Stress & Time Management

STRESS MANAGEMENT

DETECTING THE SYMPTOMS OF STRESS.

INEFFECTIVE WAYS OF COPING.

EFFECTIVE WAYS OF COPING.

STAYING HEALTHY.

STRESS AND LIFESTYLES.

DETECTING THE SYMPTOMS OF STRESS TYPICAL SYMPTOMS

NERVOUS TWITCHING.

DRY MOUTH AND THROAT.

HEADACHES.

INDIGESTION.

SWEATING.

TIREDNESS.

BREATHING IRREGULARITIES.

TENSE MUSCLES.

FIDGETING.

DIARRHOEA / CONSTIPATION.

KAROSHI- is death from overwork

Karoshi represents a sort of extreme that can shade off into burnout,malingering ( to pretend to be ill or injured in order to avoid duty or work ) and to use a recent buzzword ‘Presentism’, which happens when people are stressed but too afraid to call in sick: while they show up, they are still to buzzed to be productive.

BURNOUT- cognitive impairment and excessive fatigue or lassitude (tired,weary)emerges only in the long term. Affects people who are over sensitive or over committed to work.

PHENOMENON called ‘success induced malaise’ show, achievers can also lose their fire.One fine day he wakes up and is unable to go to work.May take a few days off but is unable to bounce back.

CORRECTIVE MEASURES -

Resetting of goals

Compulsory breaks

Shorter hours and sabbaticals

Morale boosting meditation

Workouts at workplace

Undisturbed sleep

THERE ARE OTHER REASONS FOR CLIMBING A MOUNTAIN BESIDES GETTING TO THE TOP

BEHAVIOURAL SYMPTOMS

FEELING RESTLESS.

FEELING EASILY IRRITATED.

FEELING QUICK TEMPERED.

FEELING MISUNDERSTOOD.

FEELING A FAILURE.

FEELING UNABLE TO COPE.

FEELING UPSET, WORRIED, TEARFUL.

FEELING DEMOTIVATED.

DIFFICULTY IN CONCENTRATING.

DIFFICULTY IN MAKING DECISIONS.

DIFFICULTY IN THINKING CLEARLY.

LOSS OF MEMORY.

LOSS OF CREATIVITY.

LOSS OF INTEREST IN SELF AND OTHERS.

THE STRESS VULNERABILITY TEST

Statement True - False

1. I have many friends/ acquaintances. 1 2 3

2. I eat regular meals.

3. Most days I get a good night’s sleep.

4. I drink one alcoholic drink per day.

5. I do not smoke.

6. I exercise regularly.

7. I rarely drink coffee.

8. I am an affectionate person.

9. I make enough money to be comfortable.

10. I am in good health.

11. I get strength from my spiritual beliefs.

12. I set aside some time for fun each week.

13. I am open about my feelings.

14. I belong to at least one club or social group.

15. I am neither overweight nor underweight.

WORK PLACE SYMPTOMS

REDUCED PERFORMANCE.

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN.

LOWER JOB SATISFACTION.

POOR DECISION MAKING.

5. FOCUS ON UNPRODUCTIVE TASKS.

INEFFECTIVE WAYS OF COPING

SMOKING.

ALCOHOL.

DRUGS.

4. DIET AND EATING.

5. OVER WORK.

EFFECTIVE WAYS OF COPING 1. TALK IT OUT. 2. ESCAPE FOR A WHILE. 3. WORK OFF YOUR ANGER. 4. GIVE IN OCCASIONALLY. 5. DO SOMETHING FOR OTHERS. 6. TAKE ONE THING AT A TIME. 7. SHUN THE SUPERMAN URGE. 8. GO EASY WITH CRITICISM. 9. MAKE YOURSELF ‘AVAILABLE’. 10. PLAN YOUR RECREATION.

STAYING HEALTHY

EXERCISE.

SLEEP.

RELAXATION.

MASSAGE.

YOGA.

MEDITATION.

7. PLAY.

STRESS AND LIFESTYLE 1. LIFE EVENTS. 2. DAILY EVENTS. 3. BELIEFS AND ATTITUDES. 4. SOCIAL SUPPORT. 5. MEANING IN LIFE. 6. ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS. 7. STRESS AS NECESSARY MOTIVATION. 8. STRESS AS GLAMOUR. 9. MEN, WOMEN AND STRESS. 10. EGOISM. 11. COMPETITIVENESS. 12. AMBITION. 13. SELF - WORTH. 14. ANXIOUS PERSON. 15. NON ASSERTIVE BEHAVIOUR.

