7 Ways to Relieve Stress by Becoming More Productive

Nina Amir, is a seasoned journalist, author, inspirational speaker, and a conscious creation coach. Additionally, she writes a column as the Jewish Issues Examiner, and appears once a month as the holiday and spirituality expert on Conversations with Mrs. Claus, a weekly podcast heard in more than 90 countries and downloaded by 110,000 listeners per month. Through her writing and speaking, Amir offers human potential, personal growth and practical spiritual tools from a unique perspective, although her work spans religious lines it is pertinent to people of all faiths and spiritual traditions. In all she does, Amir strives to help people live fully and feel the Divine Presence in their lives every day.

It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you, our newest guest blogger, Nina Amir.

7 Ways to Relieve Stress by Becoming More Productive

Most people feel stressed when they fail to accomplish necessary or desired tasks. Their stress level rises when their to-do list grows longer rather than shorter each day, week or month. In fact, our society measures success by productivity, which only increases our sense of needing to become more productive, and therefore, our level of stress.

Ways exist, however, to achieve a higher level of productivity without increasing our level of stress. Here are six tools that will help you do get more done and feel more relaxed as well.

1. Turn off technology. Yes…for a period of time each day, turn off the phone, the Internet, television, everything except what you absolutely need to get your work done. And don’t turn them back on until you’ve finished the project at hand—or at least completed a designated amount of work. We spend an amazing amount of time answering emails, texting, looking at things on the Internet, etc. Technology, while useful, becomes a huge time drain. So, for a certain amount of time each day, refuse to be at technology’s beck and call. You’ll be amazed at how much time you gain…and how much stress you lose.
2. Meditate in the morning. I can hear you groaning. I know this adds time to your day, but it’s a proven fact that meditation can help you gain time and lose stress. First, meditation does, indeed, reduce stress. Second, it helps you get centered, and quiet so you can ask yourself, “What are my priorities.” You might be surprised at the answer. Then you can prioritize your day based on your inner guidance and start out in a calm and focused manner.
3. Tighten your time belt. Take a realistic look at your day, and ask yourself “Where do I waste time?” Do you hit the alarm clock three times before getting out of bed? (That’s 20 minutes.) Do you spend an hour and a half every day looking through your email and clicking through links? Do you coffee klatch in the break room? Do you stand in front of the television set holding the clean clothes rather than folding them? Even if you really stick to a schedule, find some way to tighten your time belt so you gain at least another 30 minutes during which you can accomplish one more task.
4. Find work tactics that work. When you say you are working, are you really working? Are you focused? Are you getting something done? If not, figure out why, and then find some work tactics that work—that help you work. Are you hungry? Are you tired? Are you uncomfortable? Try taking a quick walk around the parking lot or up and down your driveway to get your energy moving—both in your body and in your mind. Start exercising every day so you feel good. Eat something that will help your brain work, like proteins or water, before you start a project—and at every meal so you don’t have that “crash and burn” sensation that makes you tired after eating. Take good vitamins every day. Sit up straight and tall at your desk rather than slouching. Get a pillow to support your back. Do something different. Find a tactic that helps you really be on task when you say you are working.
5. Be your own accountability authority. Whether you own your own business, work for someone else, or would simply like to get more done around the house each day, you have to become your own accountability authority. This means that you have to have a driving desire to get more done not for someone else but for yourself. It’s easy enough to find an accountability partner to whom you must report on your progress; this does tend to make you get things done. It’s also easy enough—although not always pleasant—to account for your productivity to a boss; this also will increase your productivity (but probably your stress as well). However, he desire to be productive and what we think of our own performance—rather than what someone else thinks of it—really makes someone productive. So, give yourself a set of realistic productivity goals (notice the word “realistic”), and then set out to accomplish them. Make sure they are goals you really want to achieve. Ask yourself, these questions:
   1. In what ways do I really want to be more productive?
   2. Why do I want to be more productive?
   3. Do I really want to be productive?
   4. What will I gain from being more productive?
   5. How will my life change or how will I change if I’m more productive?
   6. What does being more productive look like to me?
   7. What things do I want to accomplish?

Then be accountable to yourself for making that happen. In the process, you’ll likely find that you feel better as well.

1. Take baby steps. Most of us have a tendency to try and make big changes. We bite of more than we can chew. We take on 10 New Year’s resolutions instead of one or two. Instead, start small. Take baby steps. Try to be a just little more productive each day. Then pat yourself on the back for that, and take another step forward the next day; try to be just a bit more productive. Each day you’ll find that you have accomplished more than the day before, and in this way you’ll do so without adding a lot of stress to you life.
2. Battle the enemy at dawn. Most of us like to put off the tasks we don’t like. Instead, battle the enemy at dawn; the enemy represents the tasks you like least or that feel the most daunting. If you do these first, you’ll find that you spend less time procrastinating or avoiding—wasting time so you don’t have to do what you don’t want to do. This will reduce your level of stress, because you won’t have as much hanging over your head all day. You won’t feel like the enemy is lurking just around the corner. You’ll know you have fought the battle and won; now you can relax and go on to something else.

For more information on Nina, her books or to read her blog, please visit:  http://www.purespiritcreations.com.