Whether you are working long hours studying for a qualification or you are putting in a little extra at work in order to contend for a promotion, you must learn to look after yourself. With looming deadlines and a lot at stake, it is all too easy to lose your cool and burn out. 

As your stress rises and you feel the pressure mounting, it is easy to start wondering about the benefits of vyvanse vs adderall and whether there could be other pharmaceutical options for you. But hold on just a moment. There are all sorts of strategies and methods you can use to help calm down and still meet your targets. 

Plan, Plan, Plan

Planning is the most essential part of meeting an important deadline. There’s no point in racing ahead only to finish early and wish you could have done a bit better and there’s equally no point in waiting until the last minute when you are going to struggle. 

Break your task into smaller, manageable chunks and think about how long you expect each chunk to take. Do bear in mind that you will need to take breaks, eat and sleep and try to avoid putting in long shifts. Equally, don’t plan too rigorously. It’s very likely that you will fall behind on some days but catch up again on others. If you plan extra days where you can catch up, you are more likely to succeed! 

Focus Your Energy

But even if you do plan, you still need the right skills to make sure that you work effectively and actually meet your deadline. Avoiding small distractions is one of the most important things you can do. Switch off your phone, close your emails and dedicate your focus to your task. 

When you feel your focus sliding, you should probably take a break. There’s no point in doing something badly because you aren’t concentrating and then having to redo it later – you might as well just wait until you are ready. That said, you need to know the difference between procrastination and an appropriate break! 

Remember to Relax 

When you have a lot to do and looming deadlines, it’s difficult to relax. But you need to sleep at some point! Try incorporating a few minutes of yoga into your wind down routine. Stretching before bed will help you to release the tension that has no doubt built up over the day and allow you time to clear your mind. 

If you find that you are struggling to switch off at the end of the day, it might be worth having a notebook by your bed so that you can write down your to-do this for the following day. This should help you to clear your mind and reassure you that you have everything under control. Meditation may also help and sleep stories are well recommended! 

Planning, focus and relaxation are all you need to accomplish your goals. Balancing your work and play will help to keep you motivated and as you chip away, you will be able to see your progress.