How to Maintain Balance and Mindfulness
Business development is stressful work. Proposals are
critical revenue drivers and job sources for many companies—so a lot is on the
line. Because of this, proposals can mean long hours and time spent away from
family and friends. However, maintaining these high levels of stress for too
long can lower our morale, negatively affect our health, and lead to burnout.
But no part of the proposal process is more important than our health, so
maintaining balance is critical. Here are six strategies I use to manage the
stress:
- Start out Each Day Right
- Remember to Take Breaks
- Write Things Down
- Decompress Regularly
- Get Enough Sleep
- Make Time to Get Away
1. Start out Each Day
Right
This one is very difficult for me when I have an early
rising proposal team; however, I personally perform much better when I start
out the day with a healthy breakfast and a short morning workout. Here are my tips,
especially for those of you who, like me, are not morning people.
Sneak in a Quick Morning
Workout: For me, a brisk walk to get the blood moving in the morning can
seriously help to jumpstart my day. I also like quick bedroom circuits. I pick
three exercises that target different muscle groups, e.g., pushups, squat jumps,
and crunches. I complete 10 to 20 sets of each exercise and repeat three to
four times, depending on how much time I have.
Breakfast on the Go:
I have recently rediscovered the energizing power of morning smoothies. I use
frozen fruits, a handful of fresh baby spinach, and a scoop of vanilla protein
powder. Unsweetened cashew milk provides a ton of extra nutrients for just 25
calories a cup. The biggest bonus is that you can take this breakfast with you on
the go and easily enjoy it during your morning commute.
2. Remember to Take
Breaks
Sometimes we may feel like we are wasting time by taking
breaks. However, according to an article published in Psychology Today, “breaks can replenish the
psychological costs associated with working hard, improve work performance, and
boost energy.” Remember to take a short break every hour or so. Focus on breaks
that detach you from work and foster positive emotions. I like to take a quick
5-minute walk around the cube farms, or outside if the weather permits.
3. Write Things Down
It’s so easy to become overwhelmed with all that you have to
accomplish on a proposal. To track what needs to be done, I like to write down
the major tasks for the day and the week. I prioritize these tasks and
cross them out as I accomplish them. As new tasks come up, I add them to the
list.
I don’t typically have trouble falling asleep, but in extremely
stressful situations, I sometimes lie awake thinking about all the things I need
to get done. When this happens, I leave my list by my bedside so that I can
write down the tasks, stop worrying, and turn of my brain for the night.
4. Decompress Regularly
My three favorite ways to de-stress are massages, yoga, and meditation.
To help decompress, I make time for an hour massage at least once a month. Massages
help to melt the stress away from your body. To further de-stress, especially when
finding time is an issue, I have discovered a great free yoga app with short
yoga flows that I can do at home. These range from energizing morning flows to
relaxing flows to wind down before bed. Similarly, I have found a free
meditation app with guided breathing that helps me to clear my mind at night
and prepare my body for rest and rejuvenation.
5. Get Enough Sleep
Some people can function on very little sleep. I am not one
of those people. I need at least 7 hours of sleep, ideally 8. Once I start
getting less than this, I lose focus, am less productive, and start making more
mistakes. This is a recipe for disaster in the world of proposals. What’s more,
when we are sleep deprived, it puts extra stress on our bodies. We tend to overcompensate
for the energy loss by loading up on caffeine, which then makes it even more
difficult for us to sleep when it’s actually time to rest.
6. Make Time to Get
Away
Maintaining balance during the proposal effort is critical to
maintaining focus and staying healthy. However, it’s also important to make
time to disconnect completely. According to an article published by Inc.,
taking vacations can help reduce stress, prevent heart disease, improve
productivity, and improve sleep. If you haven’t made time for a recent
vacation, consider the health benefits of taking some time off as summer approaches!
Final Thoughts
Maintaining high levels of stress for too long can have
negative health impacts and lead to burnout. However, no part of the proposal
process is more important than your health, so maintaining balance is critical.
To manage the stress of proposals, I start out each day right, take regular breaks,
use lists to manage my daily tasks, decompress regularly, get 7 to 8-hours
of sleep, and make time to get away.
What are some of the ways you use to manage the stresses of
work?
Written by Ashley Kayes, CP APMP
Senior Proposal Consultant, AOC Key Solutions, Inc. (KSI)
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Staying always positive helps a lot for me. Sometime music and herbal supplements for stress gives me much relief from stress.
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