Stress. If you work in the event industry, this isn’t an uncommon feeling. According to Forbes.com event professionals rank in the top 10 most stressful jobs for 2016. This isn’t surprising considering event professionals are often times overwhelmed by unattainable deadlines, making magic happen on shoestring budgets, and often tasked with unreasonable profit goals. Despite all the cons, it’s the day to day excitement, interaction, and feeling after you’ve completed a successful event that keeps you going.
While it’s important to savor these special event planning moments that make it all worth it, we know that’s not always possible. Check out these seven tips for combating stress when your next event rolls around.
“Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” When you really stop to think about this quote, it makes perfect sense. Consider how exhausted you are when you’ve stayed up late planning for an upcoming event. Wouldn’t it have been better if you would have went to bed at a decent hour the night before and woke up refreshed? We know it’s not always possible, but you only have so much brain power and energy to expend in one day. Make sure you give it your best!
You might be in charge of your event, but that doesn’t mean you’re in it alone. There are people on your team for a reason. Delegate responsibilities to staff that you know they can handle. Hold weekly meetings to follow up on these assigned tasks to ensure everything is running smoothly. The more you encourage open communication and lean on the support of your team, the less stress you and your employees will feel.
Event planning is filled with long days and 15 minutes lunch breaks. Give yourself time to sit down, relax, and enjoy a healthy meal! It’s easy to quickly go through the drive through at the closest fast food joint and eat in the car (because really, what’s better than a greasy burger?), but don’t make it an everyday habit. Take 30 minutes to an hour to think about something else other than your event, and shove your face with some healthy food choices. You’ll feel less likely crash when 3:00 p.m. rolls around.
I know it sounds so cliche, but deep breathing can seriously improve your stress levels. Check out this great article from The American Institution of Stress to see all the benefits that a little bit of belly breathing can provide you.
Watch some television, read a great book, take a nap, or listen to music. These are all perfect ways to think about anything but the event you’re elbow deep in planning.
Sometimes all you need is a little family time to ground you and remind you that everything is going to be okay. We know how easy it is to get caught up in the details when a big event is right around the corner, so don’t forget to spend time with the people who love you most. They might even have some good ideas for a fresh spin on an old event.