How to Work under pressure

by Itunuoluwa Adebo

If you are in paid employment, or you’re an entrepreneur or in some cases both, working under pressure is not a new concept.  Deadlines, project changes, unforeseen obstacles,client expectations, the list is endless.

Recognizing the steps to take when faced with these huge pressure mountains that threaten your sanity can lessen the burden immensely.

Working under pressure involves dealing with circumstances that can be constrained by time, resources, the difficultly of the task, and more. It involves the stress that comes from dealing with an issue that must be taken care of on time. This pressure can lead to physical or mental distress.

Here are some tips to help you figure this out :

Maintain control 

The first step in learning how to work under pressure is to maintain control. For some pressure brings up emotions that can cloud decision-making and inhibit your ability to deal with a problem. If you cannot set your emotions aside take those emotions and turn them into the energy needed to deal with the situation.

Evaluate The Issue

Before you jump into action you must first evaluate the issue.

Be sure you know exactly what the issue is before you try to resolve it. On the surface it may seem like one thing, when in fact there is an underlying cause. By jumping to conclusions and acting on the wrong issue you may in fact make it worse. Ask the important questions who, what, when, where, why to get to the root of the problem.

Once you know what the issue is then determine the priority. Is it a high priority that must be dealt with immediately?

Have a plan

It is important to have a plan or processes for dealing with a crisis already in place. When a crisis arises that puts you under pressure,  you execute the plan. Each step is outlined and everyone knows what they are supposed to do.

If There Is No Plan

There are times when issues arise that there is no plan for. Learning how to work under pressure means sometimes you have to work without a net. Create a simple to-do list for each step that needs to be done to resolve it.

Anytime you deal with something for which you had no plan for after the issue is resolved. Write everything down while it is still fresh in your memory .

You can relieve the stress of working under pressure by knowing what steps to take to deal with any situation that can arise. Being pro-active by having plans in place for common issues can make sure they are dealt with promptly and relieve the stress of working under pressure.

The more you have to work under pressure, the better you get at it. This builds confidence that you can deal with anything that arises. This confidence can relieve the stress and help reduce the emotions that can come up when working under pressure.

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