Being an online marketer and blogger means productivity it at the top of your list. You’re committed to creating content, marketing copy and various forms of content delivery for products and services. Not only is it a full-time job but it’s also stressful.
Productivity is stressful, but is it really? Click To Tweet
When Productivity is Stressful
The proactive approach is to find out what others have done to increase their productivity while keeping from being stressed out. What are their tips, their strategies, and their secrets?
There are two basic approaches. First, is to implement practical steps. Second, is to develop a mindset approach. If you have already been looking for ways to reduce your business-related stress, then you probably don’t need these reminders.
However, if you’re looking for the secrets, I found a few.
The Secrets to Not Stressing Out Your Productivity
There are four secrets to handling stress before it stresses out your productivity.
First, understand how stress affects productivity.
It’s normal to think of stress as a negative influence on productivity. Experience already confirms for you the uncomfortable agitation and anxiety of working under pressure. There’s no doubt, in your mind, that it affects your ability to be productive in meeting obligations, commitments or goals.
The secret is to catch stress anxiety before it turns into an immobilizing sensation. Instead, it’s about rethinking stress as energy producing productivity.
Stress research indicates that stress can be a good thing. The stress-producing hormone cortisol, when kept within reasonable limits, is a motivator and a means of meeting your challenges. Also, the anti-inflammatory hormone oxytocin increases and stimulates the brain to seek outside support to help you remain productive. Think about how much better you feel if you stop and talk with someone. They may be able to offer some insight or be a good listener.
Second, rather than trying to avoid stress, it’s better to anticipate and prepare for change before it stresses you out.
This little gem comes from Travis Bradberry, author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0. Bradberry, suggests setting time aside on a regular basis to list any possible changes that could occur.
“The purpose of this task is not to predict every change you’ll face. Rather, it will open your mind to change and sharpen your ability to spot and respond to impending changes. Even if the events on your lists never happen, the practice of anticipating and preparing for change will give you a greater sense of command over your future.”
The online world has its fair share of stress in keeping up with new products and services. It seems that as you get comfortable with something it’s suddenly outdated. One way to stay on top is to pay attention to the chatter of the leaders in your field. This reduces the stress of surprise and gives you a head’s up as to what changes may be on the horizon.
Third, recognize that it’s only stress.
When those familiar sensations come up, know that you’re getting an energy surge that you can leverage for productivity. Rather than focus on how or what you can’t do, redirect your attention to its possibilities.
Expert in positive psychology, Shawn Achor, recommends “… training your brain to recognize stress as a byproduct of your success, rather than something to dread.” In this more positive framework, “… brains are able to expand, allowing for faster processing and increased productivity.”
Fourth, decide what you are going to do about your stress.
At first, you might think about the how-to tips and tricks. Or, you’ve set new goals to get better organized, to manage your time more effectively and to definitely stop procrastinating. All good intentions, but not very productive when it comes to stress.
The final secret rests in your decision of how you are going to respond.
You have a choice to —
- still get side-tracked or focus on what is important.
- deal with what you can control and delegate what you can’t to others.
- let circumstances empower you or debilitate you.
- and, most important of all, you have a choice of perspective. It is going to be one of anxiety or one of curiosity as to what’s next?
Your choice. Which will it be?
Resources:
http://www.inc.com/jayson-demers/10-easy-ways-to-become-more-productive-and-less-stressed.html
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-use-stress-to-increase-productivity-2014-6
http://www.degarmo.com/the-effects-of-stress-on-productivity
Image: Pixabay 933816
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Good tips about channeling the beginning stress into productivity….
Glad the tips are helpful Katarina.
Oh, there’s been so much extra stress lately too. I’ve definitely felt its impact on my productivity. I’m just going to have to shut out some of those sources so I can be more in control of it.
Good for you Jennifer. Shutting out stressors as early as possible is a good strategy for taking the pressure off so that you can direct your attention to what you need to focus on at the moment.
Now there’s an idea ~ plan for stress and how it might impact you. I never really thought about how stress could impact my productivity but I can see how it can!. I agree we do have a choice and the ability to change our perspective which can really help to turn a stressful situation into something beneficial!
Thanks for commenting Crystal. Life is crazy enough. If we can reduce some of the stress and get more accomplished then it’s worth making an effort to plan for stress.
I often find when I have a lot on my plate, I am more energised and motivated. Go the cortisol! I’ve also experienced that stress that stops you in your tracks. Love your tips for dealing with stress, especially redirecting your attention to is possibilities.
Good for you Tami that you recognize the difference between the stress that energizes you and exhausts you. Once you sense the scales dipping to the exhausting side, that’s when you can take actions and keep from being totally depleted. This way you get a little energy reserve to use the next day.
Nice post Joyce! It is all about how we RESPOND to the stress that defines how productive we can be 🙂 Great share!
All we got to do is change our response. Sounds simple. Easier for some; harder for others. But, I’m sure you’ve got it covered Joan.