STRESS BUSTERS

A college freshman at Valparaiso University to Dr.

O. P.Kretzman – “ What advice would you give new

freshman as we face all the choices and uncertainties

ahead of us ?” Reply was “Take one bite out of the

apple at a time.” No more, no less.

Stress busters to maintain a healthy life:

1.Change your priorities

2. Take stretch breaks

3. Step back and observe

4. Review your purpose

5. Get a massage

6. Leave five minutes earlier

7. See a comedy

8. Use affirmations

9. Let go and let God!

10. Organize your space

11. Share your feelings

12. Smell some flowers

13. Ask for acknowledgement

14. Listen to your intuition

15. Help someone else

16. Rub your feet and hands

17. Visualize positive out comes

18. Take care of your

health

19. Don’t judge; bless

20. Work in the garden

21. Create a budget

22. Be empathetic, not

overly sensitive

23. Be still & meditate

24. Use time saving

technology

25. Carpool and enjoy the

ride

26. Set aside time for

planning

27. Count your blessings

28. Don’t forget, write it

down

29. Simplify, simplify …

30. Talk it out with

co-workers

31. Eliminate destructive

self-talk

32. Schedule play time

33. Change your

environment

34. Go with your natural

rhythms

35. Find an easy place to give your gifts

36. Fully express your-self

37. View problems as opportunities

38. Let go of “what ifs”

39. Be clear what is expected of you

40. Ask the experts

41. Do your best and then stop

42. Trust divine timing and order

43. Develop patience

44. Breathe deeply

45. Take a walk

46. Complete things

47. Take a nap

48. Sing a tune

49. Take a warm bath

50. Talk out your worries

51. Delegate

52. Talk with your mom

and dad

53. Say no at times

54. Shift deadlines

55. Follow your passion

56. Tell a joke

57. Play out your fears

58. Drink lots of water

59. Create a support sys

60. Divide up big

projects

61.Seek advice

62.Be gentle with yourself

63. Don’t “enable” others

64. Pray for openings

65. Tell the truth

66. Get more restful sleep

67. Forgive and move on

68. Prepare food ahead

69. Fix or get a new one

70. Be prepared to wait

71. Don’t always be right

72. Focus on the

movement

73. Take a lunch break

74. Read a book

75. Shift your attitude

76. Laugh each day

77. Develop self- esteem

78. Take vitamin

supplement

79. Stop the “should”

80. Avoid excess

81. Plan a special outing

82. See through illusions

83. Relax your muscles

84. Slow down & notice

85. Nurture good friends

86. Be in nature

87. Listen to music

88. Limit caffeine &

sugar

89. Go on fast or cleanse

90. Be spontaneous

91. Love your partner

92. Get some fresh air

93. Be pampered

94. Volunteer

95. Join help networks

96. Maintain good

posture

97. Respect your limits

98. Exercise routinely

99. Go dancing

100. Sigh occasionally

101. Do yoga

102. Have a good cry

103. Limit work time

104. Make time for

hobbies

105. Comprise/cooperate

106. Don’t procrastinate

107. Unplug your

phone/TV

108. Relax your

standards

109. Journal your

thoughts

110. Take a vacation

111. Organize your desk

112. Develop flexibility

113. Allow for

imperfections

114. Don’t over schedule

115. Expose your secrets

116. Build a strong body

117. Nurture your faith

118. Open a savings

account

119. Take in the sun

120. Love and be loved

121. Get the facts

122. Work as a team

123. Smile – open your

heart

124. Validate yourself

125. Day dream

126. Know God loves

you !

TIME MANAGEMENT

There is no mystery about managing time.

Everyone has 24 hrs each day and 168 hrs each week to eat, sleep, work, relax, exercise, attend class, and study.

There is nothing magical about getting the most from these hrs; it just takes planning.

But TM does require self- discipline and control until the behavioral changes are internalized and TM becomes an everyday habit.

Plans and schedules for managing time are useless if one does not follow them.

TIME

Take time to THINK

It is the source of power.

Take time to READ

It is the foundation of wisdom.

Take time to PLAY

It is the secret of staying young.

