Seven Ways to Reduce Your Stress at Work

Imagine working only four hours a day, nine months a year and earning all the money you need to do exactly what you want with all your free time. Does that sound like your life?

That's the life a futurist of the early 20th century predicted the average worker would be living by the 21st century.

Research found that by the 1990s people were working the equivalent of one month a year more than they did at the end of World War II.

It seems that whenever a significant new "labor saving" product or service is developed we use it so much our workload actually increases. After all, wasn't our work supposed to be made easier by voice mail, faxes, cell phones and e-mail?

Instead, many of us find we are constantly on-call, frequently interrupted and overwhelmed with communications that people expect to receive immediate responses to. That's on top of the already heavy workload existing in most organizations. For some workers, the best way to deal with the overload is to take an extended stress leave.

If switching from double lattes to decaf isn't enough to reduce your stress at work, here are seven ways you can get your workload under control:

1. Work on things that are important. This may sound obvious, but many of us are tempted to work on easy tasks first so we can have a sense of accomplishment. Time spent on those "easy" tasks can quickly add up, creating even more stress when there does not appear to be enough time left for the important work.

2. Keep an "activity log." This will help you figure out what your time is being spent on. Every time you start and end a new activity, including taking a break, make note of the time. Most workers who charge by the hour have learned to do this automatically. If you are not used to tracking your time it may be a bit of an adjustment, but within a few days you should be able to notice any time-wasters you might not have been aware of.

3. Set daily goals. When scheduling your time, assume that something unexpected will come up and build in a cushion of time to deal with it. To minimize the stress of meeting self-imposed deadlines, avoid making promises about when tasks will be completed. If you must commit to a date, be conservative. If you consistently underpromise and overdeliver you could earn a great reputation while reducing your stress.

4. Be gentle with yourself. Aim to meet or even exceed expectations, but don't try to achieve perfection. Wherever possible, delegate routine tasks, even if you think you can do them better than someone else.

5. Avoid interruptions. Unless you are expected to be on call, select a time of day when you will return phone calls and e-mails. During other times, let your voice mail take messages for you. You can also create an auto reply for your e-mail to let people know their message has been received. If your e-mail says you will respond within 24 hours if a reply is required, it may deter someone from repeatedly trying to contact you in the meantime.

6. Don't let other people's problems become yours. As Richard Carlson, author of Don't Sweat the Small Stuff at Work, says "If someone throws you the ball you don't have to catch it." When someone comes to you with a problem that isn't yours, try limiting your contribution to advice instead of taking on the task yourself.

7. When you are feeling overwhelmed, say so. Companies want to keep good employees, so most bosses will want to know when you are having difficulty. However, instead of saying "I can't do it," offer some possible solutions. For example, if you won't be able to get a major report completed by a particular deadline, you might tell the boss you can either: (1) complete a condensed version by the deadline, (2) complete the entire report by a later date, or (3) meet the deadline if you get some help from co-workers or temporary staff.

These techniques probably won't help you enjoy the life of leisure envisioned by those early futurists. But they can make your work more manageable, and might even reduce your stress enough to let you go back to drinking double lattes.

Love Light Life................

Jeetu Ramchandani

Answers to the Seven Toughest Interview Questions

Answers to the Seven Toughest Interview Questions...............

There you sit, waiting to be ushered into your interview. Your suit is pressed, your shoes are shined and your resume is top notch. But, as the minutes tick past, you feel a mounting sense of doom as you anticipate the questions that will cause a deafening silence during the interview.Want to avoid an interview disaster?

Check out these tough interview questions and their suggested responses:

Q: "What are your weaknesses?
""Don't take this literally and go into a detailed explanation of your weaknesses,"
Take a potential weakness and putting a positive spin on it.
A: "I am very detail-oriented and in some industries that may not be a good fit. But for this accounting position, I think this trait truly will help me excel.

"Q: "How would you solve this problem?"
Challenger says that these kinds of hypothetical questions can be risky. First of all, they may not like your answer; if they do like it, there's a chance they will steal it. That's what happened to Dipika fernandes when she interviewed for an activity director's position at a long-term care facility. When asked about marketing ideas, Dipika laid out her entire plan. Well, she didn't get the job, but later recognized some of her strategies being used by the facility.

A: "I think you can increase product awareness by enacting some marketing strategies that could employ advertising, direct mail or media placements.

"Q: "Why did you leave your last job?"
Again, Challenger suggests presenting everything in a positive light. An interview is not the time to dish the dirt on your previous employer.

A: "The company just wasn't a good fit for my innovative personality. But what I learned is that organizations have distinct personalities just like people do. Now I know to concentrate my job search on companies who value independent thinking and alternative methods."Q: "Why do you want to work here?
"Questions like these require you to do your homework before the interview.

A: "I want to be a part of a global company that last year alone invested $1.4 million in research and development of eco-friendly industrial processes.

"Q: "Tell me about yourself."

A: "This is a chance for you to shine -- but not to tell your life history. Begin by listing your traits and accomplishments you feel are relevant for the position. Don't delve into personal information unless it relates to the position you're vying for.

A: "I am very creative and resourceful. I have been a sales manager for the past five years and used my creativity to devise unique incentives to keep the sales representatives motivated. Because of this my sales team earned numerous company awards.

"Q: "Tell me about the worst boss you ever had.

"Take the high road and don't give into the temptation to vent any past frustrations.

A: "While none of my past bosses were awful, there are some who taught me more than others did.

"Q: "What are your goals?

"This is best answered by reiterating your objective statement on your resume. Keep your aspirations to be a vice president of marketing, own your own company or retire at 40 to yourself.

A: "I want to secure a civil engineering position with a national firm that concentrates on retail development. Ideally, I would like to work for a young company, such as this one, so I can get in on the ground floor and take advantage of all the opportunities a growing firm has to offer."

Please share your views & ideas about the article alongwith the usage level, If you think the concept and ideas are vittal for the freshers for an interview.
jeetu.ramchandani82@gmail.com