#alternate publisher Managing RSS feed - The Globe and Mail Go to the Globe and Mail homepage Jump to main navigationJump to main content News Search News ____________________ Search by eluta.ca Search Jobs at eluta.ca Jobs ____________________ ____________________ Search Login Register [b.png] 18 Toronto Subscribe Help [javascript] AdChoices * Home * News * Opinion * Business * Investing * Sports * Life * Arts * Tech * Drive * Real Estate * Streetwise * Economy * International * Industry News * Small Business * Commentary * Careers * Magazine * Startups * Growth * Money * Marketing * Going Global * Managing * Talent * Home» * Report on Business» * Small Business» * Managing Ten rules for beating stress Add to ... Travis Bradberry The Globe and Mail Published Friday, Apr. 22, 2016 5:00AM EDT Last updated Thursday, Apr. 21, 2016 4:40PM EDT * Comments * Share via email * Share on facebook * Share on twitter * Share on LinkedIn * * Print Stress has a funny way of sneaking up on you when you least expect it, but how you respond is only half the battle. The secret to winning the war against stress lies in what you do when you aren’t working (and presumably aren’t stressed). While I have a hobby that I engage in regularly (surfing), it isn’t the antidote to stress you might think. Think about it: even if you have a hobby that you’re deeply passionate about, you aren’t going to spend more than 10 percent of your time outside of work doing it. It’s what you do with the other 90 percent that really matters. You need structure to use this other 90 percent wisely. Otherwise, you’ll fall into bad habits that can magnify your stress, rather than alleviate it. I structure my time by religiously following 10 rules when I’m not working. These rules work wonders with one limitation: they don’t work quite as well if you work too much. Sure, we’re all busy, but if you’re putting in 80-90 hour weeks, you won’t have the energy or focus to use your time outside of work wisely. And there’s no point in working that much. A Stanford study found that productivity per hour declines sharply when the workweek exceeds 50 hours, and productivity drops off so much after 55 hours that there’s no point in working any more. That’s right, people who work as much as 70 hours (or more) per week actually get the same amount done as people who work 55 hours. My rules help me to shift gears to relaxing and rejuvenating activities during my time off. Try them and see if they help you to find balance. Rule #1: Disconnect Disconnecting is the most important strategy on this list, because if you can’t find a way to remove yourself electronically from your work, then you’ve never really left work. Making yourself available to your work 24/7 exposes you to a constant barrage of stressors that prevent you from refocusing and recharging. If taking the entire weekend off handling work e-mails and calls isn’t realistic, try designating specific times on Saturday and Sunday for checking e-mails and responding to voicemails. For example, check your messages on Saturday afternoon while your kids are getting a haircut and on Sunday evenings after dinner. Scheduling short blocks of time will alleviate stress without sacrificing availability. Rule #2: Minimize Chores Chores have the tendency to monopolize your free time. When this happens, you lose the opportunity to relax and reflect. What’s worse is that a lot of chores feel like work, and if you spend all weekend doing them, you just put in a seven-day workweek. To keep this from happening, you need to schedule your chores like you would anything else during the week, and if you don’t complete them during the allotted time, you move on and finish them the following weekend. Rule #3: Exercise No time to exercise during the week? You have 48 hours every weekend to make it happen. Getting your body moving for as little as 10 minutes releases GABA, a soothing neurotransmitter that reduces stress. Exercise is also a great way to come up with new ideas. Innovators and other successful people know that being outdoors often sparks creativity. I know that a lot of my best ideas come to me while I’m surfing. While you’re out in the ocean, the combination of invigorating activity and beautiful scenery creates the perfect environment for an influx of creativity. Whether you’re running, cycling, or gardening, exercise leads to endorphin-fueled introspection. The key is to find a physical activity that does this for you and then to make it an important part of your weekly routine. Related: Why Positivity Matters -- and 3 Ways to Achieve It Related: 9 Traits of a Highly Sensitive Person Related: You Should Spend Your Money on Experiences, Not Things Related: 8 Unrealistic Expectations That Can Harm You Rule #4: Pursue a Passion You might be surprised what happens when you pursue something you’re passionate about during your time off. Indulging your passions is a great way to escape stress and to open your mind to new ways of thinking. Things like playing music, reading, writing, painting, or even playing catch with your kids can help stimulate different modes of thought that can reap huge dividends over the coming week. Rule #5: Spend Quality Time with Family Spending quality time with your family is essential if you want to recharge and relax. Weekdays are so hectic that the entire week can fly by with little quality family time. Don’t let this bleed into your weekends. Take your kids to the park, take your spouse to his or her favorite restaurant, and go visit your parents. You’ll be glad you did. Rule #6: Schedule Micro-Adventures Buy tickets to a concert or play, or get reservations for that cool new hotel that just opened downtown. Instead of running on a treadmill, plan a hike. Try something you haven’t done before or perhaps something you haven’t done in a long time. Studies show that anticipating something good to come is a significant part of what makes the activity pleasurable. Knowing that you have something interesting planned for Saturday will not only be fun come Saturday, but it will significantly improve your mood throughout the week. Rule #7: Wake Up at the Same Time It’s tempting to sleep in on the weekend to catch up on your sleep. Though it feels good temporarily, having an inconsistent wake-up time disturbs your circadian rhythm (and can aggravate depression). Your body cycles through an elaborate series of sleep phases in order for you to wake up rested and refreshed. One of these phases involves preparing your mind to be awake and alert, which is why people often wake up just before their alarm clock goes off (the brain is trained and ready). When you sleep