As a working professional, you undoubtedly have to spend at least some time during the day in activities that require few skills and little thought. Unfortunately, some of these activities also require lots of your time.
Every position requires work that could be handled by lower-cost employees. When you properly identify this work and then accomplish it with a lower-cost resource, system, or technology, you will be much more valuable.
As you identify these activities, keep the following in mind:
1. How much you are being paid an hour.
2. The work that you do.
3. Objectively, whether or not you think that the work you do is worth what you are paid. You won't be able to increase your income
unless you show that you are getting more done in less time or working at a level that deserves increased compensation.
Getting more done in less time is not only good for the company; it's also good for you. You will feel better about yourself, and most often you will spend time doing things that require a higher level of knowledge and effort. As you grow professionally, you will have additional professional opportunities available to you because you took the time and energy to find more efficient ways to do your work.
Putting the Fun Factor Back In Our Lives
Remember what it was like to be a kid ... the toys, the playroom, the play clothes, the toy box, those fun, creative, energizing colors and objects in our lives? Did we lose them forever when we became more structured and influenced by our peers, when we went to school and later to work? Why is it O.K. for "certain people," e.g. artists, writers, designers, and entertainers to have a "fun" working environment and wear casual, "fun" clothes, with colorful posters on the walls, a basketball net in the corner of the office, and upbeat music blaring? One last question: Is it O.K. for YOU to put the fun-factor back into your life?
According to "Fun Expert" Mary Pries of The Associates Public Relations & Marketing, "In the fast-paced environment of the '90s, we increasingly feel out of balance. As the pressure mounts, we realize that much of our time is going into our career with a small amount squeezed out for our families and little left-over for ourselves....Even when we do have personal time, we often spend it reading books we 'should' read, doing exercises we 'should' do, and, generally, NOT doing things that are FUN."
To put the fun factor back into your life, determine what inspires you ... what gives you energy and enjoyment ... what's FUN for you? Then Mary recommends, "figure out ways that you can integrate this fun factor into your work day, your family time, your life as a whole. Give yourself permission to have fun. Don't worry ... when you open up the right side of your brain, the left side won't close up. In fact, by reclaiming the creative self, the left brain may even operate more efficiently. A happy worker who has fun at work is generally more productive and more motivated on the job than one who is bored or miserable." Mary suggests: work on a puzzle in the corner of your office, write a poem, or read a chapter in a mystery novel during coffee breaks. Visit a toy store on your lunch hour and shop for YOU, not your kids. Buy that model airplane and paints, Play-Doh, or whatever catches your fancy. "I have a play desk in my living room," Mary confesses. "I have paints, markers, a mask, needlepoint, a puzzle. . .fun things I enjoy playing with. It encourages me to play because it's there, ready to use, and it calls out to me!"
Find fun things or activities that will call out to you. You'll feel better for it!
Dealing With Job-Related Stress
Tyler Hans, an assistant to a vice president of a Fortune 500 company, works over 60 hours a week and is responsible for 10 other employees. He is always tired and irritable and continually falls behind in his workload. He's unable to concentrate and suffers from an ulcer. He is definitely experiencing job stress. Do you find yourself relating to his story?
The National Mental Health Association (NMHA) offers 11 tips for Tyler and other individuals facing and suffering from job-related stress. Following these steps can help reduce the impact of job stress:
1. Take charge of your situation. Set and re-set priorities. Take care of the most important and difficult things first.
2. Be realistic about what you can change. Don't doom yourself to frustration and failure. Do what's possible for you to do in one day.
3. Take one step at a time. Divide each project into manageable steps. Decide on a first step for each project and stay consistent with following through on subsequent steps.
4. Be honest with colleagues. This includes the boss. If too many projects and deadlines are piling up, make it plain and simple that you feel overwhelmed.
5. Let your employer help. Many companies help their employees deal with the effects of stress through diet, smoking, and alcohol clinics, corporate fitness programs, and personal counseling services.
6. Slow down. Learn to say no to new projects. Drop activities that are not crucial, whether in your career or personal life.
7. Recognize danger signals. Learn the symptoms of job stress, and take action as soon as they appear to be getting out of hand.
8. Take care of your physical health. It increases your stress tolerance. Get plenty of exercise.
9. Learn to relax. Find a safety valve like a sport, hobby, or music. Use it to create a bridge between work and home.
10. Don't neglect your private life. Work out a schedule which allows you to do justice to both work and your personal life. Schedule non-negotiable time with loved ones.
11. Consider a change of career. It's a last resort but may be worth considering if stress at your present job is too much.
