Chapter 17

Enhancing Personal Productivity and Managing Stress

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Improving Work Habits and Time Management

1. Develop a mission, goals, and a strong work ethic.

2. Clean up your work area and sort out your tasks.

3. Prepare a to-do list and assign priorities.

4. Streamline your work (minimize low-value work; do work that adds value).

5. Work at a steady, rapid pace.

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Improving Work Habits and Time Management, continued

6. Minimize time wasters and interruptions.

7. Concentrate on one task at a time (multitasking is best for routine tasks).

8. Concentrate on high-output tasks.9. Do creative and routine tasks at

the same time.

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Improving Work Habits and Time Management, continued

10. Stay in control of paperwork, e-mail, and voice mail.

11. Make effective use of office technology (wisely invest time saved).

12. Practice the mental state of peak performance (be in the zone).

13. Take naps or meditate.

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Improving Work Habits and Time Management, continued.

14. Work smarter, not harder a. Plan carefully, and be imaginative b. Use technology that fosters

collaboration.15. Build flexibility into your system a. Allow some slack for dealing with

unanticipated opportunities.b. Allow time for rest and relaxation.

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Reducing and Controlling Procrastination

1. Break task down into smaller units.2. Make a commitment to others.

3. Reward self for achieving milestones. 4. Calculate the cost of procrastination.5. Post encouraging notes (“Just do it.”).6. Counterattack (force yourself).7. Post progress chart in your work area.

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A Variety of Stress Symptoms Physiological (increased heart rate,

blood pressure, breathing rate; weakened immune system).

Emotional (anxiety, tension, depression, discouragement, boredom, fatigue).

Behavioral (nervous habits; decreased job performance due to forgetfulness and errors in concentration, judgment).

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Stress and Job Performance Hindrance stressors have negative effect

on motivation and performance. Challenge stressors have positive direct

effect on motivation and performance. (The right amount of stress keeps us mentally and physically alert.)

Your perception determines if something is a hindrance or challenge stressor.

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Individual Factors Contributing to Stress and Burnout Type A personality (hostile,

aggressive, impatient, and cynical; often leads to cardiac disease)

External locus of control (blames fate)

High expectations may lead to burnout (person might not receive all the excitement and rewards he or she desires)

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Organizational Conditions for Stress and Burnout

Work overload Information overload leading to

attention deficit trait Extreme conflict and politics High job demands, low control Interaction with nasty customers Work-family conflict

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Methods for Control and Reduction of Stress

1. Get social support.2. Improve your work habits.3. Develop positive self-talk.4. Hug the right people.5. Demand less than perfection from

yourself.6. Do not neglect life outside of work.

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Symptom Management of Stress

1. Make frequent use of relaxation techniques including meditation.

2. Get appropriate physical exercise (helps dissipate tension and prevent stress disorders).

3. Try to cure the hurry sickness (relax and enjoy the moment for its own sake).

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Steps in Freeze-Frame Technique

1. Freeze-frame the stressful feeling.2. Shift focus away from mind or

heart.3. Recall a positive fun feeling, and

visualize it again.4. Ask heart what would be a more

efficient response to situation.5. Listen to what your heart says.