What's Your Stress Strategy?

Oh, you’re the enviable individual who always looks so put together and prepared. People may comment that “it must have taken you hours” to put together that extensive slideshow presentation, but they’re wrong: It probably took you days. Give your A-type inclinations a rest by reminding yourself that spending hours on one task will just end up leaving you drained and unable to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Stress? What stress? You’re style is to not get too worked up over things like schedules and deadlines, sometimes pretending that unwanted tasks and appointments will just go away. This fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants strategy could end up stressing you out more than just handling the situation at hand, especially if things get down to the wire and you’re not prepared. Instead of claiming obliviousness, be a bit more assertive.

While most procrastinators claim that they work better under the pressure of a looming deadline, all that stress at once just can’t be good for your well-being. If you’re the type who can’t decide what to do first—or who simply decides to delay the inevitable as long as possible—when you receive an assignment or are faced with a tough decision, then the best way to keep stress at bay is to set measurable daily goals that will keep you on track.

Your tendency is to take on too much—all by yourself—instead of spreading the love and asking others to pitch in. A wise man once said that he gets by with a little help from his friends, and this tenant could not be truer when it comes to your stress strategy. By delegating, even just once in a while, you’ll be able to breathe a bit easier and better perform the projects you take on solo.