past your regular wake-up time on the weekend, you end up feeling groggy and tired. This isn’t just disruptive to your day off, it also makes you less productive on Monday because your brain isn’t ready to wake up at your regular time. If you need to catch up on sleep, just go to bed earlier. Rule #8: Reflect Weekly reflection is a powerful tool for improvement. Use the weekend to contemplate the larger forces that are shaping your industry, your organization, and your job. Without the distractions of Monday to Friday busy work, you should be able to see things in a whole new light. Use this insight to alter your approach to the coming week, improving the efficiency and efficacy of your work. Rule #9: Designate Mornings as Me Time It can be difficult to get time to yourself on the weekends, especially if you have family. Finding a way to engage in an activity you’re passionate about first thing in the morning can pay massive dividends in happiness and cleanliness of mind. It’s also a great way to perfect your circadian rhythm by forcing yourself to wake up at the same time you do on weekdays. Your mind achieves peak performance two-to-four hours after you wake up, so get up early to do something physical, and then sit down and engage in something mental while your mind is at its peak. Rule #10: Prepare for the Upcoming Week The weekend is a great time to spend a few moments planning your upcoming week. As little as 30 minutes of planning can yield significant gains in productivity and reduced stress. The week feels a lot more manageable when you go into it with a plan because all you have to focus on is execution. A version of this article appeared on Entrepreneur.com. Report Typo/Error * Comments * Share via email * Share on facebook * Share on twitter * Share on LinkedIn * * Print Next story | Learn More Discover content from The Globe and Mail that you might otherwise not have come across. Here we’ll provide you with fresh suggestions where we will continue to make even better ones as we get to know you better. You can let us know if a suggestion is not to your liking by hitting the ‘’ close button to the right of the headline. {{alttext}} {{article_sprite}} {{title}} {{published_at}} loading In the know * Sports Meet the Swedish artist who designs helmets for NHL goalies * Five days in Tibet Fear is everywhere, progress is checkered and few things are as they seem * Report on Business What are the best professions for working past age 65? * Arts Scheming, streaming and dreaming: 2016’s year in music * year in review Think you know the news of 2016? Take our quiz The Globe Recommends * {{title}} loading Most popular videos » * News Time-lapse images from space show the human impact on parts of Canada Report on Business Is a $700 parka ever worth it? Report on Business What are the best professions for working past age 65? Report on Business Video: When ‘Made in Canada’ works, and when it doesn’t * Life Coconut products: Do they really stand up to the nutritional hype? Life Meet the Canadian travel blogger who has visited nearly 100 countries News Queen Elizabeth misses Christmas church due to cold Life Video: Chef Basics: How to bake cinnamon buns from scratch * Life Toronto program offers free swim lessons to adult non-swimmers News New Brunswick firefighters rescue moose trapped in icy river Life Strengthen and tone your core with this fun variation of downward dog Video Video: Fitness Basics: How to make the most out of your time on the treadmill * ◀ * ● * ● * ● * ▶ Highlights Report on Business How one company brainstormed a tech tool to boost sales Report on Business Consumers love free shipping, but small businesses scramble to keep up More from The Globe and Mail Report on Business Lessons – from grandma – about leadership Arts George Michael achieved pop music success, but freedom eluded him Most popular 1. Christmas Eve fire kills Toronto family of four in Stoney Lake cottage 2. Making kids do a ‘daily mile’ misses the bigger point about fitness 3. Dec. 27: Your daily horoscope 4. Canadians want Trudeau to stand up to Trump, but welcome a visit: Nanos poll 5. Canada's economic star expected to dim in 2017 X * * * * connect with us * * * Products * The Globe and Mail Newspaper Newspaper delivered to your doorstep. Subscribe to the newspaper * Globe Unlimited Digital all access pass across devices. Subscribe to Globe Unlimited * Globe2Go The digital replica of our newspaper. Subscribe to Globe2Go * Globe Email Newsletters Get top Globe stories sent to your inbox. Subscribe to email newsletters * Globe eBooks A collection of articles by the Globe. View the library Advertise with us GlobeLink.ca Your number one partner for reaching Canada's Influential Achievers. * Or go directly to: * Newspaper * Magazine * Digital * Globe Alliance: extend your reach * Globe Edge: custom content * Classifieds The Globe at your Workplace Globe Corporate Sales Globe Unlimited digital edition and Globe2Go e-paper group discounts available. Learn more Corporate financial data and content licensing for your organization. Learn more * Or go directly to: * Report On Business Top 1000 * DataStore essential business intelligence Our Company * About us * Work at The Globe * Staff Secure Services * Secure Drop * Staff PGP Directory Customer Service * Contact Us * Customer Preference Center * FAQs * Customer Care website * Digital subscription services * Print subscription services * Change your delivery address * Vacation Stops Mobile Apps * News NEWS APP * Available for download on the following devices * iPhone * iPad * Android * Blackberry Other Sections * Appointments * Art Store * Births & Announcements * Corrections * Classifieds * Classroom Edition * Deaths * Newspaper Ads * Real Estate * Special Reports * Site Map * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Policy * Disclaimer * Accessibility Policy * Community Guidelines * Globe sustainability * Editorial Code of Conduct Restrictions © Thomson Reuters 2012. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters is not liable for any errors or delays in Thomson Reuters content, or for any actions taken in reliance on such content. ‘Thomson Reuters’ and the Thomson Reuters logo are trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies. Selected data supplied by Thomson Reuters.© Thomson Reuters Limited. Click for Restrictions . Copyright 2016 The Globe and Mail Inc. All Rights Reserved. 444 Front St. W., Toronto, ON Canada M5V 2S9 Phillip Crawley, Publisher Add to Watchlist Add to Watchlist [_] Add to Watchlist We've run into a glitch. Please try again later. We've run into a glitch. Please try again later.