Even though meeting a deadline can be stressful for you, there are ways you can help keep cool when facing one. Instead of stressing out and sweating through another UnderFit t-shirt, read our guide instead. In this guide, we will take you through our top recommended steps on reducing the negativity of deadline stress and turning the pressure into a positive driving force.
Reducing Deadline Stress
If you have deadlines that you have to meet, here are some steps you can take to reduce the stress that is often associated with them:
– Don’t do more than what you have to. Often people try to fit too much into their deadlines than they can accomplish, which can create unnecessary stress. Instead, you should set aside minimum objectives for each deadline and accomplish realistic goals.
– Try researching a variety of tools you can use to reach your deadline faster. You can even try asking your friends or coworkers on what kind of shortcuts they use to get their job done more efficiently.
– If you find yourself getting constantly distracted, make sure to get realistic goals and eliminate any distractions in the workplace. Procrastination is another cause for deadline stress. You can reduce your procrastination tendencies by getting motivated to work and using work shortcuts or tools that you researched in the section above.
Set Realistic Deadlines
If you set unrealistic deadlines, it’s no wonder you are constantly stressed about facing your deadline. A great goal to prevent this is to decide which are or aren’t realistic deadlines to pursue. From there, you can set realistic ones that can negotiate the amount of stress you face.
However, if you are hit with a deadline that is unrealistic, try finding ways you can either extend it or use tools to speed up the work you do to finish on time. Most of the time deadlines can be negotiable and you should never feel afraid or embarrassed about asking for an extension.
Keep Calm and Carry On
When feeling stressed about a deadline, it’s best to take a deep breath and keep yourself calm. The worst thing you can do when facing a deadline is freaking out and losing your cool, which can delay reaching your deadline even more.
Instead, go to a quiet place where you can relax, away from any distractions or people. Work on a variety of breathing techniques as well to help your brain focus on one thought.
Stay Positive
Staying negative will not only delay your deadline but also put you in a bad state of mind which can damage the quality of your work. Instead, focus on staying positive to reach your goals and finish in time. No matter what, you are going to face challenges in life. Staying upbeat and positive can help increase the chances of you succeeding and showing what you can accomplish.
Work in Reverse
Not that you have set a realistic deadline, you know how to tackle your objectives and what you need to do so. Not having a plan can lead you to procrastinate and prevent yourself from reaching your deadline in time.
Instead, you should start breaking down a project you need to finish into small steps and determine how much time and what you need to accomplish them. Once you have this, you can start tackling your goals from the beginning, while knowing how much time you need to spend on each objective.
However, it’s important to remember that you need to be realistic with your objectives and break them down as easily as you can for yourself. Remember, overbearing your work will only lead to procrastination or stress, which can delay your deadline even more.
Try to Renegotiate Your Deadline
Instead of remaining stressed over an impossible deadline, try renegotiating your deadline with either your boss or yourself. Don’t get too upset on not reaching an intangible goal, some objectives simply cannot be completed in time. Worst comes to worst, completing it at a later date can offer you more time to complete your goals, while reducing your stress in the meantime.
Coming face-to-face with a deadline can be hard, especially if you still haven’t cleared all your objectives. With the help of this guide, you should be able to reduce the amount of stress you normally experience when facing a deadline and take the necessary steps to complete a project according to its deadline.
