Be Productive AND Stress Free

The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.

by Mike Corthell

To be more productive, some people need to do more work and do it more efficiently. Others people need to do less more efficiently.

The real secret is to not only write down all planned activities and tasks but to prioritize them and beak them down to actionable work items. Getting Things Done by productivity consultant David Allen is very good and goes into the specifics.

''In times of great stress or adversity, it's always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive.''

— Lee Iacocca

Low or no stress productivity is a very personal matter. But there are generalities that apply to us all.

Prioritize. We say this all the time but if we don't do first things first we waste TIME and that feeling of time wasted makes us all tense because we all know that wasted time equals money and missed opportunity.

Do one thing at a time. Like juggling. Juggling is grabbing hold of one thing, releasing before grabbing another thing. Realize that multi-tasking is a sure stress creator.

Avoid(like the plague) 'busy work'. Define 'busy work'? -  Work that appears productive or of intrinsic value but actually only keeps one occupied. Make what you do count. Time (again) is very valuable. Even when you recreate on vacation - make good use of your of your time.

Make sure that you measure your level of productivity by your own standards.

We covered how to get productive now here are some of the best ways to manage the inevitable, residual stress.

Eat well! Fuel your body with good food.

Exercise! The fastest way to relieve stress is to release endorphins through exercise.

SLEEP! Sleep and stress cause a vicious cycle. Find a way to relax that works for you.

Meditate using guided imagery. Positive, relaxing images can be an effective tool for relieving stress.

Breathe. There is healing power in deep breathing. By slowing down your heart rate and lowering blood pressure, breathing deeply relieves stress.

Bottom line? Take the time to do things right. Right? All good things take time, in due time my friends — in due time.

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