TO DO TIPS FOR MANAGING A STRESSFUL AND FRAGMENTED WORKLOAD!
Doing well in a busy and teleworking environment
Did you know that the job of an event producer has been voted the 5th most stressful in the world. Above firefighters, police officers, soldiers and airline captains. That’s some pretty wild company we’re in! Check out our tips for managing stressful work and maintaining your wellbeing below!
So why is working on events so stressful? Imagine that you have to organise an impressive experience for several hundred or even thousands of people, taking into account both the habits of the masses and the needs of individuals. Imagine that every minute and the next step of the audience has to be premeditated. No one must get lost, everyone must keep pace. What do they see? What do they taste? What do they smell? How do individual schedules work? On top of that, you often have to brief dozens of subcontractors, volunteers and speakers. Build minute-by-minute schedules for each moving part of the machinery and, if necessary, modify each one as clients’ wishes change. Imagine having to plan something different, moving and energising over and over again. Plans should be ready yesterday rather than the day after. And this same thing is going on with more projects.
Guess what? We love this. At Me To Do, we get excited about details, busy schedules and stretching creativity to the limit. When there are MANY irons in the fire, the To Doer lights up!
So how do you manage stress? What keeps the balls in the air?
HERE ARE FOUR TIPS FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT FROM TO DO;
TRUST THE TEAM, PULL TOGETHER
At To Do, we have a whole team to help if needed. Everyone contributes ideas and together we solve the challenges that arise. We always pull in the same direction, not against each other. An open and supportive atmosphere, a genuine caring, is strongly reflected in our everyday life. We have also invested in working in pairs. When two people are on top of what’s going on, the weight of the whole project is not on the shoulders of one person!
We do most of our work remotely. Once a week we get together. In this moment we review the situation of the events at hand. Everyone fills in the weekly notebook beforehand with the things they want to raise for discussion. During the team day, we exchange news in a relaxed atmosphere and go through the issues raised together and plan the next steps.
We document the dunes, their steps and next steps so that if necessary a friend can help, for example if a cold strikes, so no one has to stress about being irreplaceable.
SCHEDULING WORK & SETTING TARGETS
One thing at a time. Set goals for each day. We have implemented a project management tool to help us build projects and their associated daily & weekly tasks and TO DO lists. By transferring the tasks in your mind directly to to-do lists and scheduling them, you don’t have to worry about whether everything has been remembered. By curating those self-imposed goals, it’s easy to get your work on track if sometimes the thought wants to run away.
Without a functioning project management programme, our days would be challenging; the wheel would be constantly reinvented and information would be lost.
With the day’s goals achieved and even if the project is still in progress, reaching the milestones brings a sense of achievement and a feeling that the project is moving forward despite the million tasks ahead and sometimes even the long timeline! When doing events, you’re facing more of a marathon than a sprint, so reaching milestones helps keep the fragmented work meaningful and successes along the way.
PRESENCE IS THE NEW BLACK!
Your phone beeps, you’re sitting in a meeting live or remotely discussing topic x and you’re trying to send an email about topic y. Sound familiar? Did you know that multitasking reduces productivity and performance because your brain can only focus on one thing at a time? When we try to do two things at the same time, the brain can’t perform both tasks successfully.
- Turn off notifications on your phone, check your messages a few times a day.
- Be present! Would a note of the meeting be enough? Could you attend only the part that concerns you? Shake up and revitalise your company’s meeting culture. A lot can be achieved in 45 minutes. At kuja said it always takes an hour to have a successful meeting.
- Apply for a work environment where you can control your attention. Set aside a time in your calendar each day and, in particular, find a space where your attention is protected from interruptions. Remember to also mention to the rest of the team about quiet working and quiet time.
- Choose a couple of days reserved for external meetings. This way, you schedule your work breaks together and good duuniflow doesn’t get lost in the middle of meetings.
LEPO
As much fun as work is, you have to take care of your own well-being. If you work for weeks on half-sleep, you can only work at half-power. A rested mind is better at tackling challenges and seeing the wood for the trees! If you feel like it, take a 10-15 min powernap in the middle of the day! Daytime naps are proven to help you focus. Take a little oxygen jump, go around the house and listen to your own breathing! Count to four on the inhale and six on the exhale!
At To Do, we have also made it a habit to have weekly walking meetings on Mondays, where we can catch up with each other and catch up on things. At these meetings, we have a group chat and everyone jogs in their own neighborhoods. We have got so much out of our outdoor activities together that we try to make the most of it whenever possible, for example when we have to do some creative brainstorming!
The most important thing is to take care of everyone together! A few words can make a big difference! “How are you?” “Can I help?” <3
Well-being at work should be part of everyday work. Take care of your team: With To Do’s wellbeing kit, you can support wellbeing at work and team spirit throughout the spring.
Build community and create meeting places for teleworkers on a regular basis. Well-being at work affects the competitiveness, financial performance and reputation of your organisation. It also has a significant link to customer satisfaction, reduced employee turnover and sickness absence, for example – well employees perform better.
Need help to relax while working remotely – Call me maybe ?
