

·      Knowing your natural rhythm of when you’reat your best.

·      Scheduling your day so that you have structure

·      Paying attention to noise levels and minimizing

·      Using pent up energy wisely

·      Taking time for yourself

·      Getting off adrenaline/avoiding procrastination

·      Regrouping after stressful periods

·      Eliminating worry (87% of what we worry about never occurs or is out of our control anyway)

·      Learning to say “no”

Reduce your stress and improve your productivity!  For more stress tips, subscribe to my free bi-weekly e-newsletter at www.theprioritypro.com.

Prioritizing your work is an extremely important part of being successful. By sorting and organizing your work based on its priority, you will find it easier to finish; you’ll be less likely to procrastinate.

Being clear on what needs to be done and the most efficient order for finishing your tasks is the best way to begin your day. There are several ways you can prioritize your tasks. The way you decide to prioritize is up to you. Everyone works best in a slightly different way. Here are a couple of helpful techniques:

1. Prioritize according to the:

·  due date/deadline;

·  biggest return on investment;

·  weight of importance;

·  implications/impacts/consequences of delaying (to yourself or others)

·  easiest to implement;

·  length of time estimated it will take to complete;

·  resources needed and their availability;

·  what you’re most passionate about; or,

·  rank order of importance.

2. Do a brain dump the night before and list everything you need to accomplish the next day. Review any paperwork, emails and future deadlines and add any additional items to your list.
3. Start by clearing your mail, emails and your desktop then work with a fresh start.
4. Complete first things first (a.k.a., Stephen Covey’s four quadrants: Urgent & Important (crying baby, ringing telephone, heart attack, fire, and other things you have to deal with); Urgent & Unimportant (most interruptions and distractions); Not Urgent & Important (planning, exercise, rest, and other things that are important for your success and well-being); Non-Urgent & Unimportant (time wasting, addictions and other senseless activities)
5. Begin with a short to-do list of items you want/need to get done and can realistically accomplish in a day. Once you finish that list, add more items, moving to the next day any that you do not finish. (Be sure to break larger tasks into do-able bites)
6. Re-adjust priorities during the day as needed to remain focused on your top priorities.
7. Start! When your plate is full and may seem daunting or overwhelming, the important key is to get started. You can start small and move along as you complete each project; start with whatever is bothering you the most; or start with the first thing you see.
8. When someone else gives you work, ask about his/her priority level.

Failing to prioritize your work load usually results in being extremely inefficient, ineffective, unproductive, and extremely stressed out. Prioritizing at work is usually a constant juggling and re-balancing act. Unfortunately, you probably cannot predict which tasks will be assigned, but if you adopt some of the techniques listed above you will be able to more masterfully create your own system of prioritization.

How many times have you thought to yourself or said out loud: "I have so much to do today, how am I ever going to get it all done?"

What are the techniques that have worked for you??

The Priority Pro helps busy professionals gain clarity, focus and direction so they can accomplish more of what matters most.

Multitasking is a cherished skill long listed in job advertisements and on resumes. However, you cannot deliver at your highest level without focusing your energies on one important thing at a time.

Here are some strategies that can boost your productivity and performance:

• Block your Time

Fully engage in the task-at-hand for a specified time allotment.  By creating time blocks you allow yourself to have razor sharp focus and you alleviate distractions. Design your time blocks to allow adequate time to complete all or a distinct piece of a task. By using one hour blocks or tying several blocks together you can gain momentum and accomplish more.

• Be Purpose-Driven

Understand the purpose of a meeting, call or task to avoid unnecessary tangents and wasted efforts. Ask questions to clarify the importance, time line, deliverables, expectations, and who else needs to be involved.

• Maximize Teamwork

Create a positive environment in the workplace that harnesses the synergy of the group. Look at things holistically.

• Simplify

Instead of trying to do everything at once, choose one defined task and do that well. You can’t possibly accomplish all of your goals simultaneously but when you focus you can accomplish one of your goals at a time. Focusing on a singular test has been scientifically proven to be more productive that trying to alternate focus between two or more tasks.

• Define Top Priorities

Everything doesn’t carry the same level of importance or urgency. Identify the ONE thing that will definitely get done each day; this is the very most important thing in your world today. Focusing on each task’s relative importance allows you to allocate your resources for maximum efficiency.

