You really know it's summer when stress levels in the office start rising faster than the temperature. On the home front, things are getting tense because there are 101 things to do before you can make tracks for the airport. Meanwhile, at work it's an uphill battle to clear your desk before going on leave.
You planned to finish a crucial project today, but the phone never stops ringing. You're doing three people's jobs this week because two of your team are spending quality time with their children. You need to pop out to collect your Euros at lunchtime, but a colleague demands advice on an urgent problem. Finally, the air conditioning packs up and you are faced with the choice of being stifled by the heat or deafened by traffic noise.
Stress is starting to take hold if you react to situations like this with uncontrollable tears, blind panic or pure rage. But take heart, because it is possible to cope with the pressures of the summer season without damaging your relationships or your career prospects. It just takes a bit of planning.
Planning ahead
Careful time management is vital if you want to avoid overload at this time of year. Marking everyone's holidays on a wall chart is a good way of making sure that there are enough staff to cover peak periods. With a bit of give and take it should be possible for everyone to stagger their leave and share out the workload. If not, consider plugging the gaps with students or temps.
Use your personal organiser to plan your activities and your meetings carefully in the weeks before going away. But try to be realistic about what you can actually achieve in the time available. Don't be afraid to ask for help if there is too much to do – no one expects you to be superwoman.
Another good tip is to mark in appointments with yourself to deal with urgent or unfinished business. Establishing your agenda in advance will make it easier to tell others that you are too busy to take on more work until after the holiday.
Maintaining good relationships
Unfortunately, being firm with people who want to distract or interrupt you is easier said than done. 'No' is one of the most difficult words in the language – but it's vital to learn to say it if you are going to take the stress away from your diary and relationships.
To avoid rows and rifts it's not enough to be careful what you say, it's also vital to listen carefully to other people's points of view – even when they are being unreasonable. Understanding what others are saying does not mean you have to agree, but it can make it easier for them to accept your response. Above all, you need to make your position clear, so:
Be clear about what you want to say
Go straight to the point
Don't be side-tracked
Be honest about how you feel. Disclosing your emotions – saying that you feel 'surprised', 'guilty' or 'angry' – is a vital part of short-term emotional management. It acts as a release of tension, and will help to ease any conflict between you and others at work.
Taking time to relax
Unless you take steps to wind down regularly, you may still react to pressure by tearing your hair out or getting into a rage. And the next stressful event will only add to the tension. When you know that you are getting frazzled, try:
Slowing down your breathing
Moving about
Massaging the part of your body that feels tense
Taking a break.
Above all, try to get the situation in perspective and see the funny side of it. The really important thing is to make sure you have enough energy left to enjoy your holiday. Don't worry, the work will be still be there when you get back!
