Tips to Keep Your Creative Juices Flowing Under Maximum Work Stress

If you are under loads of work stress, and feel that your mind is revolting and refusing to think, better know that you need a break. The monotony of work and pressure can really bore you to death. That happens when your mind gets clogged, and refuses to think. But the heavy workload is no excuse for lower work quality as you are expected to be as creative as you were when you had lesser work pressure. So what do you do to keep your creativity intact while you handle more work pressure? Here are certain things that top executives of a company should know while fixing the goals of their subordinates.

1. All Work and No Play Makes Jack A Dull Boy:

Most of us have heard this old proverb that has stood the test of time, and that holds true even to this day. Today, corporate executives seem to be working 24/7 to meet deadlines and stay in a competitive position in the market. The hiring firms cleverly announce some incentives, and attractive perks that work as a bait to keep executives working day in and day out without sufficient relaxation. If you sum up the lifestyles of these executives, you’ll find that they spend around 18-20 hours a day in the office, and do not take any leave during the weekends also. Many top managers are of the wrong opinion that hard work enhances creativity, but in reality, the opposite is true. Hard work might make you perfect at one job, but will not strengthen your creativity. On the contrary, the mind is fatigued and can’t think. The remedy for this is to take planned short breaks, so that your mind gets the time to relax and rejuvenate itself to meet new challenges.

2. Don’t Create False Urgency:

Keeping your workers under pressure, even when there is really no urgency is a bad idea. You might think that you are working for the welfare of your company by keeping your workers on their toes always. But this is blundered thinking. When there is a genuine emergency, your workers might come forward to spend extra hours in the office, but they will not be willing to do so every day. Even if they do well under pressure, they are going to get mentally fatigued, which is not a very good sign for the prosperity of your company. When there is an opportunity, give people time to relax. They will be grateful to you, and come back with tons of creative juices to make your work a success.

3. Tell Your Workers Beforehand What You Want Of Them:

As a leader, you should devise and communicate strategies for handling crisis beforehand to your workers, so that they are prepared for what is expected of them. For example, you can say, “for the next couple of weeks, we need to spend four hours overtime in the office to meet our deadlines.” Along with your workers, you should also stay back, and take up a bigger chunk of work than you usually do. Hold meetings only if they are necessary. Do not make a meeting mandatory for everyone unless absolutely necessary.

4. Find a Partner to Work With At the Time of Crisis:

A friend in need is a friend indeed! This is the time you’ve got to work out a symbiotic relationship with a co-worker to ensure that none of you get stressed out with work. You can work out alternate cycles of work and relaxation, so that when you are recreating yourself, your co-worker is working and vice versa. You can apply this strategy when you are on holiday, or even when you are in the office, but need to just move out for some time. If the co-worker is a junior, he’ll simply love the idea of developing his experience. You can also team up with your boss if he likes the idea.

5. Equip Your Office with Recreational Facilities:

Do you know what some companies are doing to help their employees combat stress? Office campuses are built with plush greenery so that employees can take a walk, take a breath of fresh air, and relax around the campus during lunch hours and other short breaks. Offices also have fitness spas, game rooms, music theatres, and other recreational venues that workers who stay for long hours can use.

As a leader, you should balance between work and recreation, and set an example of how well both can be worked out. You should understand that your workers are your valuable assets. Don’t mistake them for commodities that can be used to extract the maximum, because you pay them a price. Even machines need rest, and human beings are human after all!