• Reorganize your Workspace

Clear a space on your desktop. Move your computer monitor and phone away from this space so that they won’t distract you. If this isn’t possible, minimize all other screens so that just the one thing you’re working on is up on the screen and turn off your email and IM alerts. Then, if you have a door, close it! If you don’t have a door, create some other means of communicating that you cannot be disturbed. Be sure everything you’ll need to complete your task is within easy reach so that you don’t need to get up to get or search for anything.

Boosting your productivity will increase your command over your workload and your sense of accomplishment when getting more done. Multitasking negatively affects your ability to focus and focus is at the core of productivity and success.  The more you focus, the more you can get done.

To boost your productivity, you may have to unlearn bad habits that have been promoted as increasing efficiency and effectiveness. Recognize how you may be preventing your own ability to focus by not eliminating distractions and interruptions. Your results are generally worse when you multitask, but in some areas they’re especially compromised, such as when you’re trying to learn a new skill. If you can’t or won’t stop multitasking, a good rule of thumb is to multitask what you want to execute, rather than absorb, and choose tasks where mistakes won’t matter.

While it varies in intensity, almost everyone I know feels some degree of guilt at one moment or another. I frequently hear clients express feelings of guilt—especially the professional career women who have young children. Although the men I work with may have similar feelings of guilt and may experience similar circumstances, these feelings are usually expressed differently. For example, Bill expressed anger and frustration at his boss’s scheduling of late day meetings that prevented him from going to his son’s baseball games. Andrew was mad because he couldn’t spend time with his very ill mother due to work and family demands.

Guilt is something that naturally transcends the entire human race because we all have a conscience. We've all probably done things that we later regret. Realize that by itself guilt is neither good nor bad. Guilt is simply a condition. However, it is often masked as a feeling. The danger of using guilt as an emotion is that it masks deeper emotions and doesn’t identify the real problem. Guilt is most frequently associated with remorse, shame or fault. Guilt may also be associated with feelings of responsibility that weren’t handled appropriately.

Guilt is one of the greatest wastes of emotional energy because it may cause you to become immobilized, debilitated or pre-occupied. It may prevent you from taking concrete actions to resolve the negative feelings. Guilt can be destructive and paralyzing. Feelings of guilt can consume you and negatively impact your life and your relationships with others. This is why it is essential that you learn how to get rid of guilt. When you don’t allow logical thinking to supersede and reject the guilt, you may keep beating yourself up for something you did (or didn’t do).

Guilt, on the other hand, may be productive if it causes you to move forward (e.g., contemplating other options or comparing choices) and gets you away from destructive behavior or thoughts. As a result of productive guilt, you may forgive yourself or others, confess, make better choices that are aligned with your values and priorities, and consciously plan activities that allow you to use your time well.

Here’s an exercise that’s helped clients move away from non-productive guilt:

1. Recognize your guilt by taking a close look at why you feel guilty or what you’re feeling guilty about as soon as possible when you start experiencing signs of guilt. Honestly identify what’s causing you guilt so that you can work toward resolving the problem rather than a symptom of the problem before it has a negative impact on your life.

2. Write down or talk about your guilt with a trusted friend, counselor or a professional coach.

3. Do something about what you are feeling guilty about rather than consuming yourself with guilt that is non-productive. If you’ve wronged someone, seek to make amends. Apologize to whomever you have mistreated.

4. Develop a written list of 10 affirmations to support the choices you’ve made, like “I am where I need to be”; “My children are being well cared for in my absence”; “I am spending money wisely and responsibly”.

5. Forgive yourself. Remind yourself that everybody makes mistakes and its part of being human.

Cick here for more resources, information and techniques for handling guilt.

Post your guilt confessions or your best strategies for overcoming your guilt by adding your comments below!! You could WIN a FREE coaching session with The Priority Pro!

In this economy, there are some unique stresses as many of you might have been laid off or taken reduced salaries. Despite this, it is critical to do the following to remain balanced:

1. Manage your stress

Stress causes damaging effects physically, mentally, emotionally, relationally and spiritually so it’s highly critical to control and minimize it. Realize that what determines if stress is unhealthy for you is a combination of how much stress you have in your life at a given time and how you react to it. Although it is not possible to live without any stress, you can learn ways to tame the stress of major events, daily hassles, and chronic life issues by managing your reactions to stress and minimizing the damaging impact. Stress-reduction is an effort requiring self-awareness, hope, flexibility, and assertiveness along with a personal strategy for handling stressful situations by avoiding, altering, accepting or adapting to the them.

