Those who are under stress, yet refuse to get help for it, need to understand the relationship between stress & concentration in order to understand why they need to relax. This is because, at first, it seems though stress is an aid to concentration. However, this is not the case in the long term.

Long-term stress & concentration do not go hand-in-hand. In fact, the more that one is stressed, the less able they are to concentrate. However, people often keep themselves under stress in order to help their concentration, despite the fact that it is doing them absolutely no good. Usually, this is because they believe that stress is helping their concentration.

In fact, stress does help concentration for a short period of time. This is because the body is dumping chemicals into the brain to help it focus and throwing adrenaline into the bloodstream in order to heighten the senses. This helps the body hone in on its tasks and helps it to focus. This is, in the beginning, a good thing. Short-term stress really does help your concentration at first, which is very useful when you need to hammer out last-minute paper for school, a report for your boss, or you need to quickly fix some computer problems that are keeping others from getting their work done. Unfortunately, the short-term effects do not last.

As you spend more and more time under stress, your ability to concentrate lessens. The brain will have fired off so many neurons that it cannot replenish its supply of chemicals that helps the neurons fire. As well, that boost of adrenaline that helps people focus will start to heighten the senses to the point where the brain notices every little thing around, causing you to be easily distracted. Thus, the relationship between stress & concentration becomes an inverse relationship.

The problem, of course, is that the more stress you are undergoing, the more you need to concentrate in order to relieve the causes of the stress. This means that your brain is fighting against itself when you need to get work done. This is what we like to refer to as a bad thing and it can seriously injure your ability to get work done. Needless to say, the biggest cause of stress around is the fact that work needs to get done, so stress becomes a self-defeating cycle.

What can you do to escape this damaging relationship between stress & concentration? Well, there are a few things you can do. The best is, of course, to walk away.

That’s right, just stop what you’re doing. Give yourself a break. Put work on hiatus and do something else. Take a walk, get some exercise, make a sandwich, watch an hour of television. Just as long as you are doing something other than work. This will distract your mind from whatever was causing it stress, which is exactly what you need to do. After all, your mind tends to get used to being stressed after a while, making it less able to let go of its concerns. This means that you need to make a conscious effort to clear your mind, and the best way to do that is to clear all the problems out of your head before you drown in them.

If you are not able to walk away for some reason -- let’s say that you are at work and the boss doesn’t like to see people leave their desks -- you can still relieve stress and help your concentration by performing a quick relaxation exercise. Simply close your eyes (this helps, but it can be done with your eyes open) and take deep breaths. Concentrate on each breath as it fills your lungs, then concentrate on the breath leaving as you exhale. Focus your attention on your breathing until you are paying attention to nothing else. Then, once you are done, you should feel much more relaxed and able to concentrate. If you do not feel better, repeat the exercise until your mind is clear and uncluttered.

The big problem with stress & concentration is the simple fact that stress helps concentration in the short run, but hurts it in the long-run. Unfortunately, most people do not notice this transition from helping to hindering and they simply stay under stress and unable to focus. So when you notice that your mind is racing too fast to allow your brain to focus on anything, walk away or take a few deep breaths in order to calm your mind. Then, you will be able to escape the negative relationship between stress & concentration.

---------------------------------------------------- LowerYourStress.com: for everything to do with stress. Get a free ebook to help with your stress levels: http://www.loweryourstress.com/stress-book.html
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  7nbsp;Managing your time effectively is as critical as managing your money effectively. At one time or another, we have all wished for just “one more hour” in our day. But working longer hours will not make you more productive. Managing your schedule effectively will give you more time and produce the results that you desire. So how do you do that?

We have all felt overwhelmed or overworked at one time or another. Generally, when you are more overwhelmed you tend to be less productive. The more you spin your wheels, the less you are able to accomplish.

The six important steps to managing your time wisely are:

1. Write it down! Make a “to do” list of all of your tasks, projects and important action items. Be sure to include any personal items that are vital at the moment. This will help you to create a healthy balance between your personal and professional life. The more organized you become in your career, the more balance you will feel in your personal life also.

2. Prioritize your list! Take some time to go through the list that you have just created and decide which items are most important at the moment. Set deadlines for any of the items that do not have deadlines yet. Taking care of the most critical items first, will give you a sense of accomplishment.

3. Setting Goals! Be sure that your “to do” list matches your goals. What do you hope to accomplish?

4. Flexibility! It is important to be flexible. You can have a “to do” list and try to plan your week, but allow for unexpected interruptions. They do happen and you have to allow for them.

5. Outsourcing! Do you have any items on your list that do not need your personal attention? Are there items, such as administrative duties that you can delegate? Outsourcing is a wonderful way to effectively manage your time.

6. Small Rewards! When you have accomplished a task, whether large or small, promise yourself a reward for a job well done.

About The Author

Michelle Murphy (www.murphyassistants.com) is the President of Murphy Assistants, a virtual assistant company specializing in small to mid-sized businesses in need of administrative services. Copyright © 2005
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