What Impact Does a Lack of Sleep Have?
Watch the video to explore the impacts that a lack of sleep can have on your physical and mental wellbeing.
One way to manage your stressors it to try and avoid them. Watch the video to discover some tips on how to do this . . .
One of the ways we can manage our stressors is to avoid them. While in our work environment this is not always possible, here are six strategies that might help you.
1. Learn to say no.
It's important to know your limits and stick to them. While in peak times there is more to do, try to be aware of when you are under too much pressure and in a state of stress. What can and will you stop doing?
You may think taking on more than you can handle will help in the short-term, but it will mean you are not able to give your best over longer periods. When taking on more things it is also highly likely that you will suffer from decreasing quality of work.
If you find it difficult to say no to others, including your line manager, you could negotiate, for example ask,"Which of my other tasks would you be happy for me not to do?"
2. Take control of your environment.
If there are specific jobs or activities that you find more challenging, can you negotiate with your line manager or other colleagues to swap them, taking on tasks that you are more comfortable with?
You could also look to do them differently, for example collaborating with others or sharing out so everyone does a part of a task, and your line manager may be able to help you explore alternative approaches to your work.
3. Avoid hot-button topics.
If you repeatedly argue about the same subject or with the same people, stop bringing it up or excuse yourself when it’s the topic of discussion.
4. Prioritise.
Remove things from your daily to-do list by being clear about what is really important and learn to plan more effectively. Of course, this is simple advice that we all know, and yet many people fail to prioritise and treat too many things as important.
5. Avoid distractions and interruptions.
Evidence shows the negative impact of interruptions and distractions, with one study showing that each of these can add 11 minutes to a task. One way in which you can help avoid distractions is to plan ‘availability time’ rather than having an open door. Let people know when you can give them time and when you are not available, to make sure you can get important tasks done.
6.Avoid working excessive hours.
Taking work home, working evenings and weekends is seen as being part of the job by many staff. If you make this a regular habit, it will have an impact on your life and ability to manage pressure and stress.
The easiest way to avoid this, is to choose the hours you work and then make your work fit it - it will force you to prioritise, do less work and work smarter. If you don't do this then work tends to stretch to fill the time you make available and you may work unproductively due to tiredness and multi-tasking.
Of course this is not an exhaustive list of strategies and you will have identified others to help you avoid your stressors.
It may not always be possible or appropriate to avoid to your stressor. You may also want to explore if your can alter, adapt or work to accept the stressor instead, and we explore these strategies in their own videos.
You can also explore more tips and strategies to help you manage stress in the 'stress management' course which you can take at your own pace from the 'your courses' page.
Watch the video to explore the impacts that a lack of sleep can have on your physical and mental wellbeing.
Although the terms are often interchanged poor mental health is not the same as having a mental illness. Watch this video to explore what mental illness actually is and how it differs from mental health.
It can be difficult to know how to start a conversation with a colleague or someone you manage about their mental health. Watch this video to discover 10 useful tips to help.
Watch the video to explore when a low mood may be a normal response life stressors and discover the evolutionary purpose of low moods.
Anxiety can both be a normal reaction to the stressors of day-to-day life, or a sign of a mental health illness. Watch this video to learn how to tell when anxiety is 'normal'.
What exactly is mental health and how does it differ from mental illness? Watch this video to find out.
Listening is a key skill for leading in an empathic way which supports employee wellbeing but there are many things that get in the way of listening effectively. Explore 7 of them in this video.
Recent UK-wide statistics on the wellbeing of school staff indicate the importance of feeling appreciated and supported in the workplace. Watch this video to discover why creating a culture of appreciation is important.
Watch this video to discover why sleep is so essential for positive mental and physical health.
Discover some of the most common sleep problems in this useful video.
Discover some top tips for improving sleep in this helpful video.
Watch this video to explore the Interest Based Rational Approach to "principled negotiation" which encourages parties to use joint problem solving techniques, rather than positional bargaining.
Relaxation is crucial for positive mental health but how can it be achieved amidst immense pressure? Watch this video to hear 5 top tips.
Watch the video to explore some quick tips for cultivating and maintaining a positive mindset.
In this video we explore The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80:20 rule and how this can help you manage your workload.
Delegation is a key skill for leaders, but what limits does it have? Watch this video to explore if authority, responsibility, and accountability can be delegated.
We often about the importance of being empathetic, but what exactly is empathy, and why is it important? Watch this video to find out and discover the 5 elements of empathy identified by Daniel Goleman.
Delegation is a key skill for any leader. In this video, we explore what delegation actually means, and then explore some strategies to help you delegate tasks appropriately.
Developing healthy coping strategies can help you take charge of and improve your day-to-day well-being. Watch this video to discover some tips for developing them.
What difference could intentionally choosing your attitude make to your wellbeing? Watch this video to discover the inspiring story of Debra Searle and how you can apply the same mental strategies she used to row across the Atlantic to your...
In this video we explore the chunking strategy for workload management.
We often talk of feeling 'anxious' but is there a difference between this and clinical anxiety? Watch this video to find out.
In this video we explore what coping strategies are and why we create them.
One way in which you can manage stress is to adapt the stressor. Watch the video to find out some tips on how you can do this.
Ill health is one of the many risk factors that could cause an increase in stress. Watch this video to discover some things you can do to help if you are suffering from a period of ill health.
One way to manage stressors is to try to alter them. Watch this video to discover some tips to help you do this.
One way to manage your stressors it to try and avoid them. Watch the video to discover some tips on how to do this.
Watch this video to explore how pressure can impact your performance, and the difference between stretch, strain, and crisis.
We use the term 'stressed' all the time, but what exactly is stress? Watch this video to learn more.
Watch the video to explore the differences between pressure and stress, and how pressure can lead to stress.
Trust sits at the core of relationships, and it can have a significant impact on your and your colleagues wellbeing. But what exactly is trust? Watch this video to find out.
Effective listening is a key element of leading in an empathetic way which supports staff wellbeing. Watch this video to discover some steps you can take to improve your listening skills.
In this video, we share some highlights from Oliver Bruce's book 'Just for the ASKing!' focused around the importance of visibility for school leaders.
Watch this video to discover some common signs that you are drinking alcohol, as an unhealthy coping strategy.
Watch this video to explore how you can use a technique called Thinking Clearly Under Pressure or TCUP remain calm, even under pressure.
Watch this video to explore the Interest Based Relational Approach (IBRA) to managing conflict and negotiation, which was developed by Roger Fisher and William Rory in their 1981 book, 'Getting to yes, negotiating agreement without giving in.'
