Don't Stress!

One of my personal resolutions this year is to reduce stress. I'm hoping I can stop wearing that dorky night guard and stop grinding my teeth. That said, I've been thinking about how to stop stressing. Hence, I've written this...

Projects can get stressful. Whether you're dealing with a missed deadline, an underestimated budget. an unhappy client or team member, you have to keep your cool. As a project manager, you are often at the center of everything project-related, so it's easy to let every single issue affect you and your job. I know I often let things affect me and I end up sleepless or just annoyed. So, how do I fix it?

Personally, I think I'll always feel like every aspect of a project is on my shoulders. I'm like that with just about everything I do. But, there are ways of lessening the impacts on me, personally. Lately, I've taken to doing one simple thing: 

TAKE A DEEP BREATH.

Seriously. Avert your eyes from your screen, take a deep breath and clear your mind. Come back to the issue and think about it critically, in a way that you weren't before. Remove your personal emotions and think about how others are likely reacting. 

Why was the deadline missed? Consider the factors that you might've left out.

Why don't you have the budget all of a sudden? What happened to get you to that point?

Why is that person unhappy? Take a look at things from a different perspective.

The scenarios could go on and on. The point is: it's not always about you. While you feel responsible for everything as a PM, taking a minute to remove yourself from the situation might help you understand what is actually happening. It also might help you reduce some stress and troubleshoot more effectively.

If that doesn't work, go punch a wall. Okay, don't do that. But what other tactics do you have to help reduce stress? Post in the comments below.