Write an article based on this "Clarify your specific duties. Organize your work space. Prioritize tasks. Take breaks. Stop multitasking."
Often, workplaces become more stressful when boundaries and responsibilities are blurred. If you suspect that some of your stress comes from taking on others' responsibilities or not knowing what yours are, get clarification from a supervisor. You can say something like, "I've been handling all of the outgoing mail. I'm able to do it, but it takes up a good part of my day. I wanted to make sure that this is in fact my responsibility, just so that I'm not doing someone else's job or using my time poorly." If someone else has been taking on your tasks in a way that is frustrating, you can say, "Hey, I'm pretty sure that I'm managing the Pinky account. Do you know if that's changed? If it hasn't, I'd rather keep working on it by myself, so that I can keep track of any changes. When you take on certain aspects of it, I can't be sure what the last communication with Pinky has been." Refer back to the best practices or the employee handbook if you received one when you started. Sometimes, you may feel too stressed out or overwhelmed to spend much time organizing your work space. However, organizing your work space can help you improve time management and keep on top of the most important tasks on your to-do list. Clear off your desk. Throw anything irrelevant or unnecessary away, or take it home. Group similar items, or items related to similar tasks together. Create a meeting folder that contains things that need discussion. Keep your space clean and organized by tidying it and clearing piles weekly. If you just have one disorganized to-do list, you may not be prioritizing tasks efficiently. Not everything needs to be done on the same timeline. Make sure your to-do list puts things in order of importance, so that you can determine what to focus on first. Remember that there's a difference between "urgent" and "important." If something will take a long period of time, or sustained effort, makes sure to schedule it in a way that prevents procrastination. When you're really stressed out, taking breaks might seem like the last thing you should do. You already have too many tasks to cram into your day, so how can you possibly dedicate 15 minutes to doing nothing? While that reasoning might seem to make sense, taking a short break can actually increase your productivity by helping you focus and relax. Many people benefit from a method of working in a very focused way for 45 minutes, followed by a 15 minute break. Make breaks actual breaks. Don't think or talk about work. Stand up and stretch, go outside, and leave your computer and phone at your desk. Multitasking can seem like a great idea in a busy workplace. It helps you get multiple things done at the same time, right? Not exactly. Studies have shown that multitasking is actually not very productive and that humans do best when focusing on one task at a time. If a coworker or supervisor suggests that you should be multitasking, you can say something like, "I'm actually at my most productive when I focus on one thing at a time. The quality of my work is important to me, and if I multitask, I know that the quality of my work slips. However, when I can focus on one thing at a time, I get things done well and on time.