1 Simple Question to Relieve Work Stress
If you are like everyone else on the internet, you probably suffer long periods of distraction.
And if you’re distracted there’s a good chance you’re procrastinating. (You’re not the only one.)
Let go for too long, these many small procrastinations morph into one mammoth stressor. This is the kind of stress that makes you talk to yourself, rewrite incessant but unstruck to-do lists, and, eventually, keeps you awake at night.
(Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.)
But I’ve recently experienced huge improvement by using 1 Simple Question to Relieve Work Stress.
Ask yourself:
What is the #1 Thing You are Avoiding Doing?
Don’t worry about the “why.” It’s unimportant.
Take a moment and identify the single task – if you actually buckled down and got it done – that would materially alter the course of your day and let you sleep deeper, more soundly tonight.
Assuming you are the primary obstacle to accomplishing this task – put everything else aside (install Self Control if you have to) and just get it done.
Yes, easier said than done – but we both know the payoff is worth the effort and discomfort.
The Big Picture Reward
The effect of enough of these days strung together can’t be overstated.
If you knock out just one task, every day, that you most wanted to avoid – your time off actually becomes time off. You’ll experience less parasitic stress and nagging guilt for having left the important things undone.
Most stress isn’t acute, it’s cumulative. And just as it’s built brick by brick by our daily habits it has to be dismantled brick by brick with a new habit. You’ll feel a little better every day you ask yourself this question and take action.
Over time the aggregate effect of this deloading will blow your mind. Try it.
TL;DR
- Ask yourself what you’re most avoiding,
- Do that thing – no matter how uncomfortable. No excuses.
- Enjoy deeper sleep, greater satisfaction, and less stress.
- Repeat.
[…] Amanda Orson helps you deal with your stress by asking you to do yet one more thing. Oddly enough as Amanda shows, the Information Age can lead directly to the Hesitation age which… Well, just read @Phillian for clarification on how more really is less […]
How true it is, and the feeling of getting the dreaded completed, done, checked off is so wonderful and sleep inducing. So glad Christopher pointed me to you. Congrats on being one of the Best this week, I’ll have to stay tuned for more
I usually work for 45 minutes. Then I take a 15 minute break away from the computer. I eat a snack, take a short walk or maybe watch half an episode of one of my favorite TV-series. This helps me to relax and to avoid stress building up during the day.