{"id":930,"date":"2015-06-25T09:52:05","date_gmt":"2015-06-25T09:52:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/resourceguru.wpengine.com\/?p=930"},"modified":"2025-01-14T09:44:45","modified_gmt":"2025-01-14T09:44:45","slug":"workplace-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/resourceguruapp.com\/blog\/project-management\/workplace-success","title":{"rendered":"Workplace stress to success: workload & schedule management tips"},"content":{"rendered":"

Endless emails, emergency meetings, project plans, client kickoffs\u2014deadlines and daily responsibilities can pull us into a storm of stress.<\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t matter what job title you hold;\u00a0pressure and tension affect work performance and our ability to focus.\u00a0When it’s getting to be too much, what do you do?<\/p>\n

What if you could push a reset button and keep stress from getting stuck on “high”?<\/p>\n

Everyone develops a skillset for coping with rough days. The big question is whether those techniques and habits are the best fit for you and your goals. On the front lines in a demanding career, it’s critical to actively improve how we respond to problems. <\/span><\/a> The first step is self-awareness.<\/p>\n

Be brave enough to try something different\u2014you’re always discovering\u00a0and adapting. <\/span><\/a><\/h2>\n

Project managers Brett Harned<\/a> and Sloan Miller<\/a> could write a book on stress and self awareness\u2014life as a PM is nonstop. From intense pressure and demands to taking work home, each experienced a moment of realization that something had to give. They began investigating relaxation techniques and were soon setting aside time each day to recenter and achieve some calm.<\/p>\n

Sloan and Brett are also organizers with DPM Philly<\/a> (a group of digital PMs in Philadelphia) and decided\u00a0that\u00a0an \u201cintro to meditation\u201d class for local professionals was long overdue. When they asked Resource Guru to sponsor, we were happy to help\u2014we love project managers and project teams!<\/p>\n

Between tips for hacking your work\/life balance and perfectly simple team scheduling in our app, we’re big fans of simple, easy, and stress-free\u2014so let\u2019s redefine what it means to run projects and take care of yourself.<\/p>\n

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<\/span>Our bodies are predictable when stress increases<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

There\u2019s a relationship between our heart rate and stress level. When we\u2019re young, stress is generally low and associated with a low resting rate. As we mature\u00a0and enter school and the workforce, increasing pressures and responsibilities result in faster\u00a0(or even skyrocketing) heart rates.<\/p>\n

Our bodies respond by\u00a0going through some very\u00a0specific physiological changes\u00a0when under stress. We become more on edge, adrenaline is released, and we might feel panic or perhaps physically unwell. Sound like a typical day at work?<\/p>\n

Being aware of these shifts and their triggers is\u00a0key\u00a0to regaining control and steering stress\u00a0levels back into a manageable zone. It\u2019s tough to recalibrate when you\u2019re in back-to-back meetings or getting inundated by emails or Slack messages, but there are things you can do.<\/p>\n

Take a deep breath\u2014it\u2019s going to be ok <\/b><\/h3>\n

When you\u2019re feeling cornered by stress, your body is going through its \u201cfight or flight\u201d response but there’s no outlet for all that energy. What it needs is a signal that you\u2019re either fighting or fleeing; a\u00a0good way to trick your brain is to take very deep breaths. If you do this for 30 seconds, it will help your body de-escalate the reaction so that you can rebalance.<\/p>\n

Fill\u00a0your body with oxygen, just like you would by breathing hard after intense exertion (from fighting or fleeing). Inhale slowly and deeply\u2014really expand your lungs to feel their capacity\u2014then let go and allow the breath release\u00a0naturally. Your brain will think you’ve done something to escape or defend yourself and that it’s finally ok\u00a0to relax.<\/p>\n

Take a break\u2014escape from the noise<\/b><\/h3>\n

Constant sensory input keeps you on alert and in a state of reacting. If you\u2019re already stressed, it\u2019s adding fuel to the fire. You need a break from the\u00a0barrage of noise and incoming requests.<\/p>\n

Find the quietest place you can, whether it\u2019s your car or a closet or the bench at the end of the subway platform. Turn off your phone and anything else that would give someone a way to interrupt (just knowing that someone could call or text at any minute will interfere with your ability to relax). Now, just sit.<\/p>\n

Sit for 15 minutes\u201430 minutes, if you can swing it. Don’t read or work on anything; just focus on experiencing the quiet. We often forget what it\u2019s like to be free from constant stimulation, so changing gears and being in a silent place will help you remember what “peace and quiet” really means.<\/p>\n

Physical responses to stress are only one side of the story; our minds and emotions play a role, too. Mindfulness techniques and meditation are a couple of popular approaches that might be a great fit in your routine.<\/p>\n

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<\/span>Rethink self-awareness & meditation<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

There is a strong scientific basis<\/a> to support meditation and mindfulness as cognitive skills with physical and emotional benefits. Focused thinking can not only retrain your brain\u2019s default settings<\/a>, it can even structurally improve the tissue.<\/p>\n

\u201c…We can play an active role in changing the brain and can increase our well-being and quality of life,\u201d says Britta H\u00f6lzel<\/a>, one of the neuroscientists who conducted a groundbreaking MRI\u00a0study at Harvard University<\/a>. Less than 30 minutes of self-awareness exercises<\/a> each day was enough to generate a \u201cmajor increase in gray matter density\u201d in areas associated with improved attention and emotional integration, as well as decreased anxiety.<\/p>\n

The key to meditation, as differs from typical, everyday thinking, is developing a greater ability to become increasingly present and self-aware<\/a>\u2014to become more mindful of thoughts and actions<\/a>. Whether you decide to take a course, study on your own, or play it by ear and create your own practice from scratch, there are no rules or philosophical beliefs you have to follow to meditate \u201cproperly.\u201d <\/span><\/a> Dr. H\u00f6lzel tells how her own life was changed by meditation<\/a>, and that it\u2019s good investigate what\u2019s right for you.<\/p>\n

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<\/span>\u201cMindful Meditation in the Workplace\u201d<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

Even though we all bring personal stories to the table, adding relaxation into your life is easier than you might think! You\u2019re on a unique path, so try new things as you go and don\u2019t compare yourself to anyone else.\u00a0It\u2019s all about finding your own balance, with no pressure to force it to happen or that it should look a certain way.<\/p>\n

The demands of your career also affect\u00a0what that looks like.<\/p>\n

DPM Philly\u2019s \u201cMindful Meditation in the Workplace\u201d attracted pros from a variety of disciplines, all interested in the same thing\u2014reducing stress. With so many roles represented, it made sense to find someone who deeply understands\u00a0where each person\u00a0was\u00a0coming from; you can\u2019t do better than a former IT project manager as your guide. Erick DuPree<\/a> was the perfect choice to lead the event.<\/p>\n

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“Resource Guru simplifies the way we work and gives us a holistic view of what’s happening.”<\/p>\n