Productivity Tips to Help Your Manage Executive-Level Stress was originally published on Ivy Exec.
Executive responsibilities can be overwhelming, and you might experience high stress. Still, you must manage your team efficiently and focus on making the company successful. Likewise, you’ll need to make critical decisions prioritizing the firm’s future and employee retention.
While executive jobs have rewarding perks, you might find it hard to stay productive due to demanding duties. Here are some tips to help you navigate executive-level stress.
👉 Plan and Manage Your Time
Effective time management and planning are vital when juggling multiple duties at the executive level. Instead of trying to do everything at once, focus on one task for about 30 minutes and take a 2-5-minute break afterward.
Using such an approach will help you to maintain focus and lower the risk of burnout by allowing your mind to rest. It also makes large projects feel less overwhelming, boosting your overall productivity.
Ranking your tasks also helps you make the most out of the available time. It ensures you focus on high-priority tasks and those with fast-approaching deadlines. When you prioritize, you’ll have less pressure and won’t waste much time redoing tasks after making mistakes.
Planning your week ahead can also significantly impact your stress levels. Before closing your work week, take a few minutes to map out your priorities for the coming days. You’ll have a clearer picture of your workload, which can prevent last-minute crises and missed deadlines.
👉 Have a Healthy Work-Life Balance
You may feel tempted to work around the clock when you reach the executive level. However, a healthy work-life balance is the key to achieving long-term success and improving your well-being.
Set clear boundaries around your working hours so you get enough time to rest. Resist the temptation to respond to work emails on the weekend or beyond your working hours. You should also avoid taking work home even with a heavy workload because it can slowly become a habit.
👉 Prioritize Self-Care
Adding activities that recharge your body and mind into your routine can manage executive-level stress. Go for walks over the weekend and practice mindfulness. Create time for your hobbies and interact with your friends and loved ones. You should also consider exercising because it can significantly lower stress levels and boost mood.
When you focus on self-care, you can take your mind off overwhelming duties and enjoy life. You’ll also have time to recharge for a demanding week or day ahead. Prioritizing self-care also helps you maintain optimum mental health, which lets you make sound decisions at work. It improves your relationships with coworkers and enables you to handle conflicts objectively.
👉 Delegate and Collaborate
As an executive, you’ll always have a hard time if you try to do everything yourself. You may have more control over the quality of work and use your preferred approach, but you’ll also tire easily. Handling many projects simultaneously can also frustrate you and lower output.
Delegate tasks to take some work off your plate and avoid micromanaging employees. Let them know they can consult you when they need help or have questions, but try to have less influence over their work.
If you delegate several parts of a project to several employees, encourage them to collaborate. Pick a team manager who will update you on the progress and communicate any concerns. Doing so will lighten your load and inspire employees to grow and develop their skills.
When you delegate tasks, it’s also vital to create a collaborative environment. Check in now and then to foster open communication and ensure everyone is on the same page. Encourage employees to provide their input and not shy away from challenging others.
Such measures will help employees look at issues from different perspectives to make better decisions. They ultimately simplify running projects, boosting your productivity.
Project management tools like Asana and Trello can streamline collaboration. You can use them for things like:
- Assigning tasks
- Setting deadlines
- Tracking progress
- Organizing tasks
Leveraging collaboration tools lets you manage delegated tasks with less stress. It improves your team’s efficiency and avoids miscommunication that could cause delays.
👉 Have a Supportive Network
Having someone to talk to or lean on when dealing with a demanding job can make a big difference. Surround yourself with people who understand the pressures of executive roles. These can be mentors, coworkers, or friends who hold similar positions or run businesses.
When you build such a network, you can share your experiences and get helpful feedback. You’ll feel less isolated because your peers and mentors can relate to some of the challenges you face in your duties.
Join professional networks to meet and connect with other executives in your industry. These groups will allow you to discuss challenges you face at work so you can get and offer support. They help you embrace effective stress-management methods that work for others in similar career paths.
👉 Don’t Stop Learning and Growing
Expanding your knowledge and skills makes you more confident in your decisions. Gaining new skills will help you do your job faster and more efficiently. It lets you embrace technology to avoid repetitive and time-consuming tasks through automation.
Invest in continuous growth by reading articles and enrolling in courses that boost your expertise. Additionally, join workshops or volunteer activities to practice new skills and learn new tech.
Many firms offer leadership development, which can improve your productivity. The programs help you gain essential skills that contribute to executive success. Participate in such initiatives to expand your skill set and learn from other executives in the company.
Apart from the programs offered by your firm, you can also learn on platforms like LinkedIn and Coursera. Since such sites offer flexible classes, you’ll just make a few adjustments to your schedule. You gain new skills and improve your leadership without committing to unmanageable hours.
Don’t Let Executive-Level Stress Affect Productivity
Managing your time and delegating work can help you deal with stress from a demanding executive role. These strategies also allow you to achieve a healthy work-life balance for higher productivity.
If you have outdated skills or have difficulty doing some tasks, consider continuous learning. You should also embrace tools that improve your effectiveness and cut your workload.
