Stress Busters: How to Manage Year-End Anxiety

As 2019 comes to a close, year-end stress is beginning to affect many of us. There’s so much happening, both in our personal and professional lives, and it all seems to hit us at once. Annual goals are nearing completion, budgets are getting finalized and big plans are in the works for the new year ahead. There are ways to minimize the stress and anxiety you feel at the busy end of each year. Take a look at the tips below to help you do just that while staying just as productive as ever.

Identify the why. 

The first and most important step to stress management is understanding the source of your stress. Is it a quickly approaching deadline for a project at work? Are you planning a big trip for the holidays? Pinpoint the reason why you’re feeling overwhelmed and adjust your priorities appropriately. Sometimes it’s as simple as organizing your thoughts and going into the final week with a gameplan.

Envision success.

Imagine yourself succeeding at everything you need to do before wrapping up the year. The more positive your mindset is, the more positive your results will be. You’ll never miss a deadline if you never doubt your ability to reach one. Focus on success rather than failure (especially during the busiest time of the year) and you won’t have any problems finishing strong. This is also a great mindset to carry into 2020!

Do something you enjoy.  

Carve some time out of your hectic schedule to do something fun or relaxing. This’ll be different for everyone, but we all have a hobby that we’d like to spend more time doing. Pick up a good book or magazine to clear your head for an hour each night. Take a walk outside or go to the gym to collect your thoughts. Treating yourself to something you like is the best way to keep a healthy mindset.

The last few weeks of the year are always packed with things to do at work. Understand why you’re feeling stressed and stay organized to keep it under control. Picture yourself doing great work and that’ll soon become your reality. And don’t forget to spend a little time on yourself, too. These are three ways to help you manage your stress at the end of this year and many years to come.