Work Smarter, Feel Better

Are you working long hours? Do you often feel stressed and overloaded? You're not alone. More than twothirds of surveyed Canadians who work more than 45 hours a week reported feelings of being overwhelmed.

How you work can have a dramatic impact both on how much you work and how you feel. Avoiding or procrastinating over certain work-related tasks, allowing your schedule to become overloaded and being disorganized can unnecessarily complicate your working day and create anxiety.

When you're stressed on the job, your hypothalamus triggers a boost of adrenaline, which increases your heart rate and can also cause nausea, shakiness and impaired hand-eye coordination — among other symptoms. If sustained, job stress can lead to irritability, digestive problems, headaches, fatigue and depression, and over time can even lead to hardening of the arteries and increased risk of stroke.

The key to reducing work-related stress lies in working smarter. Try these five strategies to keep yourself on track:

• Plan your day - Take a few minutes at the beginning of each day to prioritize your projects, and then block off dedicated time for the important ones. Let go of unimportant tasks when you are overloaded.
• Use an in-box system - Keep only your most active papers and e-mails in front of you and file the rest away. This will help you manage important jobs and find critical information, and will make the pile seem less daunting.
• One step at a time - The best way to stop worrying about a pile of work is to get some of it done. Break a big task down into small steps and do just the first one.
• Don't procrastinate - Putting off a tough job off doesn't ease stress; it only extends it. The more anxiety a given task is causing you, the sooner you should get it done.
• Make time for yourself - Working around the clock can lead to burnout. Schedule a little time every day to meditate, exercise or just get outside.