In the not so distant past, my team and I had to squeeze in a month’s work into a week, 4.5 days to be exact. Those few days were no picnic, however, there are a few things that I picked up on the way that I will use in the future because I am willing to bet it might happen again. And these same things might come in handy for anyone else who finds themselves in the same boat. Be it for school or work.
1. Break down your task into bite-size pieces.
When you look at a mammoth of a task that is supposed to completed in an unnatural amount of time, naturally, you’d get discouraged and anxious. However, when you break down that task in many mini-tasks, and look at the smaller tasks at a time, it brings a wave of peace over you as you cross them off one by one.
2. Take short breaks in between
I know the feeling of not wanting to leave your desk for hours on end when you have a looming deadline, but believe me, short breaks go a long way. 10 minutes, 20 minutes, every hour or two. I struggle with taking short breaks because I get extremely anxious in feeling like I am wasting time, yet, I am already wasting time feeling anxious.
Remember you are only as efficient as your mind would allow you to be and when you feel like you need a break take it. Actually, set a break every hour and stick to it! Get up and stretch, walk around the block, get some fresh air, whatever gets your concentration away from your screen or books.
3. Breathe
Yup, anxiety has a funny way of creeping up on you in all its ugliness, and in that moment even breathing becomes taxing. Step back, take deep breaths as you count from one to ten, then get back to work, and do this repeatedly to calm your mind. Tried and tested! It works!
4. Ask for help
Remember you’re on a tight deadline. If or when you need help in anything, ask for it. It’s a lot faster than researching yourself. Researching is still a good thing but it’s better when you have time on your hands. Ask and ask and ask for help. Ask your team, ask in a group chat, ask an individual. Don’t be shy.
5. Sleep
I have been and still am guilty of sleeping late, or not getting enough sleep, or not sleeping at all when I’m stressed or anxious. Sleep is the best thing you can do for yourself. Your mind and body need rest and when you deny them that, then they’ll deny you sound performance and that will undeniably reflect in your work. Get enough sleep and get to work the next day.
6. Anticipate
When planning a project, whilst you still have the time, anticipate all possible scenarios that may occur and have a plan set for those. That way when a deadline is moved or something changes, you promptly adjust with little to no inconvenience. It may seem unnecessary to think of a plan B, C, and D when A already seems perfect but believe me when I say, plans change faster than you think of them.
7. Don’t forget to eat and hydrate
Need I say more! Feed your body nutrients. Fruit, veggies and 2 liters of water at least. Take out may seem appealing at this time but it’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Remember your mind and body will give you what you give them.
Leave a comment below if you’ve found yourself in an arduous time, school or work or anything really.
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