What methods do you use for controlling stress in your life? Would you say you are an extremist?
Maybe, you are a total control freak, wreaking havoc in the lives of those around you, passing out orders and directives all the time.
Or, maybe you are extremely passive and have not a care in the world, which can be an equally annoying behavior pattern for the people in your circle of influence.
Many people find that a “systems” approach to life helps to keep stress at bay. Business guru, Michael Gerber, author of the E-Myth (The Entrepreneurial Myth) would say that systems are everything.
Why Create Effective Habits and Routines to Handle Day-To-Day Tasks?
There’s no question that controlling stress with well-designed habits and routines is an excellent stress management solution. It all comes back to the idea of reinventing the wheel. If you have to start from scratch every time you complete a task, life is going to be much more stressful.
Some things don’t need to be original every time they are tackled and expending valuable brain power and energy on mundane tasks would be an unfortunate waste of free radicals.
That’s right… when you sweat the small stuff all the time, you create destructive free radicals in your body.
If you choose to struggle over basic tasks every day of your life, you are subjecting your cells to the production of significant oxidative stress. Using routines and systems is a far better solution for controlling stress in life.
However, if you’ve ever taken the time to think through basic tasks a little, you’ve probably begun to recognize the benefits of being a little repetitive. Many people believe using regular systems and routines makes life boring, but the opposite is true.
Using systems and routines on basic tasks and even some more complicated tasks can free you up to be more creative in more important areas and you will get a lot more done in general. Using systems increases spontaneity.
10 Guidelines for Creating Effective, Stress-Reducing Habits and Routines
Of course, a system has to be well-designed if it going to do the job of reigning in stress and the question seems to be, “How does one go about creating a new well-designed system or routine?”
Well, first you have to look around and decide which parts of life would benefit from a great routine or system and then you have to come up with a system that would fit the bill.
Many people would say this is easier said than done, but if you consider these ten groups of questions before you actually design the new routine and put it into action, you will be far more likely to set up a system that will work for you in your life.
- Are you committed to creating and implementing a routine or system to handle this task? How will it fit in your life? Are you willing to make a plan? How will you manage the routine?
- How big or small will the routine be? How complicated does it need to be? Is simple better?
- Do you have the time in your life to add a simple routine or complicated routine? What are the steps in the routine? In what order do the steps need to happen?
- Will it cost anything? Can it be done cheaper? Do you have the money to do it all at once?
- How will you determine if the routine is good? How will you make sure it’s getting the result you want?
- Who is involved with the routine? Whose responsibility is it? Do you have the right people or do you need to change the routine so it fits the people you have available?
- How will you share your new routine with the people who will be affected by it? Are there any communication requirements that have to be a part of the routine itself?
- How will you handle it if the routine is not done properly or if it doesn’t do what you thought it would do? How will you deal with problems with your routine?
- What do you need to buy to make the routine a reality? Where will you buy these items? When will you get them?
- Who will be affected by the routine? Do these people have an opinion about this routine and how is will be implemented>
It may seem like a lot of questions, but if you take a bit of time to consider these issues, your routine has a better chance of succeeding and you have a better chance of controlling stress in your life.