Stress and Deadlines

If I am really stressed, have lots of things to do and no time to do it in, my breathing becomes shallow, my thoughts are faster, I don't finish one task before I start on the next one and while doing that I remember something that I forgot to do and should have done weeks ago.

Jobs that revolve around meeting deadlines crank up the stress factor - as does drinking lots of coffee.

Living in London is not conducive to deep relaxation. I often myself hurrying to get somewhere even when I'm not in a hurry, hurtled along by the crowd.

One tip to combat stress is to slow all your actions down - no matter how much you have to do and no matter how much you feel is not getting done.

When I consciously make an effort to slow down, concentrate on one task at a time, be in the moment, I achieve much more and get lots more done. My breathing automatically becomes slower, my posture becomes better without thinking about it and I don't feel as if life is just one big deadline.

It is a real challenge to walk when you can run. But sometimes it can be a real stress buster.

Lately I've decided to use the word 'milestone' instead of 'deadline'. It's not exactly a synonym but I find 'reaching a milestone' to be less stress-inducing than 'meeting a deadline'.