Take time to be QUIET

It is the opportunity to seek God.

Take time to LOVE and be LOVED

It is the god’s greatest gift.

Take time to LAUGH

It is the music of soul.

Take time to WORK

It is the price of success.

Take time to PRAY

It is the greatest power on earth.

“ THERE IS A TIME FOR EVERYTHING ”

“ STUDY WHILE OTHERS ARE SLEEPING,

WORK WHILE OTHERS ARE LOAFING,

PREPARE WHILE OTHERS ARE PLAYING,

AND SOW SEEDS,

WHILE OTHERS ARE WASTING TIME”.

William A. Ward.

TIME MANAGEMENT

Effective time management necessitates a sense of balance.

- Either extreme along the time management skills

continuum can be problematic.

- On one hand, perfect time management skills do not

make one a perfect student or employee.

- On the other hand, poor time management skills do not

make one a stooge.

Then why bother with time management?

The main reason for managing time is to provide structure to one’s life and, in turn, piece of mind.

Time management skills are your abilities to recognize and solve personal time management problems.The goal of time management workshop is to show you what you can do to improve your skills.

With good TM skills you are in control of your time and your life, of your stress and energy levels.

You make progress at work. You are able to maintain balance between your work, personal, and family lives.

You have enough flexibility to respond to surprises or new opportunities.

All TM skills are learnable.

If you already know how you should be managing your time, but you still do not do it, don’t give up. What you may be overlooking is the psychological side of your TM skills, psychological obstacles hidden behind your personality.

Value of time cannot be measured in terms of money only

To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed in his/her class. To realize the value of ONE MONTH ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby. To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly magazine. To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the mother who is waiting for her child. To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who has missed a plane. To realize the value of ONE SECOND ask the person who has just avoided an accident. To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask a person who has lost a goal medal in the Olympics.

Importance of time

A day comprises two 12-hours periods, a total of 24hours. An hour consists of 60seconds. Seconds are sub-divided on a decimal system into hundredth of a second or millionth of a second. There are 86,400 seconds in a day. A second is officially defined as 9,192,631.770 oscillations of a cesium,133 atoms in an atomic clock. Scientists have divided a second into the following parts:

Decisecond(one tenth of a second) the blink of an eye.

Centisecond(one hundredth of a second) the time it takes for a stroke of lighting to strike.

Nanosecond(one billionth of a second) a home computer takes 2 to 4 nanosecond to execute one software transaction.

Picosecond(one trillion of a second) the shortest period of time that can be measured accurately.

Time is always running out…….

Time cannot be manufactured.

Time cannot be purchased.

Time cannot be retrieved.

Time wasted is lost forever.

Time cannot be created whereas time can create everything.

Just 10 years

We have limited time at our disposal. N average person gets only 10 years of active life to make or unmake his/her career. Here we see how an ordinary man/woman spends his/her whole life(we have taken the average of 75yeras):

Time spent to attain educational qualifications and start career: 25years.

Time spent in sleeping in the remaining 50years(one third of our life):17years.

Time wasted in routine activities like taking bath,getting ready for work, traveling from home to office and back to home and for others social obligations:12years.

Time of active life spent on Sundays and holidays:8years.

Time of active life wasted by illness:3years .

Total time spent: 65years.

That leaves us with only about 10years of creative time in our entire life, I.e. 87,600 hours. So there are only 10active years in which one can either make or unmake ones career. So every hour of the day and every minute of it counts.one success in life depends upon the time one saved and spent wisely.

EFFECTIVE TIME MANAGEMENT BENEFITS

Reduce frustration . Many of the frustrating situations can be avoided with effective planning and organizing techniques.

Get a sense of achievement and piece of mind . Much of dissatisfaction and anxiety comes from that you are not sure where going, or you feel like you are not going nowhere.

Overcome the guilt . We are often burdened by subconscious guilt for those undone things we should be doing or should have done.

Increase your energy level . The undone things circulating in your mind cost you much more time and energy than the things you have done or are doing.

Get more of quality time . There are many things that don’t get you much forward, but you still have to do them to survive.