How we respond to stress being a choice is something I’ve heard times, Joyce, however, I have not mastered it. Somehow the stress manifests in my body before I have the chance to actually recognize it and respond differently. If I remember correctly, some stressors trigger us on a very basic cellular level and come up when similar cell memories are activated. Although I work very well when I have a lot to do and I am good at predicting the things that could go wrong, the way stress impacts me physically, is still something I am practicing. And as we live in such stressful times, it’s wonderful to have an understanding of how we actually do have a choice and how we can manage our stress. On another note, I did a show on ‘happiness’ with Shawn Anchor several years ago. Nice to see him quoted here!
As you know Beverley when you write on topics like stress, you can go down a rabbit hole of contributing factors. Most people are not aware of cellular memories related to stress and how it can stay under the radar of consciousness. I believe that stress will continue to escalate during the changing political climate. So yes, it’s more important than ever to pay attention to increasing stress and have plans in place to address it.
Stress is usually considered a negative however we can all benefit from positive stress (a.k.a. eustress). There has been much research done into resetting your mind to view the negatives of stress as positives and thereby using it to become more productive. By taking control of our thoughts and looking at things from a results oriented viewpoint we can try to reset stress to eustress.
Absolutely right. Betty. I made a passing mention of it because I wanted to focus on the negative stress implications. Eustress definitely has a role to play in gearing up the mind and body to perform. Thanks for reaffirming the positive side of stress.
Excellent post, Joyce. I thrive under pressure/stress and can be productive but, and this is a big but – there is a threshold and then I become inefficient and ineffective.
My approach is to recognize the triggers and move away from the task for a well deserved break and then return to the task at hand with energy and often better clarity. It helps to have a furry pet who is ever ready to go for a walk. 🙂
You raised a good point Vatsala. Even if you are being highly productive, it can be energy draining. Having a break and returning with fresh eyes and fresh energy certainly, increases the quality of productivity. I’m sure Miss Coco lets you know when you need to stop working so hard and take a break.
Good article. Sometimes stress can enhance productivity and you gave us some tips
Glad you enjoyed the article, Terry. It always helps to get positive feedback.
What a different way to look at stress! Mindset affects everything we do, so it makes sense to deal with stress starting with how we think about it. Being proactive about stress by “walking through it” in advance is a skill that I learned a couple of years ago. It’s helpful, but sadly I admit to being deadline driven, which means that I often put the stress on myself. I’ve improved my ability to focus, but there are some days when stress does get the best of me!
Sorry, Meghan for not responding sooner. Somehow I missed your comment. Well, for some being deadline driven is real motivation. But, as they say, everything in moderation. And, yes there will be days when stress gets the best of us, and it’s also why we need to de-stress directly afterwards.
I try to give myself credit and accolades for what I have accomplished vs not yet. I find that I can avoid so much stress if I plan my day and start it with me time. Time to be with myself, meditate, visualize, nourish properly, journal about it..that type of stuff rather than jumping up and being in the reactive mindset. Thanks for your helpful insights Joyce!!
Sorry, Teresa for responding so late. I missed your comment as well as Meghan’s. Unfortunately, being reactive is the go-to response for most people. I like you morning plan and it sounds like it really grounds you for the rest of the day. Thanks for sharing.
I so get it… awesome. Productivity isn’t my stressor… it’s ME trying to get everything done and multi tasking.. or not focusing on the things that need to be done that stress me out.. or the interruptions and distractions… THAT, I can control!…and am working on. 😉
Now you can relax Kristen, you only need to focus on what you can control.
Great suggestions as stress is bad for your health. One way to relieve it is to outsource more. Delegate tasks that aren’t in your genius zone. Your energy and earnings will both rise. You can learn how to delegate.
Thanks, for the suggestion Dina. I will be adding it to the larger list of things to do. I like how you phrased it – delegate tasks that aren’t in your genius zone!
You had me laughing with the picture to begin! Have I ever felt that way. But what great ways to deal with chaos and stress. I particularly like the fourth one–decide what you are going to do about the stress. Just that we have a choice alleviates the tension. Love this, Joyce!
I had to laugh too when I found the image. To find something so perfect was almost too good to be true. As to our choice, as to how we want to respond, that can take a while to put into practice. Most of us are so committed that we plunge head on to do things thinking that we have to do it or it has to be done a certain way. I’ve started catching myself and thinking exactly what has to be done here and how can I avoid turning this into stress. Sp far, so good.
Anticipating and preparing for stress is the best option for me. I always try to anticipate in order to reduce my stress levels. Also dealing with what I can and delegating the rest to others suits me best.
You are right, Joyce, this is one of the hazards of the online work we do. It is good to take a more balanced look at it – thank you!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Reba. This is something we need to pay attention to if we are going to be productive online.
Hello,
A great article and liked the last that you displayed and the example of Shawn Aker. Stress is an emotional response that can really affect your life if you don’t get on it. Great Post!
Lori English
Lori, it’s good to remind everyone that our intent to be productive puts a lot of emotional stress on us. Thanks.
Excellent post Joyce and I especially like your point about how we have a choice to change our perspective! I am a big fan of being proactive about supporting well-being through prevention rather than quick fixes. Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you, Marquita, for being proactive about the importance of well-being through prevention.