2. Build a strong support network

Regardless of whether you are employed, unemployed or under-employed (meaning you’re currently in the wrong job or career) having others you can turn to is an important aspect of your well-being. Your support network includes those such as friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, former co-workers, professional associations, and experts. Tap in to these resources to get help and to contribute to others needing help. Having a number of trusted people and other resources available just in case you need them in an unforeseen emergency (or even on a daily basis) will not only give you incredible peace of mind but may be able to help you land the next job, get a loan, handle some of the home repairs at affordable rates, or even just be there to listen.

3. Maintain your health

Even if money is tight any you may no longer be able to invest in a gym membership or exercise classes, continue to exercise and eat right. Get regular exercise by walking, running, following a DVD/video, riding a bike, roller skating, or hiking. The key is to get moving by increasing your endorphins and elevating your mood. As a result, you’ll not only be taking preventative steps to maintain or achieve good health, but increasing your physical and mental outlook while you keep your body healthier and decrease health-care costs. Avoid eating excess sugary and fatty foods by opting for healthier foods and snacks that contain antioxidants, Omega 3 or other essential vitamins and minerals.

Realize that balancing your life is a challenge for many even in the best of times. With the current economic downturn, life may begin to feel more overwhelming or less in control so it becomes even more important to maintain a sense of balance. Avoid focusing on the negatives of the past or the uncertainty of the future, and instead focus on today and what’s most important to you! Have a (written) plan you can execute that will help you work toward the future you want to create. The power in the written word is that when you write it or share it out loud with others, there’s an increased potential that you’ll achieve it.

Live your life with positive energy, thoughtful planning, and conscious management of your self and your time. What have you got to lose?

I have a client I've been working with in a 1-1 coaching relationship who is a physician.  At the end of last year, she started her own private practice.  Regardless of what profession you're in, starting your own business is a big endeavor. In many cases, there's a large financial outlay initially and there are a lot of systems, processes and new routines that need to be established as the foundation of your success.  This client was very successful working within the structure as an employee. There were clearly defined job duties and responsibilities and work hours as well as a team of resources to help handle other tasks in the office.  On her own, she often feels overwhelmed at the growing list of tasks and responsibilities that fall on her plate. She expressed feelings of frustration at not being able to handle all of her work and personal/family responsibilities on her own.

Working together, we reviewed her strengths and strategies that have worked successfully for her in the past. We used these as a baseline to create a system that will function more effectively for her today.  Starting from optimizing the tools she already has accessible, we began exploring and discovering techniques she could adapt in this new work environment to get more done with less. The key that we're focusing on is to minimize the mental clutter so that as much as possible happens on a routine basis without having to think about it. We’re eliminating procrastination and perfectionism, as well. For example, bill paying had fallen behind because incoming bills had gotten lost in the increasing piles in her home office. By adapting the same technique she was using at her office to keep incoming bills in a manila envelope and take care of paying them on a weekly basis, she was easily able to create a structured routine. In my case, I have made it a habit to pay my bills on the first and the fifteenth of each month to avoid the possibility of late payments, overdue fees, penalties, etc. When I’m traveling, I prepare them either before I go or immediately when I return in order to keep the rhythm going for this routine task.

The point is that there isn't just one right way to manage anything in your work or office and the more you can establish as part of your regular routine, the easier it becomes to manage everything on your plate.  By leveraging your strengths and past successful behaviors, you can adapt to new situations with less difficulty.

Things will continue changing at work—you'll possibly get new work assigned, a new boss, a relocation, different responsibilities, a promotion, a new position, etc.—so, if you re-establish the routines, habits, systems and processes that work for you each time there is a change, you'll be in a better place of managing your full plate with grace, balance and success!

   We are sleep deprived as a Nation! When I polled a recent audience during a presentation about “Taming Stress in your Over-committed Life”, less than 60% indicated that they get 7-8 hours of sleep each evening. The remaining 40% reported getting significantly less!  One woman admitted to 2-3 hours of sleep each night on average.

So, what’s wrong with us?  Why don’t we get the sleep we need?Many people argue that they don’t need as much sleep as others.  Some defend their sleep patterns with the excuse of being “too busy”.

Here are some good sleep habits, I’ve adapted from a presentation I delivered for CIGNA Behavioral Healthcare that received rave reviews.  Incorporate them into your life as soon as possible!

• Avoid caffeine within 6–8 hours of bedtime.