PERSONAL TIME SURVEY

Number of hours of sleep each night -------X 7 = -------

Number of grooming hours per day --------X 7 = -------

Number of hours for meals / snacks per day ----- X 7 = ------

Total travel time weekdays --------- X 6 = ---------

Total travel time weekends --------

Number of hours per week for regularly scheduled functions ( clubs, temple, get-together etc.) ----------

Number of hours per day for chores, errands, etc.--- X 7 = --

Number of hours of work ------------

Number of hours in class / office per week --------

Number of average hours per week socializing, etc. ---------

Add up the totals: --------------

Subtract the above number from 168 - ------ = --------

The remaining hours are the hours you have allowed yourself to study / activity

STUDY HOUR FORMULA

To determine how many hours you need to study each week to get “Distinction”, use the following rule of thumb.

Easy class hours -----x 2 = -------

Average class hours ------ x 3 = ------

Difficult class hours ------x 4 = ------

Total ------------

Compare this number to your time left from the survey. Now is the time the students might find themselves a bit stressed. Just a note to ease your anxieties. It is not only the quantity of study time but also its quality. This is a general guideline. Try it for a week, and make adjustments as needed.

PERSONAL GOAL SETTING

From the TM perspective, your life is a sequence of big and small choices and decisions. It is those choices that you really manage, not the flow of time.

Most of the time, you go through many small choices, mostly subconsciously.

Personal goal setting is the wisdom that comes out of a lot of practical experience and psychology research to help your direct your conscious and subconscious decisions towards success.

Personal goal setting helps not only your productivity and motivation, but also your self-realization, self-image, self-esteem and confidence.

How personal goal setting gets into your mind

HOW PERSONAL GOAL SETTINGS GETS INTO YOU MIND

CONSCIOUS MIND

Responsible for your current awareness and

Decision making

12% of your mind

You have quite good & direct control over it.

SUBCONSCIOUS MIND

Your personality

Feelings & thoughts come

Your memory, with all your personal values, beliefs and habits ,is there .

88% is your subconscious mind.

It takes more effort & sophistication to direct & reprogram it.

The first step towards successful goal setting is to realize that you are in control of your life.

Typically we are quite sure about having full control over our choices. Yet, we hardly notice how opinions and beliefs of different people around us penetrate deep down into our subconsciousness.

There are many subtle ways how we can be manipulated to serve somebody else’s misbeliefs or selfish interests.

When you set your goals and objectives you should feel totally sure that this is indeed your goals , and you really want to reach these goals.

You are achieving much more if, instead of trying to control uncontrollable and predict unpredictable, you concentrate on factors that depend on you.

It is strongly recommended that in your goals & objectives, you focus on conditions and odds for a desired outcome, rather than on the the outcome itself. So, just remember that performance goals work much better than outcome goals.

GOAL SETTING GUIDELINES

Set SMART goals.

SPECIFIC – You actually program your subconscious mind to work for you.Then your feelings and thoughts will lead to your goal instead of pointing at the obstacles.

MEASURABLE – You need a way to measure the progress and some specific criteria that will tell you when you can stop and the goal is achieved.

ATTAINABLE - They are chosen as ambitious as possible, but still reachable. Goals that work best have a challenge in them.

REWARDING - A goal is rewarding when you have clear reasons why you want to reach that goal. Have your specific reasons and expected reward in writing /pictures.

TIMELY – Your goal should have a specific time limit. Setting the deadline will protect you from paying higher price than the goal is worth. This is also your protection from procrastination and perfectionism.

TM TECHNIQUES AND STRATEGIES

Decision making skills and techniques :

Decision making can be hard. Almost any decision involves some conflicts or dissatisfaction.Decision making skills are also a key competent of TM skills. Yet, making your own decisions and accepting the consequences is the only way to stay in control of your time, your success, and your life. Main decisions making techniques can be summarized as:

Identify the purpose of your decision – what and why!

Gather information – what factors does the problem involve !

Identify the principles to judge the alternatives – what standards and criteria should the solution meet?

Brainstorm and list different possible choices – generate ideas for possible solutions.( write them on paper!)

Evaluate each choice in terms of its consequences – use your standards and criteria to determine the cons & pros of each alternative.

Determine the best alternative .

Put the decision into action – execute your plan.

Evaluate the outcome of your decision and actions steps - what lessons can be learnt?

Prioritizing effectively

Prioritizing your responsibilities and engagements is very important. Prepare ‘to do list’.

What is planning and why you need to plan

A plan is like map.Remember the 80/20 rule. It is well established that for unstructured activities 80% of the effort give less than 20% of the valuable outcome.

