No matter how proactive, organised or positive you are, anyone can have a bad day. Whether it’s a change in schedule for an important piece of work, a busy period in the year or even office politics, sometimes your workday can seem insurmountable.
When you have those days, it is easy to feel completely overwhelmed, but there are some steps you can take to make things more manageable. This article provides some solutions to help you get your day back on track.
Take a step back
It may seem like such a simple thing, but by taking the time to gather yourself and take a deep breath, you will allow yourself to find clarity in a situation. By gathering your thoughts and looking at everything objectively, rather than being caught up in the eye of the storm, you will be able to move on to the next step.
Identify the source of the problem
It may be that a deadline has been brought forward. Perhaps your in-tray is overflowing, your phone won’t stop ringing and you can’t see how you will ever get on top of the mountain of work you face. Perhaps there are disagreements in the office or a member of staff is having a bad day. By identifying the source of the problem, it will be easier to find an appropriate solution.
Staff
If the source of the issue is staff based, the best thing to do may be to just get your head down and focus on your work. Often, if someone is having a bad day, no matter what you do, you may not be able to change their mind-set. You can, however, prevent it from affecting your day.
Prioritise
If your issues are workload-based, the best thing to do is to make a list of all the tasks you need to carry out. You will then be able to use this to prioritise your workload. This is an essential step in getting back on top of your day. Anything which can wait until tomorrow can be put aside and you can then break everything down into manageable steps.
Delegate
If more work has come your way than you can manage alone, then one solution may be to delegate. Of course, you may not be in a position to allocate any of your work to others, but should there be anyone able to help you out (who isn’t overloaded themselves) then delegate, delegate, delegate. You all work for the same team, so don’t be afraid to ask, and remember to return the favour.
Make a start
Start plugging away at your jobs in order of priority and tick them off your list as you complete each one. This will help you realise how much progress you are making and soon you will find that you are up to date again.
Reward yourself
At the end of those hard days, give yourself a pat on the back and feel proud of what you have achieved. Why not treat yourself to something nice for dinner or watch a film to relax? After all, you deserve it for turning your workday around!