Conquer Stress & Procrastination at Work

It's no secret that stress and procrastination are related. More people resort to procrastination as a coping mechanism for fear as demand in the workplace grows. It's not always fear of failure that keeps people from being productive, either. Fear of success, of the unknown, or of starting a venture in the wrong way keeps people from achieving things they have dreamed about for years.Do you think that taking a deep breath and summoning your willpower is the right way to go? You may be surprised. People can actually increase stress by trying to calm down. And everyone already knows that willpower is limited. But there are simple ways to tackle stress and productivity head on, and you can implement these three tips in the next 60 minutes.

1.) Curb Stress into Excitement

When you're stressed, it is far easier to move your brain to a positive heightened state than to calm down. Simply switching your mentality to "I'm excited," rather than "I'm nervous," can help you harness your energy in a positive, productive way. Shifting your focus to excitement will help you focus on all the things that can go right, and may actually help you perform better than you otherwise would. Watch this technique in action here.

2.) Leave no Trace

This traditional Zen principle will help you prioritize, complete tasks, and put some sense back into your workday. Originally used as a philosophy for respecting the outdoors, the basic principle is to clean as you go, and work each small task to completion. Break down complex tasks into small ones that you can do in 10 to 30 minutes. Once they are done, make sure that any clutter is gone and you can move completely into the next task. Keeping your work area organized will also help you reduce distractions and stay focused. Take the next 10 to 30 minutes and clean up your area; we guarantee you'll feel better afterward, and you'll probably get more done by the end of the day.

3.) Pomodoro Productivity

This one is as simple as setting a stopwatch. The basic structure of Pomodoro time management is 25 minutes of work, followed by a scheduled 10 minute break. For every four full cycles of work, you take one longer break of 20 to 30 minutes. As you develop this technique to suit your day, you can discover how many "pomodoros" you need to complete a task, and eventually break down your entire workday into a schedule that will keep you active, engaged, and able to take breaks (no more running on fumes by 3PM). Despite all that "time wasting," people have found that they get up to twice the work done in a day. You can learn more about the Pomodoro technique here.What do you do to help you stay focused at work? Let us know!