Stress Management
I have always felt as though the approach to summer is a lot like taking that innocent, first step down the steep hill you have just finished climbing. As we approach summer, we often think of it as the “slow” quarter – warm, lazy days – often a time to rest and relax. While the calendar year starts in January, for many on the east coast, in the academic world and even in the non-profit world, there is a second “year” that starts in September and ends in June. From September until the following June, we steadily climb…sometimes easily, sometimes with struggle… and by the time we reach May we have reached the summit. We can look back over the past year and view accomplishments, strategic goals achieved, tasks completed and those which still need to be addressed.
And then we begin to go down the hill…
To me, June is like that first innocent step… the step, that unless your foot is carefully placed and your eyes are wide open, may turn into a slippery, rapid descent down. June can become a month of stress and chaos that unless properly managed can upend even the most organized person. June is frequently a planning period full of deadlines, new schedules, completion of existing projects and preparation of new goals. In the world of non-profits, June is the time for strategic planning, transition and goal setting. Taking lessons learned and creating a new set of goals to meet the needs of the organization.
Consequently, the NAPO theme for June is “The Heat Is On: Pressure and Stress Management.” So what does that mean? June is a month that is filled with tying up loose ends and establishing new initiatives and working toward those initiatives in a manner that does not create additional stress. How individuals, groups or organizations handle stress dictates not only how successful they are, but also how well they respond to set-backs, course corrections and unforeseen obstacles.
Stress Management is a theme that is common throughout life – personal, professional and communal. What are keys to managing stress? What kinds of tools are needed? What kinds of methods employed? These are the questions often asked of NAPO members. “What can I do to be better organized in my …insert forum here – home, business, family, studies?” “Are there methods I can employ to be more efficient to reduce street?” “Are there tools that will help me to reduce my stress? Products? Platforms?” These questions and more are what make NAPO members invaluable to the public. Each NAPO Member provides their clients with techniques, processes, tools and methods to achieve organization and consequently to reduce stress. And for that reason, we ask NAPO Members – “how do you manage stress?”
NAPO wants to share your successes in dealing with Stress Management through the Get Organized Blog. Take time to share with other NAPO members, potential members and clients the tools, methods and strategies that work for you. Submit a blog to the NAPO blog by visiting the Members Only POINT and submit a blog today!
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Blog courtesy of Kahra Buss, NAPO HQ