If you haven’t read it yet, check out Penelope Trunk’s article about the uses and misuses of workplace stress. She debunks the myth that people work better under stress. You may think that you do, but maybe you should ask your boss which work product he or she likes better. Do they like the one when you’re stressed out or the one when you’re relaxed and self-confident?
Penelope also “stresses” the importance of stretching, monitoring your stress, sitting at your desk properly and using your downtime wisely. One thing that I was bad about was trying to cram every errand that I had to do into my lunch hour. Or, I would try to rush hom and eat, and then rush back to work. I would come back to work so stressed out, because the traffic was always so horrible where I worked. I am also bad about twisting my legs when I sit. Thi is mostly due to the fact that I’m 6′4”, and my knees have a hard time fitting under desks. However, I was great about taking frequent breaks and stretching my legs. If you sit at a desk for more than 2 hours at a time, you’re going to get distracted, tired, and have less motivation to complete tasks. I always made sure that I got up every hour and a half and walked around the building or got a drink of water.
My question to you as we go into the weekend is, are you aware of the extra stresses in your life that you could cut out? Do you realize that those stresses are affecting your professional life? Take the time this weekend to identify your daily habits that help facilitate extra stress throughout your week. Then, make a plan for breaking those habits. You’ll thank yourself, and your boss will be happier when they see a better work product coming out of you.
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Hi, Erik. Thanks for linking to Brazen Careerist. I like the questions you ask at the end of this post. I think it’s so hard to change habits, that often we don’t even ask ourselves what habits we’d like to change. Your post is a good reminder of the important first step.
Penelope
Penelope, thanks so much. I really enjoy your articles. I dont know if Ryan Healy has told you, but he asked me to be a part of the new brazen careerist site that you all are launching soon. I’m going to give him my feed, and he’ll post my articles on the site from time to time. I’m really excited to be a part of what you all are doing! Hopefully we can talk more about it soon.