• Avoid nicotine close to bedtime or during the night.

• Refrain from using the bedroom for any activities other than sleep and sex.

• Don’t drink alcoholic beverages within 2–4 hours before bedtime.  It may relax you and help you fall asleep but will result in a poorer quality of sleep, and more nighttime waking.

• Abstain from eating large meals or greasy, spicy, or gas-producing foods too close to bedtime.  Select a light snack composed mainly of carbohydrates instead if you’re hungry because it can help promote more sound sleep.

• Exercise regularly but don’t do it within 2 hours before bedtime.

• Minimize light, noise, and extremes in temperature in the bedroom.

• Establish relaxing pre-sleep rituals, such as a warm bath, reading, imagery, repetitious techniques (e.g., deep breathing, counting sheep), or progressive relaxation.

• If you are unable to fall asleep within 15–20 minutes after lights out, leave the bedroom and do a non-stimulating activity such as those above.

• Awaken at about the same time daily – a regular rising time is even more important than a regular bedtime.  In other words, don’t sleep in just because you can.

• Go to bed only when you are sleepy – again, bedtime is less important than rising time.

• Avoid napping late in the afternoon or evening.  If you choose to nap, do so early in the afternoon and limit it to 30 minutes or so.

• Choose a time during the day to think about your worries or concerns and make plans for handling them, so that you can avoid dwelling on them in bed.

• Sleeping pills are intended as a last resort and for short-term use only.  Sleeping pills have many side effects, and can cause drowsiness into the next day.  Their long-term use can actually lead to “rebound insomnia.”  If you have been using sleeping pills for more than a few months, consult with your doctor about how to stop them.

Here’s to a better night’s sleep!  Getting adequate sleep will help you function at your best by enhancing productivity, performance and your attitude towards life.

Be thankful for what you have rather than focusing on what you don’t have! We all have much in our lives to be grateful for regardless of our personal or professional situation. By focusing on the positives, we come from a place of optimism and hope and allow that to expand. However, when focused on the negative, we see ourselves out of control of situations in our life; we are victims; there is no hope; and, unfortunately, this stays our truth or reality.

Adapting the attitude of gratitude will help you get by even on the roughest days. Living in gratitude helps you focus on what you have to be thankful for.

Back in 2001, following 9-1-1, my husband's job was significantly more stressful. All of the vital equipment that enabled his employer to operate was located in Tower 1. As the Director of Information Technology, it became his responsibility to get the data feeds and connections operational as soon as possible. With his average day being 15-20 hours (including his commute) it could have been easy to become angry and frustrated about the stress, long hours and feelings of not being appreciated by upper management. Instead, we talked about what we had to be grateful for and, for the most part, focused our energies on that instead.

He said that he is grateful to be alive; to have been off (at home) on September 11; to have a loving family to come home to each night; to know we were all okay; to have a career in his field of expertise; to have excellent resources at some of his vendor's companies; to have our health; to be a part of our new community; and, to have extended family and friends that were also okay.

Adapting an attitude of gratitude gives you the opportunity to change your experiences. Gratitude is a state of being not just a momentary feeling. Look at the things in your own life right now that are causing you feelings of stress, sadness or anger and consciously choose to change the experience to look at those situations with a new perspective. You can control your feelings, attitude and behavior in a situation. You can focus on what you have to be grateful for, especially in times when things don't feel like they are going well. In many cases, you can’t change the situation; however, you can change how you choose to feel about it, how you allow the situation to affect you and how you respond to it. Being in gratitude helps you remain calmer in a crisis. It helps you accept things that may be difficult to accept. It also helps you keep a positive mood while feeling more centered and balanced. When you go through your day in a state of gratitude it's almost impossible to feel down.

Although things may look bleak and hopeless at times, think about what you have to be grateful for today. Even in situations that seem far from perfect, there are valuable lessons to learn, relationships to cherish and probably numerous reasons to be thankful. Look for those things, cherish them, and appreciate them.

My challenge to you is to adapt the attitude of gratitude this week and find at least 5 things each day you can be grateful for. If there seems to be nothing, remember, you are alive; you have a roof over your head; some friends and family; food to eat; internet access, you can speak, see, hear, taste, touch and think; you have skills and talents; and, you are undoubtedly a terrific person! If you need help with this, I'm just a phone call away!  Schedule an initial coaching consult to see if working with me as your coach will help you bring more positve results in your life! Email natalie@theprioritypro.com.