The higher you move up the ladder, the more people you will have depending on you. This can put an added pressure on you to get more done with the same limited amount of time in an attempt not to let anyone down. The more things you juggle, the easier it’s going to be to drop the ball somewhere. The problem with taking on too much is that you run a much higher risk of overload and burnout. 

Sometimes spreading yourself too thin is unavoidable. Life comes as it will. There will always be Murphy’s Law – anything that can go wrong will go wrong. But, if you can build in a buffer for the unexpected, you can avoid spreading yourself too thin to some degree.

Here are a few tips to lighten the load and ease your stress levels:

Delegation

Delegation is difficult for many people. The best way to get a job done right is to do it yourself, correct? Well, not if your insistence on doing every job yourself is causing to a serious overload of tasks and stress. Learning to delegate is an essential management tool.  Every little task takes a bit of time, effort, and head space. Spread out what you can to lighten the load. 

Automation

Automate as much as you can. Auto-responder emails, scheduling things like task reminders to go out at certain intervals, etc. These things can go a long way to saving your time and sanity from being consumed by tedious tasks. You can incorporate other technology in for a smoother flow. Skype meetings instead of traveling for face-to-face meetings can be valuable in certain instances. There are a lot of options to look into for automating as much of your job as you can so you can focus on the tasks that require real attention and effort.

Make Priority Lists

Prioritize what is important and what isn’t. What needs to be done right away and what can wait.  Schedule time in twice a day for 10 minutes each time to look over your lists and move items where they need to be. Take items off your list that are done, move items that can wait towards a list on the back burner, highlight items that need to be done right away. This way, you can structure your day around your priorities and can better manage your time.

Rest and Relaxation

Everyone needs to take a break to unwind, relax and reset. Even if you feel like you have a million things on your plate, the idea is to set your schedule up in such a way that you can hit the pause button when appropriate and make time for yourself and your family. This doesn’t have to be a full blow vacation every time. Stress relief in life is a necessity. Schedule in time for you to completely unplug. Maybe every day after a certain time you can put the phone away. Delegate one day a week, like Saturday, to stay off all technology that leads to work. You can add stress relievers like trips to the gym into your schedule as well. Self maintenance is key.

Spreading yourself too thin will lead to burnout. It’s essential that you learn coping tools to try to lighten the load where you can. What preventative measures do you take from spreading yourself too thin and taking on too much? How do you deal with work related stress? Comment below!