The ever growing task lists. The deadlines that loom large. The personal commitments that get left behind. The health concerns that demand our attention. There is more to do than there is time in a day. And the resulting stress and pressure can break us. But successful and famous people seem to strike the right balance and make time for everything in the same 24 hours that we have? There has to be some secret to it! And I found this wonderful piece from Forbes which reveals those secrets.
The ability to manage pressure on the job is one of the important skills to have. According to Travis Bradberry in the article, the top 90% of top performers are great at managing stress and staying calm. And we can learn how to this from the high and mighty who have already done it. Some of the points that I like from this article are:
Be grateful: This is a tip that helps in our over all well being. Looking at what we have rather than get stressed about what’s yet to be achieved seems like a better thing to do, any day.
Avoid “What if..” scenarios: These thoughts take us to the worst case which may not even happen. And worrying about it is just futile.
The next few points are so simple and yet so effective that all of us should try to follow them no matter what phase of our career we are in. And I am sure we will become calm and successful too.
Disconnect: And I cant even begin talking about the body of research on this. Being constantly on the phone or on social media isn’t making anyone calm and composed. The work email that pings at the wrong time, the back light from your phone while you get some reading out of the way late into the night or that little “me” time you want on Facebook are all working against being calm. Take time away from gadgets to do something you enjoy. Or spend time with loved ones which will leave you feeling loved and happy.
Limit your coffee: Yes! As cruel as it sounds, caffeine triggers the release of adrenaline which make us more jumpy instead of the serenity we need to get through a stressful work day.
Sleep: Sleep deprivation can have a lot of far reaching consequences. Stats already prove that sleeping less or insomnia are an epidemic among teens and people who work full time. It’s critical to snooze for 7-8 hours every night since that is the time when our body heals and repairs itself to take on the next day. We feel mentally rested and fresh. Waking up groggy from lack of sleep doesn’t seem like a great start to a day.
Read the rest of the post for yourself for powerful tips on how successful people stay calm – and we can too!
The ability to manage your emotions and remain calm under pressure has a direct link to your performance.