Google has a position called the “Chief Happiness Officer,” a title that sounds pretty enticing to me. The man behind the title is Chade-Meng Tan, who was an engineer with Google when it was still a nimble start-up company. Over the years, he has learned a lot about working in a stressful, deadline-driven environment, and he shared some of his stress-management tips with Inc.
Although we aren’t Google engineers here at Communiqué PR, we think Tan’s tips are quite applicable for PR and marketing professionals. Managing projects, client demands and internal responsibilities is quite a feat, and stress is inevitable. However, what differentiates the stars from the rest of the pack is how that stress is dealt with.
It’s common knowledge that consistent, high levels of stress aren’t healthy. It can result in all sorts of problems, from decreased productivity, to bad attitudes, to insomnia, to other serious health problems, like high blood pressure. In a hectic, deadline-driven environment, it is important for PR professionals to learn how to properly manage stress to ensure they are doing what is best for clients and what is best for them.
Tan’s three tips for managing stress are:
Even though the environment we work in is much different than life at Google, Tan’s tips for workplace calmness are certainly applicable for just about any industry. Another good resource for stress management is the book “Perfect Breathing” by Don Campbell and Al Lee, the book offers simple tips to relieve stress and anxiety. What are some other ways you manage stress while you are at work?
Filed under: COMMUNIQUÉ PR