By Becky Koch, Meeting Planner at Impact AMC
Stress is a part of life. Every person endures it. However, most either don’t confront it or handle it in unhealthy ways. Naomi Tucker with Planners on Purpose presented an extremely compelling session at Meeting Planners International (MPI) Wisconsin Education Day titled “Ease Your Burn: Unpacking the Common Stressors of Meeting & Event Planning.”
Naomi noted that studies prove the Meeting Planning industry ranks within the top 5 most stressful industries. However, stress and burnout extends beyond industries and roles. Anyone can benefit from better stress management practices. If stress is not correctly controlled in one area, it can easily overflow and affect other aspects of life. This can lead to burnout, which has many harmful consequences.
Identifying Stress Type
First, it is necessary to determine the stress category present, and which type “lives” within one’s mindset the most.
Eustress is typically considered a positive type of stress and can cause an adrenaline burst.
Acute stress is short-term, can occur daily, and is either positive or negative.
Episodic acute stress is a long-term stress that can leave someone feeling continually distressed.
Chronic stress is never-ending and feels inescapable.
Understanding the different types of stress, which category of stress that is currently being experienced, and its duration are the first steps to dealing with it.
The Repetitive Stress Cycle
Some believe that being strong means pushing through all obstacles that life puts in front of them. If the next problem is solved, life will calm down. However, stressors often develop a repetitive cycle which can lead people to believe their job or place of employment is the problem. Therefore, a new occupation won’t typically resolve an already stressful mindset. The anxiety and unhealthy habits commonly follow into the next position and remain consistent, which potentially leads to more mental and physical problems.
Understanding the Stress Circle
To handle stress in a healthy way, it is helpful to understand and utilize the stress circle. The stress circle begins when the stress initially appears. After this, the response system is activated, the stressor is handled, and response to any residual lingering stress occurs. The final step is to rest and recover. This final step is often skipped, but it is the most important.
Many barely get through one stressful situation before moving into the next, or even juggling many stressful events at the same time. If the stress circle isn’t fully completed, burn out evolves quicker.
The Root Causes of Stress and Questions to Ask
Have you been “living” in your head for a while? Where is your stress coming from? If you do not analyze your stress to determine the root cause and how to manage it in a healthy way, burn out is inevitable. If you “live” in any of the stress categories, it is important to understand why and what you can do about it. Take time to look at the stress on your plate.
Is it amplified by a lack of tools, training, or support?
Are tasks too time-consuming?
What do you need to prevent or lower the stress on your plate?
Is there a better process to use?
Can the workload be delegated more efficiently?
Stress Relative to Time Management
Naomi’s Time Management Matrix can be a valuable tool to manage your precious time in a healthy way. Understanding the level of importance and the level of urgency of the task at hand can help you determine how to prioritize.
If a task is important but not urgent, you need to determine if you have capacity to complete it or if you need to delegate it.
If the item is not important but is urgent, who can you delegate it to?
If it is not important and not urgent, look to see if it needs to be done or if it can be deleted.
Not all tasks can easily be divided into one of these categories, but it can be helpful to have a system to quickly prioritize tasks. You only have so much time in a day and so much energy to give. You are not a machine, but a human.
The Human Giver Syndrome
Human Giver Syndrome is the theory that humans who give relentlessly experience higher burnout. People who experience this Syndrome and continuously give without setting necessary boundaries are more likely to experience serious burnout.
Dr. Henry Cloud says, “Boundaries are all about what you create and what you allow.” One way to assess this is to look at any distractions throughout your day. After each distraction, it takes about 15 minutes to refocus on the previous task. If you decrease these distractions by scheduling future projects, blocking your calendar for focus time, turning off notifications for emails and other communication items, and giving yourself the space to focus, you may actually feel like you gained back time by being more productive.
Additional Strategies for Increased Productivity
There are many effective strategies to implement to improve your productivity and ideally lower stress at the same time.
Try to delegate tasks.
Automate tasks that are repetitive.
Clump similar tasks together so you tackle more at a time.
Remember that you can say no.
There are many ways to say no without being rude such as letting others know your priorities or giving them another person who can assist with the task. Find ways that work for you and implement them slowly so you don’t feel more overwhelmed.
Stress may be a part of life, but it does not have to be your entire life. Take time to understand your stress and the root causes. Implement ways to reduce stress using stress management tools and resources, the Time Management Matrix, and setting clear boundaries. Most importantly, take the time you need to recover from stress and recognize when you need help. There is only one of you, and your life is so much more than a task to check off a list.
Impact AMC is Here to Help You Avoid Burnout
Our team of expert association professionals can remove the burden of daily tasks from your shoulders so you can focus on what matters most for your association. Reach out to learn more.