How to Stay Productive When You Are Highly Stressed

When you are dealing with high amounts of stress, it often leads to overwhelm, followed 
by burnout. This happens when you try to do too much while you are also dealing with 
emotional stress. You can’t just not work and do anything, so what to do?

Luckily, there are still ways to be productive even with stress and overwhelm, by 
following these tips.


Set Realistic Expectations

When you're highly stressed, it's essential to set realistic expectations for yourself. Avoid 
overloading yourself with an excessive workload or unrealistic deadlines. Be honest with 
yourself and others about what you can realistically achieve during stressful times. 

Setting achievable goals and expectations can help you stay focused and motivated, 
rather than feeling overwhelmed and defeated. If you are dealing with a lot of stress 
right now, you probably won’t be able to do the amount of work you used to be able to. 
That’s completely okay. Just keep your mental health in check as you work on 
completing tasks.


Take Breaks

Make sure you are giving yourself plenty of downtime to yourself when you are working 
on being productive while also dealing with stress. You need to have time to yourself, 
even if it’s just a 5-minute break every hour or so. Your mind and body will need this 
time to recharge.

You need to give yourself a little extra time to get things done and stay on task, while 
also nurturing your emotional and mental health.


Use Time Management Strategies

It can be very helpful to consider time management and how you use your time. Being 
stressed might cause you to become distracted more easily, then that is something to 
consider. In this case, you might do better with shorter work sessions, followed by a 
break. This is when something like a Pomodoro timer would be useful.


Delegate and Ask for Help

Delegating tasks might not be something you are comfortable with, but it can be really 
helpful during these moments of stress. Whether you are asking a co-worker for help 
finishing a work assignment, or you get help around the house, don’t shy away from 
asking for help when you need it. 

Remember, you don't have to do it all alone, and asking for help is a sign of strength, 
not weakness. Being highly stressed is the exact time when you should be getting 
support from other people.


Practice Stress-Relieving Techniques

Managing stress directly can help you stay productive. Incorporate stress-relieving 
techniques into your routine, such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, or taking 
short breaks to relax and rejuvenate. These techniques can help reduce stress levels, 
clear your mind, and increase your productivity.

Some techniques include:

*	Meditation
*	Mindfulness
*	Deep Breathing
*	Journaling
*	Creative activities
*	Going out in nature
*	Exercising


Stay Positive

Maintaining a positive mindset can help you stay productive during stressful times. 
Avoid negative self-talk or dwelling on stressors. Instead, practice positive self-
affirmation and focus on finding solutions rather than dwelling on problems. Surround 
yourself with positive influences, and practice gratitude.