Beat procrastination

Basically, procrastination is putting off the things that you should be doing now.( waiting for the right mood or the right time)

TIME MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES

Identify “Best time” for studying. Everyone has high and low periods of attention and concentration.

Study difficult subjects first.When you are fresh, you can process information more quickly and save time as a result.

Use Distributed Learning and Practice: Study in shorter time blocks with short breaks between.

Make sure the surroundings are conducive to studying.

Make room for entertainment and relaxation; college is more than studying. You need to have a social life, yet , you need to have a balance in your life.

Make sure you have time to sleep and eat properly; students use sleep as their TM “bank”.

Try to combine activities

TIME MANAGEMENT ISSUES

Shifting priorities and crisis management – Mgt guru Peter Drucker says that “ crisis mgt is actually the form of mgt preferred by most managers”.

The telephone

Lack of priorities / objectives.

Attempting too much – many people today feel that they have to accomplish everything yesterday and do not give themselves enough time to do things properly. It leads to half finished projects.

Drop in visitors.

Ineffective delegation.

The cluttered desk – be able to see 80% of the desk

Procrastination.

The inability to say “ no”.

Meetings – Average manager spends 17 hrs a week in meetings and 5 hrs in the planning time and untold hours in the follow up.

Time Management

TIME: Its Major Attributes

Time is neutral : It is neither good nor bad by itself.

Therefore, to blame the time for any inaptitude for failure will be quite unfair

Time can not be saved for future use : Time once lost , is lost forever. Therefore, don’t waste even a single second

Each activity requires a minimum quantum of

time, no amount of ‘hurrying up’ can hasten the process , beyond a limit. Therefore, accord requisite time duration for any action to fructify .

Time has value like currency : Therefore ,be prepared to pay the price for your achievements ,

and like the financial management it can be organized to get more with less .

Time is cumulative in nature : Seconds become minutes, minutes turn into hours, hours into days , days make months and months to years, years to decades, and centuries when its small units continue to accumulate.

Plan your time

Time to eat

Time to exercise

Time to rest and relax

Time to study

Time for silent contemplation

Time for spouse and children

Time for recreation and amusement

Time to serve the needy

Time to Pray

HOW YOU RELATE TO TIME

TIME MANAGEMENT

Time management need not be obsessive, soul-less, unachievable, or ethnocentric.

Compulsive behaviors often are not worth the time and energy we devote to them.

Time management is an effective shield against stress.

Spontaneity and joy can coexist with organization.

A company’s efficiency is affected by everyone in the organization.

Time management styles vary among people and cultures.

PRIORITIZE YOUR ACTIVITIES

The ABC system is the grandfather of prioritizing strategies

The Index Card / Post -it system.

The Inventory System.

The Payoff System.( Now, with the flood of information, duties, and events that overwhelm people every day, time has become a far more valuable commodity)

The Pareto Principle - 80 / 20 formula for e.g. 80% of a company’s sales come from 20% of its client and 20% of a company’s employees take 80% of their sick leave

Nature’s Basic Laws

The law of universal interconnectivity

There is ultimate ‘unity in diversity’

All living things have the same common element-soul(atma)- interconnecting them like the common thread of a garland with flowers of different colours, sizes, shapes and fragrance

All living things remain connected to the source (Paramatma) as long as they live

The above fact is the genesis of infinite potential in human beings

We are never alone

Lesson : We first harm ourselves when any harm is done to others by our thought ,word or action

Therefore : In order to be happy, let us generate happiness all around us

The Law of Synergic Cooperation

Co-operation is nature’s way of doing things

Competition or confrontation is an unnatural phenomenon within nature (There is never any competition in various systems in the human body which generally function in perfect harmony)

Lesson : When the human endeavour at physical, intellectual and spiritual levels is synergised , the resultant outcome is much greater than the quantum of effort put in separately

Therefore : Successful management means involvement of the maximum number of participants and their intrinsic interests, for optimum results; for instance ,individual concerns of customers ,employees,suppliers and the employer in a business

The Law of Cumulative Goodwill

Goodwill is cumulative in nature

Results or effects of goodwill may not be seen immediately

Goodwill of apparently insignificant people is equal, if not more important

Even small , but regular , deposits in the ‘good will bank account’ will pay handsome dividends ,sometimes in the least expected but most needy circumstances