Stress- a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.
For most of us, stress is the only feedback mechanism that lets us know we’re working too much. But if we’re already stressed, it’s too late, right?
So how can we create some systems or boundaries that will signal that we are “at capacity” without experiencing the negative impact of stress? I have a few ideas.
Time is the obvious limit we could put on ourselves that might help us avoid stress and burnout. Capping our workdays at a certain number of hours seems like a logical approach.
However, some days I can work 10 hours with no stress and the next day I’m 3 hours in and pulling my (metaphorical) hair out. Not all time is created equal.
Making sure we take breaks throughout the day is a good system to have in place. Lots of people follow the 90-minute rule which is 90 minutes of work followed by a hard stop in which you can walk around the block or do some push-ups or maybe just look at Instagram.
I utilize this often, but the hard stop can be disruptive if I’m in the flow of writing or on a call, so that’s not a 100% reliable boundary.
There are some other less utilized methods like turning your phone off or only checking email once or twice a day, or time blocking.
Again, I utilize all of these in varying degrees, but none of them can serve me 100% of the time.
If you’re a busy professional, tactics and techniques will never scale in a meaningful way. We have to find an alternative way that will address every situation in every location at any given time.
For me, that’s mindfulness. Practicing present-moment awareness of my body and my breath and my thoughts. It’s basically the equivalent of wearing a blood pressure cuff 24/7.
When I remember to check in with my body, I can be aware of tightness in the body, or of taking short breaths. I can then breathe deeply, drop my shoulders, and relax my jaw, activating the parasympathetic nervous system and allowing me to calm down. This brings my more empathetic and creative thinking back online.
I can do this anywhere, at any time, and with or without people around me. It travels well and scales, unlike any other technique I know of.
So if you’re tired of hitting the wall before you realize you’re stressed out, try practicing some mindfulness throughout the day, before your emotions get the best of you.
