Feelings of stress are something most of us will experience at one time or another but frequent exposure to stress can cause health issues. Being involved with a membership association alongside a fulltime job can be extremely taxing, even before you start to think about trying to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
It is easy to ignore the signs of stress, but when left unresolved stress can lead to mental health problems and even physical symptoms such as stomach upsets and headaches. Helping to lead a membership association will require you to wear multiple hats and take on a lot of responsibility and it is important to establish your own boundaries.
Determine how much time you have available to work on each of your projects and set rules for yourself to prevent burnout. Time management plans can be a great help in getting yourself organised, which is key to reducing overwhelm and stress throughout your workday. Common strategies include keeping track of the time you spend on each task, which will then help you gauge how to manage your resources in future. Using a to-do list or writing down your responsibilities in list form keeps many people from becoming caught up by tight deadlines.
Avoid multitasking! Although multitasking seems like it would save time, it can often affect the standard of work you produce. It is best to devote your attention to one task at a time. Be prepared to say no when asked to help with other projects – I know this can be difficult, but sometimes it’s hard to see when you’re burning the candle at both ends. When you know you already have too much on your plate, then it’s okay to say no.
Pressure and stress at work can be alleviated by scheduling breaks into your day. Take this time to shut off from your work, turn your devices off and have some time away from the screen. Socialising with your work colleagues can really help lift morale in the office and encourage creativity between staff members.
Stress management starts before you get to the office. Your diet, exercise routine and amount of sleep you get all play an important part in how you feel when you start working. Although it saves on time, skipping breakfast is a bad idea. Everybody knows the saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, yet many people still choose to fuel themselves on caffeine instead. Another tip is to play uplifting music on your morning commute, this can provide you with a much-needed dopamine hit before getting down to brass tacks.
Freeing up time where you able to will really help to stop things getting on top of you and alleviate stress levels. Cygnul offer a remote office service and admin support for membership associations and not-for-profit organisations. Our services include:
- Admin
- Finance
- Secretarial
- Events
- Tailored Advice and Support
In addition to the option of outsourcing those mundane tasks, we have provided a list of useful template ideas which can really help free up some time for your association.